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Author Topic: Brian Wilson - Calvin Theater Northampton, MA June 15, 1999  (Read 5341 times)
Bubba Ho-Tep
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« on: February 23, 2006, 08:06:11 AM »

Brian Wilson - Calvin Theater Northampton, MA June 15, 1999

1999 seems like an eternity ago, and I suppose it is. The world has changed so much in these past 7 years. And so has Brian Wilson. He has gone from merely sticking his toe into the live performance pool with a handful of carefully scheduled tour dates to diving head first into an ocean of acclaimed concerts all across the globe and becoming a true "road warrior" in the process. And while his hesitant early performances pale in comparison with the quality of his most recent excursions, at the time it was all we had, and we were thankful for anything he could give us. 

I am equipped with a very poor memory and can barely decipher any distinguishable moments from the first time I saw Brian Wilson in concert in Northampton Massachusetts, but I will try to dust of the cobwebs and recall the sights, sounds, and smells of that magical night back in ‘99. 

When the Imagination album appeared in ’98, word soon spread that a tour would follow, and I knew that if such an event took place, that I would be there, no matter where or when.

After some delay, actual concert dates were announced. A couple shows in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and then, finally, a couple of months later a brief visit to the northeast. There weren’t many shows to choose from, so I plotted the most convenient course I could take to make my way to see my hero, Brian Wilson. It looked like the Calvin Theater would be the ideal place to attend, as it was within driving distance (I live in upstate New York), so I put my amigo on the job, having him buy tickets over the Internet with his credit card (I had neither the internet nor a credit card, so it was good to have a friend with some connections). He got us some decent seats, although not of the quality I would acquire thereafter. We might have been in the 13th row or something. I would spit on such seats now. Nothing but the first three rows from now on. Still, we could see clearly and the place was quite comfortable. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

I had never traveled so far for a concert before. In fact, being 22 at the time, I don’t think I had traveled that far on my own for anything. Northampton Massachusetts was a hipster town filled with hippies and lesbians. I’m pretty sure they filmed “House of Wax” there. Or maybe it was “The Majestic”. It had that kind of small town vibe, although a small town that had been taken over my dropout Phish fans and tie-dyed potheads (sort of one and the same, I guess). I’m pretty sure there is an episode of Star Trek that deals with this phenomenon.  But there was no chance to explore the town any deeper as we had reached our destination with little time to spare.

The venue was right on the street and there was no parking lot. We had to walk a bit to get to the front door, stepping over inebriated street vermin, hirsute Indigo Girl fans and unconscious junkies on the way there.

I was leaning up against the warm, sun baked brick wall of the facility smoking a cigarette when I poked my heard around the corner of the building and I spotted former producer and band member Joe Thomas talking to some folks. There may have been other band members there, but at the time I wouldn’t have recognized them anyway. I kept an eye out for a Brian sighting, overhearing from the locals that Brian had been seen in a restaurant the night before, but he did not materialize.

We entered the venue and went to a self-contained lounge area for drinks. They were playing Pet Sounds on the stereo system and the carpet was light green and soft. Heavenly. Fans of all ages and social status rubbed elbows as we waited for the auditorium doors to open and to be escorted to our seats. The merchandise stand was upstairs, which was unusual. I broke out the wallet and bought my very first Brian Wilson t-shirt and a program. I got a lot of mileage out of that shirt. I don’t wear it anymore. It’s just for show now. When I used to wear it out in public (which was almost every day) I’d periodically get asked by some freak peckerhead if I was a Bare Naked Ladies fan, which I would always reply, emphatically, “I’m a Brian Wilson fan!”…followed by a flipping of the bird.

We got escorted to our cushiony seats, and they were okay, not the greatest. The venue was pretty small, after all, and even the back row was still pretty close to the stage. I sat next to some guy with bad breath who asked me what to expect. I gave him the low-down. I had seen the setlist from each of the previous shows (there were a four concerts earlier in the year; this was the first gig of the “second leg” of the tour). I had also seen a videotape of the second show of the tour in Rosemont, IL, which I acquired at a record show only days after said event.

The evening started with Alan Boyd’s great short film, which brought laughs, tears, cheers and boos (Mike Love). Then the lights went down and we were ready to rock.

These early concerts were a bit different than the ones he does now. Joe Thomas looked to be calling the shots. Steve Dahl was on the stage strumming an acoustic guitar for no apparent reason. Jeff doubled practically every one of Brian’s leads. And Brian did not look very comfortable. He kept rhythm by pressing the keys of his silent keyboard. Over and over for 2 hours, he played that same chord. I think it’s his “security chord”.

I was too far away to see the finer details of Brian’s performance. I can’t tell you if he smiled or frowned or twitched or snarled, although I’m sure he did. His between song banter was full of pep as usual. He always sounded happy but very rarely looked happy.  As far as I can remember, Brian sang well although not with the power he wields now. He sang when he had to, and laid back and let the band fill the gaps. The setlist mirrored what had been performed on the earlier leg of the tour, with 2 exceptions: Darlin and Add Some Music were added to an already ridiculously generous set. I think this was the first live appearance of these songs on the tour. Add Some Music was a fantastic surprise, and Brian announced that they were the best lyrics he ever wrote.

Brian got up and bailed after what he probably thought was the last number, but then Joe caught up to him and said something, probably reminding him that they have to play Love and Mercy, which had appeared at a couple of earlier shows but had not become the permanent closing number yet. Brian looked lost and confused for a moment, but then staggered back to his keyboard to send us home with some Love and Mercy.

I figured that Brian would do this short tour and that would be it; that he had promoted Imagination and his work was done. Who could foresee the pleasures that awaited us in the upcoming years? I have a very hard time remembering much from the show, which is a real shame. But I’m sure it was a joyous occasion for all, especially me, and the start of a wonderful pastime – seeing Brian live in concert every chance I got.





« Last Edit: February 23, 2006, 11:37:55 AM by Bubba Ho-Tep » Logged
Jason
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« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2006, 09:00:40 AM »

Excellent post. Post more. And more often.
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artie
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« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2006, 10:18:12 AM »

I was there with my father; it was such a treat. I was in the balcony...when I saw him in Boston in '02 and Saratoga '05, I was in the second and third rows, respectively...

Nice recollections, Bubba. And the initial blast of tunes was UNBELIEVABLE! Little Girl I Once Knew, This Whole World, Don't Worry Baby, Kiss Me Baby. Wow.

« Last Edit: February 23, 2006, 11:26:00 AM by artie » Logged
Jason
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« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2006, 10:54:05 AM »

Y'all better take that trading to PMs.
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