'Beach Boys' play bowling alley carpark!

[Pretty Funky]

All class.

http://www.adn.com/anchorage/story/919310.html

(In part)

The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert in a Mountain View parking lot Monday night, drawing at least 700 people to an event that most attendees heard about only by word of mouth.

 Surf rock began pumping out onto Mountain View Drive about 8 p.m., drawing in passers-by who crowded along a perimeter fence at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge for a view of the famed band. Impromptu gatherings behind rundown buildings gave way to dancing as the band played its 1960s hits like "I Get Around," "California Girls" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."....

[jeffh]

The article says 700 attended. One of the guys there, commented below the article, that the crowd was more like 250.
I didn't think that the Mike and Bruce show could sink lower than county fairs. Guess I was wrong.

The way I read it, the Beach Boys didn't put on a free concert. I'm sure they were paid. The concert goers didn't have to pay to get in. However if you read in the comments below the article, even that's in dispute.

[Pretty Funky]

Beatles on the rooftop it ain't!

[the captain]

Doesn't "free concert" always imply that audience members don't pay (as opposed to band doesn't get paid)? It would never occur to me that the band wasn't compensated for performing a free show, unless there was also some mention of a charity or something. And what's the difference whether they were compensated?

Seems to me they did something cool for people. (The negative comments are typical fare for that kind of thing: frankly, I think journalism has sunk to a new low by allowing it.) Whether 700, 200 or 10 people saw, it's still nice to perform for an hour and a half to an audience that didn't have to pay.

[jeffh]

Luther- I guess you are correct about the meaning of a "free concert." I stand corrected. Still.... a bowling alley? I wonder how much they were paid to do that gig!!

[Shady]

I'm very sorry to hear this..

But hey, if it's free, guess it's nice.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I feel more inclined to praise the band than criticize them. Shows real dedication and love of their work, or art. And, I guess it smacks in the face of those who are always criticizing Mike for doing things strictly for the money.

[Aegir]

That sounds so cool. And Mike was wearing a Pendleton!

[Nicko1234]

I would have liked to have seen it. Nice of them to do the gig to support the bowling alley even if some money will obviously have changed hands. Certainly nothing to criticize them for though.

[SG7]

I love bowling! Strike for the BB!

[Surfer Joe]

That's exactly where they should be playing- not all the time, but now and then.  It's their roots- it's who they are. Glad they haven't forgotten.  If the Wich Stand was around, that would be the coolest place on earth to see the Beach Boys. Or the Santa Monica Pier (or just the boardwalk).  I'd love to see them play Bob's Big Boy in Toluca on a Friday night.  I don't make it to the shows here in Atlanta anymore, but if they played at the Starlight Six drive-in- which Blue Oyster Cult did recently- with a double feature of "Them" and "The Tingler" I'd be there with a cold twelve-pack and a bunch of friends and have the time of my life.

I would sooooo much rather hear about them toting the Beach Boys trademark and song catalogue to something cool and laid back and unpretentious like this than playing at corporate events and having the CEO's daughter onstage for "Barbara Ann".

[Magic Transistor Radio]

For some reason I thought of Spinal Tap when the girl friend became the heavy metal band's manager. They then played at a conservative military base. Having said that, I wish I was there. The chanced of meeting Mike would be pretty good. You could also meet Bruce, but who would want to do that?

[Pretty Funky]

I have to laugh as when Bruce used to post on 'Ego' he was very put out when someone was critical of some of the venues the Mike and Bruce played. The poster mentioned various corporate, casino, county fairs etc but playing the like of a 'Piggly Wiggly' upset him.

At the time that is!

[Surfer Joe]

I keep on telling you people.  Bruce reads these boards.  He will track you down and knock your d___ in the dirt.  He's a bad mother and he doesn't mess around.  He'll go public on your ass, and then you will learn to respect the shorts.

[Eric Aniversario]

One of my favorite BB concerts was one that only about 800-1000 people went to.  It wasn't publicized well, and it was in the middle of a dirt lot at Fiesta Island here in San Diego.  Security was very lax and we all got to lean up on the stage and high-five Mike & Bruce the whole show!  It's these little hidden concerts at unknown venues that are the secret gems for the BB fan.

I also went to an Al Jardine show in Gilroy, CA which took place after a fundraiser for a local high school.  About 600 people were at the fundraiser, but less than 100 bothered to show up to the concert.  But that was one of the funnest shows I've ever been to, possibly in my top 5 of all time.  He only played about a dozen songs, but there was absolutely NO security, and the band was playing at a ground level stage that was 2 feet off the ground or less!  Cameras...absolutely!  Video cameras...why not!  There seemed to be about a half dozen hard-core fans, and the rest were mostly parents of the kids that went to the school who wanted to hang out and see a show!  That made it even more fun.

[Dancing Bear]

I have to laugh as when Bruce used to post on 'Ego' he was very put out when someone was critical of some of the venues the Mike and Bruce played. The poster mentioned various corporate, casino, county fairs etc but playing the like of a 'Piggly Wiggly' upset him.

At the time that is!

Once someone in Ego was berating Mike'n'Bruce for playing those kind of gigs... I think the poster asked "what's next, a walmart opening?"

Bruce's answer: "No, we'll be playing at your funeral" 

[Surfer Joe]

Bruce's answer: "No, we'll be playing at your funeral" 

And guess what?  The FBI is still looking for that guy. No Happy Endings for him. They should just stamp "Messed with Bruce" on his file and close the case.

[Andrew G. Doe]

All class.

http://www.adn.com/anchorage/story/919310.html

(In part)

The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert in a Mountain View parking lot Monday night, drawing at least 700 people to an event that most attendees heard about only by word of mouth.

 Surf rock began pumping out onto Mountain View Drive about 8 p.m., drawing in passers-by who crowded along a perimeter fence at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge for a view of the famed band. Impromptu gatherings behind rundown buildings gave way to dancing as the band played its 1960s hits like "I Get Around," "California Girls" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."....

Er... you missed out this part:

" Their set lasted more than an hour and a half.

The unadvertised performance was sponsored by the bowling alley, which is under new ownership and booked the band for its customers and others, said manager Kelly Anderson. Matt Bobich recently bought the business, formerly Park Lanes, and is renovating it, trying to revamp its image, he said.

"It's about people seeing what we're doing to the place, because it's been so run down for so long," Anderson said. "It's been 40 years that this place has belonged to somebody and now somebody else has taken over, and we're going to clean it up."

The show came on the heels of the Sunday gigs at the State Fair that brought the band to town this summer. General admission there was $35. Because the free Monday performance would conflict with the fair, organizers couldn't advertise it, Anderson said.

Two of the Beach Boys are original members: singer Mike Love and keyboardist/vocalist Bruce Johnston, who joined the band after it formed but was included when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

I'm thinking, if Brian's band did the same, a lot of folk - not just the die-hard Blooies - would be falling over themselves saying what a wonderful thing it was for BW to do.

BTW, the 'county fair' label is hugely unfair - the band were playing those venues back in the sixties. Check the gig listing on 10452 - county/state fairs are nothing new. Iffn you're going to bash Mike for it, diss Carl & Dennis too - they played their fair share.

[Surfer Joe]

Maybe you can help me with this, Andrew, or maybe someone can. In 2002 I was at the Georgia-Florida (college football) game in Jacksonville, Florida and the Beach Boys were very definitely at announced at the site several times, and listed on flyers as performing at the adjacent fair that goes on every year on game day.  I'm pretty certain it was 2002- call it better than 90%, though it could just possibly have been 2001 or 2003 (I go every year).  Naturally, I walked all over the place from noon until the kickoff early in the evening looking and asking, but no band.  They could have played during the game, I guess, but that would have made little sense, losing a potential 80,000 more people.

This game is always played on Halloween weekend in Jacksonville, Florida.  In 2002 it was on November 2.  Is there any record of where they were that day, or of any shows in Jacksonville early in this decade between October 27 and November 2?  It's been a real mystery for me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I know a man who can help... :-)

[Pretty Funky]

No bashing intended AGD. From memory the poster was mainly critical of the quality of venue Mike and Bruce were playing then (3-5 years ago).

FYI I gave dates and venue from my old BBFUN news letters of casino appearances dating around 1981.

For what its worth, for a band that once sang at a presidential inauguration to now accept bookings for private gigs in run down neighbourhood parking lots at the same time as the lead singer is talking of playing the Hollywood Bowl and Wembley in the future...I'm astounded!

[Nicko1234]

For what its worth, for a band that once sang at a presidential inauguration to now accept bookings for private gigs in run down neighbourhood parking lots at the same time as the lead singer is talking of playing the Hollywood Bowl and Wembley in the future...I'm astounded!

Why? Have you not followed the history of the band?

[Shady]

It's interesting though how Brian is playing the flashy, historic venues and headling festivals in front of thousands, and The BB are playing the county fairs 

They all attract big numbers so that's all that matters

[matt-zeus]

The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert in a Mountain View parking lot Monday night,

I hope they played 'In the Parkin' lot'

[Nicko1234]

It's interesting though how Brian is playing the flashy, historic venues and headling festivals in front of thousands, and The BB are playing the county fairs 

Brian has played his fair share of shows for the money over the past few years. Some of which he has made no secret of the fact that he doesn`t want to be there.