Brian Wilson - The 2017 Pet Sounds Tour thread!

great pics! Mine weren't worth posting even though I was close to stage.

 

Having seen Brian last August (and will be again two weeks from now) I agree that the change in personnel has altered the band’s dynamic. I certainly miss Darian as he is a great musician and a stand-up guy. I can’t say the same for Bennett as a human being but he was certainly musically proficient. But I also have no problem with them being replaced by the likes of Billy Hinche and Gary Griffin. They know what they are doing.

The overall feel of the band is different but I won’t say necessarily for the better or the worse. The addition of Al and Blondie to the shows makes up for anything we might have lost elsewhere in the backing band. And I found Matt Jardine’s vocals much more emotionally charged than Jeff Foskett. Plus, he’s blood. There’s a lot more Beach Boys history up on the stage now than before. It’s a different show than before, but that’s okay because I saw that other show plenty of times over the years. Whereas those were Brian Wilson solo shows this group might as well be called, “The Beach Boys Family and Friends” (here comes the lawsuit, Al). I’m just as excited to see Al and Blondie as Brian.

And Brian…I love him, but I gotta agree his “talk-singing” style ruined the 'Pet Sounds' portion of the show. He had better moments elsewhere in the set. The best we can do is hope he’s in a good mood and enjoying himself.

God, I can’t believe he’s still on the road nearly 20 years later. I never would have thunk that when I saw him in Northampton Massachusetts all those years ago it was going to become practically an annual event. Every time I think it’s the last but he keeps popping up again and again. Anyway, this one might truly be the last one, but we’ll see.

 

I will always point to his shows of the fall of 2009 as particularly special. I don't know what got into Brian on those dates but he was in the best mood I'd ever seen him. He was very chatty, completely relaxed, swearing even, like he was just shooting the **** around his house. This was not nervous public figure Brian, this was 'let's go get a sandwich and a malt at the deli' Brian. Brian played keyboards on nearly every song....and he wasn't even pretending. You could hear him. He was the sole keyboardist on "Surfer Girl". He was so into playing his keyboard during songs that he'd occasionally miss his vocal cue. I totally didn't mind. Reading lyrics off a screen and checking your watch is one thing; actually making the music with the band and being connected to the show was another entirely. Something about the way Brian played during "Darlin'" (sung by Darian) made it sound just like the album. I've never heard it played like that before or since. And they played "Custom Machine!" And "Monster Mash"... a week after Halloween!

 

My memories are not precise but in either a 2016 or 2015 show Darian was there, but weirdly for just half the show. (He either played Pet Sounds and not the rest of the set, or vice versa.) But definitely absent this leg.

 

Zodiac's comments above interesting, especially the value added of Al and Blondie. (I was fortunate enough to get to bend David Marks ear for over and hour a few months ago and he told me he was often called upon by both Mike and Brian to sit in when in SoCal, but alas that didn't happen in the Indio show I saw last month.) But overall, I do miss what I personally consider the mad glory days of 2003-06 approx....it is great that they still rehearse and pull out obscurities, tho I heard secondhand from a former band member that Brian's willingness to let the fans in the band guide him to deep cuts is getting narrower as the years pass, he's more comfortable with the warhorses.

I think tying in to what I said about Brian being "erratic," the WORST Brian show I can ever remember seeing was in 2009! At a festival in Ireland....flat unenergetic and Brian at a low in professionallism...I actually wondered if this whole project had run its course, and indeed a couple years back I bought tickets to PET SOUNDS at the Greek purely dutifully, and was treated to a show so great I realized: if Brian is within an hour of me, I gotta go, til death do us part.

There are times I love the scrappy human love of Matt J over Foskett's sometimes more mechanical perfection, but Jeff I think gets closer to the original Brian sound.

I still wish but won't get a repeat of the exact BB50th band and vocal frontline. THAT was pure glory

 

Yep, I just saw the Zombies this Friday night and Darian was introduced as "a member of Brian Wilson's band".

 

I wish Brian would have enjoyed touring more in his younger days (although we most likely wouldn't have had the music as well), I think some of his early live singing is brilliant (Please Let Me Wonder, Concert).

 

Just got my tickets to see Brian at Sheffield on the UK leg of the tour.

Thrilled about this.

Best Wishes,
David

 

Where does Brian do "please let me wonder" live in the early days? I can't recall.

 

Sorry it wasn't on the concert album but it was on the "Live in Chicago 1965" .

Spotify link to album
Live In Chicago 1965

I think he sounds pretty good throughout. A little strained in parts maybe, but I think the speed was off (Denny's Drums)

 

I attended the show in Columbus, Ohio tonight. This was my first time seeing Brian live and I'm so happy I did. I normally don't go to live shows, crowds give me the willies honestly.

The set list played was very close to the one listed above although "Help Me, Rhonda" was played during the first set. I was hoping to be surprised and hear something from LOVE YOU but I know that's a long shot.

Just being able to see Brian (and Al, Blondie, et al) was worth every penny. Being in the same building with the man and paying homage is what it's all about. The theater was rapturous in their love and adoration of Brian (and band).

I really do think "Love & Mercy" is now in my top 5 favorite BW songs. Hearing the various live performances of it over the years (through the power of YouTube and elsewhere) brought a much deeper appreciation for what a special piece of music it is. I smiled when Brian sang "I was sitting in a crappy movie with my hands on my chin". Yes, he actually said crappy.

Love & Mercy to all.

 

I was at the Columbus show,too. I could swear that at the beginning Brian said, "This is not The Beach Boys, but it's a pretty good show." Pretty good? Nope. It was great to me even if Brain relied on others to do more lead vocals than he he did in earlier shows. Of course, there have been many years in between shows for me and Brian is older. Still, unless he can't hit the notes, and I didn't hear any indication that he can't, I wish Al had been singing lead on "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "You Still Believe in Me". While there have been several comments above about Al and Blondie being on this tour, I also enjoyed seeing Billy Hinsche.

 

Am i the only one thinking it's nearly 30 years since his first solo album? Wouldn't a mini set list of that be nice?

One For The Boys - Similar to Our Prayer
Walk The Line
Let It Shine
Melt Away
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight



and then at the end of the show a more spruced up version of Love and Mercy. I think that would represent the album well without playing the entire album.

 

Hell no they are keeping him going!!!

 

I was there and that was what he said. The first half of the show had better sounding vocal blends I thought. Al seemed to be having a lot of trouble with the sound of his amp. (I was fourth row back toward center right).

 

Also...Matt Jardine was missed. The guy from NRBQ who stood in for him simply could not do justice to Carl's solos.

 

I was several more rows behind you. I can agree about the amp trouble with Al as there were times it was hard to hear him and when he played the banjo it was difficult for me to hear what he was playing. It certainly didn't sound like what should have been played during the song. I also agree about Casey McDonough replacing Matt Jardine.

 

What happened to Matt? Why was he replaced?
I'm seeing the show here in Birmingham on May 9.

Also...bummer that Darian and Scott are not in the band. I still can't bring myself to tell my wife why Scott is not around any more. She called him "the Hottie" when we saw the SMiLE tour in 2005.

 

I'm going to see him for the first time in a couple of weeks. I learned from this thread to expect an invalid or a vibrant performer.

 

Tonyc, I've seen him about 25 times since 1998, most recently couple months ago, first show of this tour. It's a real Rashomon, seeing Brian live, and not just because he in fact is widely varying in how with it and dedicated and in good throat health he is on a given night. Some people, with best of intentions I'm convinced, allow their understandable love and respect for him to hear vocal qualities that are just not there. Some are so sensitive to sharp professionalism in live shows and perhaps haven't paid much attention to his solo career so foolishly want ANYTHING like 60s Brian. Do be aware: for a lot of the time it WILL make you wonder how he sells tickets to this as "professional vocalist." But the music is amazing, the band tho not as good and exciting as they were 10-15 years ago, do the music justice and he has enough good singers in the band (tho not as many as 10-15 years ago) that the vocal presentation isn't horrendous at least. (Tho having seen the Mike BBs a couple months before last Brian, these days Mike's BB's are a reliably better vocal presentation of this music, though Brian's a way better instrumental/musical presentation.)

 

I just got a mailer from the Nashville Symphony the other day announcing the 2017-18 season, and...they've already got Brian booked for May of 2018. I guess I don't know why I thought this Pet Sounds 50th would sort of be the end of Brian's touring, but I guess it isn't.

 

If I remember correctly, the only song from Brian's post-Beach Boys career was "Love and Mercy" as a closer. It was a very beautiful ending to the concert. He usually plays some music from his solo years. Also, this time around "Marcella" was missing, but "Feel Flows" was present.

 

I hope Matt is back when I see them on Wednesday.

 

The last time I saw Brian live was when he toured "SMiLE". That was one of the most emotional concerts (for me), as I never thought he would even acknowledge the work he did on that. A couple of years before that, I saw him on the PS symphonic tour. So, I've pretty much seen what I need to see from Brian live; besides, if you've seen him doing SMiLE live, everything else after that is just a tad below it (and I love Pet Sounds).

 

Ron is correct, though there has been some variation in sets around the edges this wing of the PS tour, nothing from "solo Brian" except the encore closer "Love and Mercy" is played any longer.

Rarities/non-hits that have popped up a few or many times include Feel Flows, Wild Honey, Night was So Young, Honkin Down the Highway, Add Some Music...a couple more I'm forgetting right now. And California, tho in Al era that's been a near-constant as a lead for him. He's been completely neglecting SMILE this tour as well except encore necessity GV.