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Post by kds on Aug 29, 2023 14:21:15 GMT
This is another reason my concert going has gotten more selective. Especially being a fan of mostly legacy artists.
Between increasing ticket prices, fees, and parking (not even including concessions and merch), going to a show nowadays is a pretty big financial commitment.
And, in many cases, Mike and Bruce is one example, these are artists I've seen before, and I'd not really be hearing anything I hadn't heard.
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Post by lonelysummer on Aug 29, 2023 18:26:12 GMT
This is another reason my concert going has gotten more selective. Especially being a fan of mostly legacy artists. Between increasing ticket prices, fees, and parking (not even including concessions and merch), going to a show nowadays is a pretty big financial commitment. And, in many cases, Mike and Bruce is one example, these are artists I've seen before, and I'd not really be hearing anything I hadn't heard. Yeah, I haven't seen any "big name" acts this year. I saw Firefall and Pure Prairie League a couple weeks ago only because they were free tickets through work. Otherwise, it's been local bands; and even among those, there's not a lot left. The local market is overrun with tribute bands, and most of those don't interest me.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 6, 2023 11:46:57 GMT
The first BB concert I attended was June 20, 1978 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. In those days, the 1970s and 1980s, my two BB buddies and I saw the group every year, sometimes twice a year. It was always my job to get the tickets. I didn't mind; I was easily the most enthusiastic fan. Through the years, for some reason (I'm not sure why), I turned the "ticket purchasing duties" over to my buddies. I just asked how much I owed and wrote a check. And, that's what I did for the upcoming BB concert on 9/16/23 in Lancaster, PA. Last night I texted one of my buddies and asked how much the ticket was this time. Anybody wanna take a guess? $280 dollars for Row 13. I'm stunned. I had no idea tickets were that high. I'm surprised my buddy didn't run it by us/me to see if we still wanted to go. I would've passed. I do know that tickets aren't that much for the rows farther in the back - which I would've been perfectly happy with. I'm not going to SEE The Beach Boys anymore. Not with just Mike and Bruce. I'm going for a night out for dinner, conversation with some old friends, and, yes, to HEAR some great music. Needless to say, I'm going to try to savor every moment.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 6, 2023 12:03:24 GMT
Yikes! I feel for you, Sheriff John Stone. Honestly there's no way I'd want to dole out that kind of cash for the Mike & Bruce Beach Boys. That feels steep even for a reunion show!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 6, 2023 12:17:47 GMT
Yikes! I feel for you, Sheriff John Stone . Honestly there's no way I'd want to dole out that kind of cash for the Mike & Bruce Beach Boys. That feels steep even for a reunion show! Honestly, it's taking some of the fun out of it for me. I feel like I'm being ripped off. And, you know what? They're actually playing two shows that day/night (we're seeing the later show). Think of what Mike and Bruce are walking away with for about four hours' work!
Again, I'm surprised my buddy didn't run it by us. We could've easily sat in the middle or back for half that price, or less. I know, I'm old, and I'm not supposed to worry as much about the money - and I don't want to come off as cheap in front of my friends - but paying $280 just isn't my style. Plus, we're stopping at some Italian restaurant for dinner. McDonald's anyone?
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Post by kds on Sept 6, 2023 12:30:04 GMT
Christ, I remember paying $65 a ticket to see Mike and Bruce from the second row. And that was only Feb 2016. Not that long ago.
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Post by carllove on Sept 6, 2023 13:01:37 GMT
The first BB concert I attended was June 20, 1978 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. In those days, the 1970s and 1980s, my two BB buddies and I saw the group every year, sometimes twice a year. It was always my job to get the tickets. I didn't mind; I was easily the most enthusiastic fan. Through the years, for some reason (I'm not sure why), I turned the "ticket purchasing duties" over to my buddies. I just asked how much I owed and wrote a check. And, that's what I did for the upcoming BB concert on 9/16/23 in Lancaster, PA. Last night I texted one of my buddies and asked how much the ticket was this time. Anybody wanna take a guess? $280 dollars for Row 13. I'm stunned. I had no idea tickets were that high. I'm surprised my buddy didn't run it by us/me to see if we still wanted to go. I would've passed. I do know that tickets aren't that much for the rows farther in the back - which I would've been perfectly happy with. I'm not going to SEE The Beach Boys anymore. Not with just Mike and Bruce. I'm going for a night out for dinner, conversation with some old friends, and, yes, to HEAR some great music. Needless to say, I'm going to try to savor every moment. My two tickets in row D Orchestra Right to see Mike and Bruce last September, were $65 each. No way I’d pay $280 to see them, especially with John Cowsill gone. What the heck? Do savor the moment though and let us know how it was. I guess it is, what it is.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Sept 6, 2023 13:17:21 GMT
That sounds like he purchased one of those "verified" resale tickets. I've never seen Mike and Bruce tickets for more than $100 or so. I was six rows back at the show I just attended for $25 each, and no fees since I bought them at the box office.
Looking at the website for your show, it seems that no tickets are available aside from wheelchair accessible seats, unless I'm looking at it wrong. So it sounds like he bought them second hand and may have been ripped off a little. The most expensive seat on their site is $89.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 6, 2023 13:38:25 GMT
The first BB concert I attended was June 20, 1978 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. In those days, the 1970s and 1980s, my two BB buddies and I saw the group every year, sometimes twice a year. It was always my job to get the tickets. I didn't mind; I was easily the most enthusiastic fan. Through the years, for some reason (I'm not sure why), I turned the "ticket purchasing duties" over to my buddies. I just asked how much I owed and wrote a check. And, that's what I did for the upcoming BB concert on 9/16/23 in Lancaster, PA. Last night I texted one of my buddies and asked how much the ticket was this time. Anybody wanna take a guess? $280 dollars for Row 13. I'm stunned. I had no idea tickets were that high. I'm surprised my buddy didn't run it by us/me to see if we still wanted to go. I would've passed. I do know that tickets aren't that much for the rows farther in the back - which I would've been perfectly happy with. I'm not going to SEE The Beach Boys anymore. Not with just Mike and Bruce. I'm going for a night out for dinner, conversation with some old friends, and, yes, to HEAR some great music. Needless to say, I'm going to try to savor every moment. My two tickets in row D Orchestra Right to see Mike and Bruce last September, were $65 each. No way I’d pay $280 to see them, especially with John Cowsill gone. What the heck? Do savor the moment though and let us know how it was. I guess it is, what it is. These tickets are in the Orchestra section...but still. $280? I've seen several concerts at this venue (American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA) and never paid more than $85. I saw The Beach Boys last year at the Hershey Theatre and paid $75. I think I paid around $100 for a Brian Wilson concert at the same Hershey Theatre two or three years ago.
There's been so many changes in the Beach Boys' band through the years. The days of catching Brian, Dennis, Carl, Al, or even David are long gone. But that's who I went to see. Yes, I appreciated the auxiliary musicians, but they weren't the reason I went to the shows. The emotional attachment of seeing the band in concert has faded over the years, especially the last few years. Seeing the 80-something Mike Love and Bruce Johnston isn't the attraction it used to be. I apologize for my negativity today...
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 6, 2023 13:40:42 GMT
That sounds like he purchased one of those "verified" resale tickets. I've never seen Mike and Bruce tickets for more than $100 or so. I was six rows back at the show I just attended for $25 each, and no fees since I bought them at the box office. Looking at the website for your show, it seems that no tickets are available aside from wheelchair accessible seats, unless I'm looking at it wrong. So it sounds like he bought them second hand and may have been ripped off a little. The most expensive seat on their site is $89. Great...
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Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 520
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Post by Emdeeh on Sept 6, 2023 13:43:12 GMT
If you get the option, try to catch shows in towns that aren't near large metro areas. Those venues tend to have lower ticket prices and sometimes even free parking. The downside is that you might have to fork out for lodging.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2023 14:05:16 GMT
I saw The Beach Boys last night at The American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA. There were two shows; we saw the later 7:30 PM one. These are some thoughts. I guess this is a SPOILER ALERT if you're planning on seeing them in the near future:
- Stamos was there. More on that later.
- The setlist was mostly the hits. No really deep cuts other than "Rockaway Beach" and "Pisces Brothers".
- It was Mike Love's show. He was strong. His voice - both singing and speaking - did NOT have that rasp. He did go flat on some notes and struggled to hold others, but I was happy with his performance. He gave 100%.
- Bruce has become the Brian Wilson of the 70s. He only sang one lead ("Do You Wanna Dance") and the bridge on "Surfer Girl". He threw in "I wish they all could be Pennsylvania girls". No "Disney Girls". His piano was mostly inaudible. He did go out from behind his keyboard to exhort the audience to dance, sing, and applaud. He clapped along. He wasn't a statue.
- The unexpected "star" of the show? Drummer John Bolton. You gotta see this guy. Great drummer; maybe the best I've ever seen with the band. Full of energy. He makes goofy faces, hits himself on the head with his drumstick, and is constantly twirling his drumsticks, even during a song. Constantly. He pounds; I thought he was gonna break a drum head. Very good singer, too (he sang "Darlin'" and parts of "California Dreamin'"). I would pay just to go see him. I think Mike likes him, too.
- The mix was terrible. Too heavy on the drums and bass. They were using three, sometimes four guitarists and it was muddy. Tim Bonhomme's keyboards were drowned out. You couldn't decipher the various vocalists. Very disappointing.
- Brian Eichenberger was OK. He sang loud and clear, but he didn't channel Brian Wilson (or even Jeff Foskett) like I heard him before. Brian played some nice acoustic guitar. Brian handled almost all of the leads (Brian Wilson parts) that Mike didn't sing.
- The video screen was improved. They added/tweaked some new photos and videos. Brian Wilson was represented well. Al Jardine was barely shown.
- Mike made some more "political" humor. It brought mostly silence with a few "ooohs" and chuckles.
- John Wedemeyer was fine on lead guitar. His Fender guitar sounded more "surfy" than most of the other Beach Bots' lead guitarists.
- Randy Leago played some good sax. He came out to the front of the stage a few times, but he doesn't do much. Occasional flute. Some percussion.
- The best song? The biggest surprise was "Summertime Blues". They changed the arrangement around. It was great! Stamos sang the low "parent" part. "Rockaway Beach" rocked! John "Bolt" Bolton was tremendous on drums. "Then I Kissed Her" was surprisingly good. "Good To My Baby" was fantastic. "In My Room" was the best ballad. They played a nice version of "Surf City". They threw "Little Honda" into the Car Medley and it worked. "California Dreamin'" was surprisingly strong.
- Disappointing songs? They played "Kokomo" right after (a weak) "Barbara Ann" and it just brought things down. I don't like "California Girls" where its placed, near the end; it just doesn't take off; Bonhomme's keyboards were hardly audible. The final song, "Fun, Fun, Fun" doesn't go on at the end - which I liked. They don't use that extended falsetto ending anymore. Mike completely changed the lyrics to "Getcha Back". "Rock And Roll Music"? Meh, but Bolton saved it. He went wild!
- I was going to mention "God Only Knows" as disappointing. Christian Love's voice, which is fine I guess, just doesn't move me. Christian looked like a homeless man. Long straggly hair, scraggy beard, baseball hat, jeans and T-shirt. He only sang one other song ("Good Vibrations"). I don't know why they are keeping him so close to the middle of the stage. He and Eichenberger should change positions on stage.
- A big hightlight? "Forever". They speeded it up a beat which works. Stamos sang it well. The backgrounds were perfect. Stamos spoke a nice intro/speech about people we've lost including Bob Saget. They now use a new video. Dennis Wilson is featured of course, but Bob Saget is very effectively interspersed. They show lots of scenes from Full House including when The Beach Boys were on. They also show Carl Wilson singing from the Stars & Stripes version/video, but it's a lot of photos/scenes of Stamos with Saget together, and Stamos with his wife and young son. It was very well done.
- I didn't see Mike say one word to Bruce or even make eye contact. Just sayin'...
- OK. Stamos. I was glad that he was there. It added something to the show. The ladies liked it. But, honestly, the guy drove me nuts! Now, I'm a Stamos advocate. I recognize and appreciate what he's done for the group. He doesn't bother me nearly as much as he bothers some. But, last night, he did bother me. They placed him right in the center of the stage, up front. He played a red, white, and blue Gibson guitar, and he just sang background vocals. That was OK. But then started to prance all over the stage - during the songs. He would walk over to the sound guys. He kept motioning to turn something up or down. He kept playing with his ear pieces. He kept brushing his hair with his hand. Then he would leave the stage for a minute or two, only to return. He would pick up the mic/mic stand and walk around with that, holding it out over the audience. He was upstaging Mike. He would strum a little bit, stop playing, turn around and survey the band like he was "in charge", and then resume playing. He couldn't stand still. I asked one of my BB buddies, "Is Stamos on drugs?" Then, what really bothered me was, he replaced Bolton on drums for a significant amount of songs. There were two drum sets. It was awkward. Yes, his Stamos' drumming was fine, but Bolton was just standing there at his drum kit, making faces, singing backgrounds, occasionally hitting a cymbal, and smiling at Stamos. I wanted to hear Bolton drum! Very frustrating. Stamos did stop the show occasionally and said some nice things about The Beach Boys, the effect of their music on today's crazy world, and how grateful he was to be able to perform with them. He spoke clearly and sincerely. During "Barbara Ann", about twenty people came on stage to dance around, and Stamos strapped his guitar on this young man who appeared to have Down Syndrome. The young man was strumming the guitar and singing "Barbara Ann" and it was very touching. Then, during "Fun, Fun, Fun", a young lady who also appeared to have a disability, came to the steps of the stage with a sign that said, "Fun, Fun, Fun". Stamos sat on the steps with her (the spotlight was on them) and they sang "Fun, Fun, Fun" together. That was very nice, too.
- Last night's concert was a rock & roll show. Guitar, bass, and drums. A lot of guitar. Not a lot of other arrangements. They gave the people what they wanted. The audience never stood up (which made me happy) but they were audible singing along. The band started these new arrangements to certain songs where they stop the music completely, the lights come up, and only the audience is heard singing along. It worked, too; it was effective. Again, it was an older crowd. No intermission. The T-shirts were $40. No CDs for sale.
- I keep telling myself, "I guess this will be the last Beach Boys' concert I go to..." Then I end up going to the next show that comes around and really enjoying myself. Even being impressed. Always a few surprises. The music doesn't get any better. I'll probably go again.
This video was taken from a few nights ago:
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2023 14:09:19 GMT
The unexpected "star" of the show? Drummer John Bolton. You gotta see this guy. ... hits himself on the head with his drumstick Finally! I've been waiting 47 years for that!
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Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 14:27:14 GMT
- OK. Stamos. I was glad that he was there. It added something to the show. The ladies liked it. But, honestly, the guy drove me nuts! Now, I'm a Stamos advocate. I recognize and appreciate what he's done for the group. He doesn't bother me nearly as much as he bothers some. But, last night, he did bother me. They placed him right in the center of the stage, up front. He played a red, white, and blue Gibson guitar, and he just sang background vocals. That was OK. But then started to prance all over the stage - during the songs. He would walk over to the sound guys. He kept motioning to turn something up or down. He kept playing with his ear pieces. He kept brushing his hair with his hand. Then he would leave the stage for a minute or two, only to return. He would pick up the mic/mic stand and walk around with that, holding it out over the audience. He was upstaging Mike. He would strum a little bit, stop playing, turn around and survey the band like he was "in charge", and then resume playing. He couldn't stand still. I asked one of my BB buddies, "Is Stamos on drugs?" Then, what really bothered me was, he replaced Bolton on drums for a significant amount of songs. There were two drum sets. It was awkward. Yes, his Stamos' drumming was fine, but Bolton was just standing there at his drum kit, making faces, singing backgrounds, occasionally hitting a cymbal, and smiling at Stamos. I wanted to hear Bolton drum! Very frustrating.
Yikes! If I were to attend another Mike & Bruce show, I'd need confirmation that Stamos wasn't going to be there. It really is strange to me how central Stamos and the Full House connection has become to the touring group. Stamos making an occasional guest appearance? I get. But this isn't that.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2023 18:37:55 GMT
John Bolton sings "Darlin'":
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