Fall Breaks
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How it really got to my soul
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« on: July 09, 2009, 08:44:30 AM » |
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The northernmost Beach Boys concert ever (just barely beating Fairbanks, Alaska and Reykjavik, Iceland) took place in a chilly Piteå on the beach some mere thirty meters from the sea. TBB headlined the annual Beach Party, which earlier years has seen John Fogerty and Gary Moore, among others, perform.
I was there three hours early to be sure I would get a nice spot, and that was how I came to meet Bruce and talk to him for several minutes. He was very nice and really took the time to talk with me. We discussed onstage sound, audience sound, why they wouldn’t play ”Here Today” (Mike doesn’t want to play it without an orchestra and/or outdoors) and why they had two microphones pointed at the audiene (according to Bruce, so he can hear people in the audience saying how cute he is). He also told me the story about Terry Melcher playing tambourine on ”That’s Not Me”.
Prior to the audience being let in they performed a 45 minutes soundcheck that featured both Mike and Bruce. They ran through the entire "Do You Wanna Dance" and rehearsed several parts of "Sloop". (Also notable: "Billie Jean"!)
This was the first time since 2001 that I saw Mike and Bruce, and to these ears they sound tighter and tougher now than then. Bruce also had a more prominent role, singing more leads and handling more between songs chatter (of which there, however, was very little). The sound was not perfect where I stood (front center) but better in the middle. Mike’s microphone was a bit low.
”Surfin’” opened the show which I doubt is such a good idea. Okay, it’s interesting to hear their first recording segue into the Beach Boys’ vocals of today, but how many casual fans regonize it and/or know its place in BB history? Maybe that’s why they go into ”Surfin’ Safari” halfway through.
Highlights of the show included ”Shut Down” which really rocked, the acapella parts of ”Why Do Fools” and Bruce nailing ”GOK”. Perhaps the only letdown was ”Getcha Back” which sounded tired and dull. Christian Love, who sang it, may have a nice voice but he hasn’t too much stage presence and looked bored and tired. John Cowsill, on the other hand, weighs up Christian’s performance nicely with great vocals (e.g. ”Darlin’”) and enthusiastic drumming. ”DWB”, sung by Randell Kirsch, was also a spot on performance. Bruce sounded good the entire concert. Mike didn’t talk as much between songs as he did in 2001, leading to a more energetic and coherent performance. His voice sounded good as well. However, two ideas that I’m positive must be his were the embarrasing parts of the show: him asking his daughter (?) onstage to dance with him during ”Surfer Girl”, and her and two other girls coming onstage to dance during ”Barbara Ann”. Pointless.
The crowd, consisting of beer-driven casual fans and myself, sang happily along to the few songs they knew (”Surfin’ USA”, ”Kokomo”, ”Barbara Ann”, ”Good Vibrations” and ”Help Me, Rhonda”). Considering the crowd it was no wonder they didn’t do any rarities. When I talked to Bruce prior to the show he told me not to expect ”a great show” but just ”the show”, which was what we got. Still, ”the show” was a good one.
Set list:
01 Surfin’ (part original recording, part live) 02 Surfin’ Safari 03 Catch A Wave 04 Don’t Back Down 05 Little Honda 06 Do It Again 07 Surf City 08 Summer Means Fun (Bruce) 09 Surfin’ USA
These first nine songs were performed without pause between them.
10 Surfer Girl (Bruce on middle-8) 11 Getcha Back (Christian) 12 Darlin’ (John) 13 Don’t Worry Baby (Randell) 14 Little Deuce Coupe 15 409 16 Little Old Lady From Pasadena 17 Shut Down 18 I Get Around 19 In My Room (Bruce on Brian’s verse part) 20 God Only Knows (Bruce) 21 California Dreamin’ (Christian? Can’t remember, during this song a girl had to be lifted over the fence by the guards at the same spot where I stood) 22 Sloop John B (Mike, of course, sang his parts, but who sang the other?) 23 When I Grow Up 24 Why Do Fools Fall In Love (Randell?) 25 Dance Dance Dance 26 Do You Wanna Dance (Bruce) 27 Then I Kissed Her (Christian) 28 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (?) 29 California Girls 30 Be True To Your School (Mike comes into the first chorus one beat early and doesn’t notice this until a couple of bars later. Lots of smiles onstage, including Mike) 31 Cottonfields (John – terrific lead) 32 Kokomo 33 Good Vibrations (Christian on Carl’s part) 34 Help Me Rhonda (John?) 35 Rock And Roll Music 36 Barbara Ann
37 Summertime Blues (Beach Boy’ed version with different hook and more BG vox) 38 Fun Fun Fun
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