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Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 18:42:51 GMT
- Mike made some more "political" humor. It brought mostly silence with a few "ooohs" and chuckles.
I completely forgot that the Beach Boys are playing a festival on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ today, alongside Weezer and the Foo Fighters, among others. It's a beautiful Sunday and possibly the last weekend warm enough to fully enjoy the beach here. What a perfect situation for a Beach Boys appearance! With that in mind, and considering this will be a much more diverse crowd, I really, really hope - as a Beach Boys fan - that Mike drops any and all political jokes and commentary today.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2023 18:50:43 GMT
- Mike made some more "political" humor. It brought mostly silence with a few "ooohs" and chuckles.
I completely forgot that the Beach Boys are playing a festival on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ today, alongside Weezer and the Foo Fighters, among others. It's a beautiful Sunday and possibly the last weekend warm enough to fully enjoy the beach here. What a perfect situation for a Beach Boys appearance! With that in mind, and considering this will be a much more diverse crowd, I really, really hope - as a Beach Boys fan - that Mike drops any and all political jokes and commentary today. It wouldn't be too difficult. He only did it one time which was the intro to "Surfer Girl", but it wasn't just a one-liner, it was a couple sentences long. Because of this forum, I knew it was coming, and I was saying to myself, "Don't go there, Mike". But he did. I think it did catch the audience off guard. Like I said, it was met mostly with silence other than a few "ooohs" and laughs. I do think the reaction would be different with a younger, more diverse audience. It was an older audience last night. I was one of the younger ones and I'm old!
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Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2023 19:01:11 GMT
Right, it wouldn't/shouldn't be a big deal to just drop it for a day. This is obviously a different setting than there typical show and so you'd hope they'd recognize/appreciate that. And they'll probably have less stage time and therefore will be cutting things anyway (although, "Surfer Girl" will most certainly be performed). My cousin is there, maybe I'll ask.
Man, I'm sort of kicking myself for not going today. I remember it being announced, but it just completely fell off my radar. I am sort of leery of such big crowds since COVID, though. The festival drew like 30,000 people last year.
Edit: And just to reiterate my point: I think it's the perfect day on the Jersey Shore for a Beach Boys performance. I think the crowd will really enjoy it. Seeing the Beach Boys...on the beach...would be so cool! And so I really hope Mike doesn't turn people off unnecessarily. There's just no need for that at all!
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Post by lonelysummer on Sept 17, 2023 19:28:39 GMT
This review makes me think that things are being prepared for Stamos to take over once Mike is no longer able to tour. Glad it was an enjoyable show for the most part. I don't know if I'll be seeing them again; the whole concert going experience has turned sour for me. Shows - even Mike and Bruce - are so doggone expensive now, not the just the price of tickets, but parking, concessions, and I've seen M & B 3 times now. But never say never.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2023 21:14:51 GMT
This review makes me think that things are being prepared for Stamos to take over once Mike is no longer able to tour. Glad it was an enjoyable show for the most part. I don't know if I'll be seeing them again; the whole concert going experience has turned sour for me. Shows - even Mike and Bruce - are so doggone expensive now, not the just the price of tickets, but parking, concessions, and I've seen M & B 3 times now. But never say never. Here ya go:
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nater414
Denny's Drums
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Post by nater414 on Sept 19, 2023 22:22:34 GMT
Nice review, Sheriff. I have a few differences of opinion but totally appreciate your thorough review.
- While I can comprehend your comparison of Bruce and 70's Brian due to lack of leads and low keyboard volume, I think they are completely different cases. Brian was usually completely disengaged and "spaced out" for lack of better term. Bruce goes out of his way to engage the audience, get them dancing and clapping. Brian also hardly sang aside from his leads, and Bruce is a crucial component to the harmony stack in every song. He sings during every song the whole night. He sings some of the toughest vocal parts too. Bruce is frankly, in my opinion, one of the most engaging performers I've ever seen. Yes, he's not playing extended solos or taking very many leads, but his harmony voice is solid, and his enthusiasm/energy is contagious. And for what it's worth, he's been taking many leads on this tour (Wendy, Please Let Me Wonder, among others) but those songs have come in and out of the set.
- Bolt is absolutely a star. What a great addition to the band! I agree with you there!
- I personally think Ike channels BW more than any other 'high voice' singer the band has had (besides Al in his prime) because he sings from his chest and only falsetto for the highest notes, just like Brian Wilson.
- I agree with your complimentary takes on John W and Randy for sure! Randy's definitely one of the unsung heroes, handling woodwinds and a wide array of percussion instruments (it's sort of like if you combined Paul and Nelson from BW band into one member haha)
- To be honest, the comments on Christian's appearance were a bit uncalled for and harsh. All the BBs had long hair, beards, and a variety of eccentric clothing choices in the 70's and 80's. And appearance aside, I have to say that I really like Christian's voice. I'm in the camp that think his voice sounds a lot like Carl. As for Christian being where he is onstage, it could just be that Mike wants to stand by his son and feels proud to have his boy with him center stage.
- I understand folks on both sides when it comes to Stamos. I understand why some love him and can't get enough, while others find his antics and attitude a little overwhelming/exhausting. But the crazy thing is, at this point Stamos has been playing with The Beach Boys twice as long as Dennis did. Dennis was in the band from 61-83. Stamos has been playing with the group for 40 years now. Stamos has earned his place in the band. I kind of just think of him as a member of The BBs touring band that makes appearances occasionally or often depending on his schedule. He sings and plays very well, so ultimately I sort of just group him with the dozens of touring musicians the band has had. When he's playing with the band I just kinda look at him like any other member of the group. But I don't think everyone has to feel the way I do. I understand people who feel differently. But at this point, Stamos/Full House are just apart of The BBs lore/canon whether we like it or not. Like I said, Stamos has been playing with the band for 4 decades. He's earned the right to be up there regularly in my opinion. I for one, will be very happy if he continues on with a Beach Boys band when Mike retires. I think I'd get very depressed with no BBs shows to look forward to. They are one of the great highlights of my life. If Stamos takes the torch from M&B, I won't be upset, I'll be quite happy. More BBs shows to look forward to and make great memories. I think we've all accepted the reality that the amount of time the original BBs can continue is finite, and I really want to see the band continue. I'm 23 and I want to someday take my kids to BBs shows the way I went with my parents. If it's the John Stamos/Christian Love led BBs (as opposed to M&B), that would definitely be an adjustment, but I would still avidly want to support the band/brand. But, yeah... I think we've reached the point where it's becoming increasingly likely that some kind of deal will be struck (Or has already been made?) giving Stamos an 'ambassador' role perhaps, or making him central to the group's future. Dude has dedicated so much of his life to the band, and has always actively done what he can to promote them. I think it's no coincidence that The BBs play at all the TV events Stamos hosts. I wouldn't be surprised if he is part of pulling the strings to make that happen.
- I don't think Stamos turns around to assert dominance or act like he's "in charge". I think it's just because he likes interacting with other musicians, particularly Bolt. Though I have seen him directing Bolt to slow down multiple times on Forever. I don't think that's because he's trying to take the MD role away from Ike, I think it's just because he wants a comfortable pace to sing.
- It's definitely a great time to be a BBs fan/concert attendee right now in my opinion. The concerts are very energetic and the musicians are very passionate. There are so few bands that will ever make it to this milestone of performing in their 62nd year, so it's very cool to support Mike and the guys on this amazing endeavor. The guys really rock right now! Largely thanks to Bolt and John W injecting some new life, but also because Mike and Bruce are still kicking ass as bandleaders/frontmen!
- I will add too , that I have also taken notice of how little Mike and Bruce interact. I specifically watch now, in youtube and in person, to see if they interact at least once or twice. Mike also doesn't interact with Christian very much, if at all, other than introducing him for his spotlight numbers. No father-son moments on stage like Matt and Alan have. But I don't think this indicative of any animosity between the band members. I just think the music they're playing is pretty complicated, and everyone is focused on their parts. If anyone slips up, the whole harmony stack can fall apart. Everyone has to be on the money to get that perfect BB sound. So I think they're just preoccupied focusing on their parts, and performing to the audience. It's a business and everyone is very professional. They're not screwin around up there! They work very hard. In that way, The BBs are so different from bands like the Stones and GratefulDead who can just sorta show up and jam, and have things magically fall into place. With BBs music, everyone has to be precise, exact, and in sync. Being off in their vocals by a single half-step could ruin the blend. Plus they work very hard to recreate the original instrumental parts as well, while most of them sing at the same time, so they definitely have to stay very much focused on the task at hand, and can't be as casual as a lot of other classic rock groups.
I have many more thoughts regarding the current BBs, Stamos' involvement, the lineup changes, etc. But I guess I'll leave it at this for now, since I've already written a lot.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 19, 2023 22:47:20 GMT
nater414, very interesting comments. I'm particularly curious in a few aspects of both this post and (as far as I can recall) some of your previous posts. So interesting, and especially since (as a 23-year-old) you are coming from a different generation than mine (47) or many of the band's fans (60s, 70s). 1. If I'm not mistaken, most of your posts have been about the Love/Johnston touring Beach Boys, or Love's releases. What are your thoughts on Brian Wilson's solo career, or the Wilson/Jardine/Chaplin touring group? 2. It's interesting that you mentioned the possibility of a Stamos/C. Love-led "Beach Boys" after the original principals retire. Do you think a successor group would necessarily come from the existing touring group, or would you like/hope for a more unified successor group that incorporates the best of all the factions?
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 20, 2023 0:05:33 GMT
Hey, nater414. Thank you for your critique of my critique. Great post! I wish you would post more on the forum. I really enjoy your writing and your opinions. I always like to respond/engage with passionate fans like yourself. So, don't be a stranger. I guess I should respond now.
I just kinda threw out that analogy of the 70's Brian to the current Bruce, and you properly called me out on it. I will say, though, that with the analogy, I was limiting it to the amount of lead vocals per concert, and the fact that their keyboard wasn't/isn't exactly prominent in the mix. Yes, Bruce does on occasion sing more leads, but he didn't the other night. Also, on almost every song, you have six or seven guys singing harmony, so I don't know if I would categorize Bruce's vocal part as "crucial". And, you are right, Bruce can be engaging, and gets the audience dancing and clapping - which I gave him credit for. I guess, as one of only two original Beach Boys on stage (and I will categorize/credit him as original), I expect more from him - musically. Maybe another lead vocal or two, maybe another Bruce-written Beach Boys' song or two (in place of "Pisces Brothers" ), maybe a keyboard solo or playing of another instrument like the bass or organ, and maybe even more talking to the audience. It can't be argued that Bruce has been performing the same...role...for 40 years now, and it's almost like an auxiliary member, not an original one. Maybe I should credit Bruce for not wanting the spotlight.
It's funny, I like Ike (pun intended, old political humor ), and in the past he's been excellent. But, the other night I didn't find him as engaging or channeling of Brian. I'm not saying it was because of a lack of effort; he just didn't resonate with me. He did play some nice guitar.
I apologize if my...description...of Christian Love's appearance was offensive. That was my attempt (obviously a failed one) at humor. A quick story: The other night when we were walking through the parking lot into the hall, we saw this guy running out of the tour bus. He had long straggly hair with a cap pulled down, about a week's growth of beard, and wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt. My one buddy said, "That's the guy who's responsible for cleaning out the tour bus." Another buddy said, "No, he's looting it." And I said, "You know, that looks like Christian Love." About an hour later, that guy took the stage as a Beach Boy. It was Christian Love! Hey, despite my insult, I'd trade places with him. He's a cool, good-looking guy. And, despite if his father wants him almost center stage, I'd still move him more to the side.
As far as what you posted about John Stamos, I agree with a large percentage of it. I don't know how extensively you've followed this board, but I've always defended John Stamos and credited him for everything he's done for the group for, well, over 40 years. Actually, I've also advocated for Stamos on other forums where it was not fashionable to do so. My biggest (only?) objection to Stamos' behavior the other night was basically his stage presence. He was a distraction! I don't know how else to describe it, IMO of course. The guy couldn't stand still, he was all over the place - during the songs - and I thought it was uncalled for. Even if you tried to block him out, you couldn't. Your eyes are automatically drawn to this guy running around the stage, primping, fidgeting, speaking/yelling at numerous people, and what appears to be attention-seeking. I'm not saying it is; maybe that's just his shtick, but it's off-putting. Frankly, I'm surprised Mike tolerates it. I did find your comment contradictory where you said that Mike might not interact much with Bruce and Christian because "the music they're playing is pretty complicated, and everyone is focused on their parts" and "if anyone slips up, the whole harmony stack can fall apart". Why would Mike, for the sake of concentration (my term) not interact with Bruce and Christian, then let Stamos roam the stage endlessly - during the music. But, everything else you said about Stamos I have no major problem with, and I'll even say that I'd have no problem if Stamos, as you say, "takes the torch" when Mike retires.
One final thing, and again I thank you for your post, but I'm ambivalent that this is a great time to be a "BB fan/concert attendee right now". Like I posted above, yes, I enjoyed the concert overall and will probably attend future ones. They had a nice setlist, gave 100%, and rocked the place. The musicians are pros and were entertaining. But, as an old, diehard fan who was fortunate to see the band live with Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson on stage, and has seen the band (and solo Brian) about 40 times since 1978, I did have a feeling, not an overwhelming feeling but a feeling nevertheless, of seeing a tribute band. I know, that'll get your blood pressure up. Seriously, other than Mike and his familiar voice...Well, I'll just leave it at that.
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Post by kds on Sept 20, 2023 2:32:34 GMT
Just getting caught up on this thread.
Its been almost 5 years since I last saw M&B. I think I'd only go again if they expanded the setlist a bit. Over the last couple years, they seem to have settled into a bit of a cookie cutter setlist. Perhaps changing over some personnel could account for that, but I'd like to see them get back to the 44 or so song sets I saw in the mid 2010s.
Stamos doesn't bother me although sometimes I think they go overboard with the Full House stuff. Sure, their appearance was a big moment in their history, I get that. But, they seem to use the Stamos / Full House thing to promote Mike and Bruce shows a lot.
And, I don't know, forgive me if this sounds cold hearted, but turning Forever into a Bob Saget tribute just feels....off.
But, I don't want to be all negative here. I'm glad there's still a Beach Boys on the road in 2023. I might object to the cookie cutter setlists, but those are all legendary songs, all being played very well.
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nater414
Denny's Drums
Posts: 30
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Post by nater414 on Sept 20, 2023 19:32:04 GMT
Guys, I have to say I'm really flattered by these positive responses, which are quite refreshing compared to most other places The BBs are discussed online. You guys are really inviting and I'm loving this conversation! I'll address points as they happened in the conversation.
- My thoughts on BW band/career - I think BW's solo career was nothing short of an absolute triumph. His solo albums are some of the music I listen to the most. BW88, Imagination, and TLOS are frequent listens for me. Brian's band has been one of the greatest collections of musicians to ever do it! Both in the studio and onstage! I even adore some of BW's lesser loved albums like NPP and Disney. I saw Brian four times (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022) and I loved each concert I saw. Brian is the man, and no matter how much I adore the other members, Brian is still the center of my BBs universe. He's really the one most responsible for The BBs success and career. Do I think guys like Mike & Bruce deserve more credit? Absolutely. But Brian Douglas Wilson is no doubt the greatest musician of the 20th century in my opinion, and deserves all the praise in the world. I also am a producer for my work, and struggle with auditory hallucination issues, so Brian's story resonates with me so deeply. I would have never had the bravery to pursue a career in music, with the struggles I have, if not for Brian Wilson being an amazing example for me. Brian is my hero.
- Good point that I sorta envision The BBs touring band continuing with the established Meleco operation and musicians, but that it very likely could be a more unified effort with musicians from Mike, Brian, Al, and Dave's various groups. It would be awesome to see a combination of Mike and Brian's band continue with the 'torch' when the principle members decide to hang it up. I think that is a realistic outcome. I think Stamos and/or Christian are still the most likely 'band leaders' at this point. My money would've been on Foskett and Totten being in the running too, but that is more doubtful now for a variety of reasons.
Sheriff, all of your responses were on point. That CL story was hilarious I might add!
I agree 100% with Forever turning from a Dennis tribute to a Bob S tribute is... bizarre... to say the least. But I think Mike and his band had become friends with Bob too. And the BBs-Full House connection is substantial enough for me not to be too alarmed. But I won't deny that it's a bid odd. However, anytime Forever is performed, my JOY that it's in the setlist trumps any weird feelings I get from Stamos or Saget. Hope that makes sense.
I also agree that Stamos stage-antics are too much. I believe he's a great musician, has the right to be there, and at this point does as much for the band as anybody. As I mentioned, he's been playing with The BBs for four decades now. He's in the class of folks that I'd consider "honorary Beach Boys"... but with that said, his stage behavior is too wild and too fidgety these days. And from what I recall it hasn't always been this bad. But it doesn't take anything away from the show for me. Even when he comes to the front of the stage, I think it's for the sake of audience engagement. Mike & Bruce can't exactly move around the stage like they used to, so I commend Stamos (as well as Keith and Randy) for making a point of moving around the stage and interacting with their bandmates.
While as a diehard fan, I dream of setlists that heavily pull from the Brother years, I'm not at all displeased with the recent setlists. Additions like Wendy, All Summer Long, Please Let Me Wonder, Surf City, Still Cruisin, Summertime Blues, Wild Honey, and Sail On Sailor (all interchangeably) have made the recent sets very exciting in my opinion.
I think Ike is doing a wonderful job as MD... I've also heard it reported that Keith is Co-MD so I'll give due credit to him to.
If Stamos/Christian/members of Brian's band inherit the BBs name, it'll be crucial to always move forward with a great MD. Ike could be that person, and his role in the Four Freshman gives him a lot of credibility to oversee the harmonies. I have faith in BRI that whatever group we get, if any, to continue the legacy will be a solid group of musicians. The band/brand is certainly being cared for and oversaw with more attention to detail than in years past.
One more thing I want to add --- The reason I post a lot about Mike and his band, compared to my posts about Brian, is that I think Mike/BBs band are often treated with less respect and talked about less than BW. So I try to even that out, because I think ML & Co. deserve adoration and discussion too. Many aspects of Brian's solo career or his albums have just been talked about to death already, and most often the things that I feel like will be meaningful additions to our conversations, are about less talked about things like the touring members and ins&outs of Mike's band... But ultimately, I'm a BEACH BOYS fan, and I love to talk about anything related to the subject. And in a wider lens than that, I'm a CALIFORNIA/SURF music fan, and also love talking about J&D, Phil Spector, The Surfaris, The Rip Chords, etc. That whole sound and world is just the best music I've ever heard. Nothing compares for me.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 20, 2023 20:04:16 GMT
Guys, I have to say I'm really flattered by these positive responses, which are quite refreshing compared to most other places The BBs are discussed online. You guys are really inviting and I'm loving this conversation! Not to speak for others, but I think we generally are very interested to hear what fans of all backgrounds have to say, regardless of age, status, etc. None of us pretend to be anything we're not, we're just a small bunch of people who enjoy listening to and talking about these musicians. And we'd love to have a larger bunch of like-minded people, just so long as they're committed to the same general vibe as the one we've had here. So please, don't be a stranger--your posts have been thoughtful and thought-provoking.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 27, 2023 11:53:07 GMT
This is a nice little story from a San Antonio TV reporter about how she, a lifelong Beach Boys fan, ended up getting to not just do a promotional Zoom interview with Mike and Stamos before their performance, but then introduce the band on stage. While the story is nice, I will now go off topic from the Beach Boys to journalism, and my snark level will go way up. So you might want to stop reading here. When I was in journalism school (and frankly, every English class I ever took, to a lesser extent), we were taught to use exclamation points very sparingly. "There should be years that go by without using one," I was told more than once. Perhaps the author, as a TV reporter (and so presumably trained in that, not print journalism), didn't get the message. (We always had a snobbish disdain for people on the TV track: they were stereotypically good-looking and charismatic, but not necessarily the sharpest knives in the drawer.) Or perhaps it's a generational thing. After all, my HR Manager is known to have, oh, half a dozen or more exclamation points in every mundane corporate reminder email she sends. But whatever the explanation, she uses 12 exclamation points in this article, including five to end a single sentence. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" has several analogs in writing, and exclamation point overuse is one. (Excessive use of all caps is another.) The story itself should communicate the excitement. I'd say I can't believe the copy editors let this through, except I realize how much less copy-editing is done in modern (and especially online) journalism, and by whom it is done. End of rant. But it really drives me crazy. It ought not. But it does. Journalism has changed a lot, and not for the better, in my opinion. But I know, my opinion is just mine. Times change. Et cetera.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 27, 2023 12:06:03 GMT
That was a nice story! Nice videos, too!
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 27, 2023 12:14:42 GMT
That was a nice story! Nice videos, too!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 30, 2023 19:29:54 GMT
I didn't know whether to post this Christian Love interview here or in the New Articles, Interviews, Etc. thread. Because most of the interview is relevant to 2023, I chose here. If you want to know why Scott Totten and John Cowsill were replaced, Christian gives some...reasons (around the 19-20 minute mark):
It's also on Spotify.
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