The Current Beach Boys / Brian Wilson Live Shows

I totally disagree. I want to hear the music that Brian (and the others) wrote, not a thick, bludgeoning mass of distorted guitars. The Beach Boys' best music has a delicate, intricate, beauty to it that would often get lost in the simplified, guitar-heavy arrangements of the late seventies and early eighties.
I don't think live music needs to lack nuance and subtlety at all -- indeed most of the most astonishing moments of live performance I've experienced have been seeing musicians performing without any bombast at all (and indeed many of the best moments I've seen in theatrical performances were actors giving very quiet, subdued performances). There are thousands of bands out there that can do distorted guitars and loud drums if that's what you want. It's not what I want...

Count me as a fan who loved when the band used to play with the arrangements and presentation. Just listened to Do It Again from the Philadelphia Spectrum show in ‘80 today & as always, was knocked out by the extended intro & the energy.

More recent concerts are wonderful recreations, and both bands are top notch, but each is now more like seeing a carefully curated exhibition. Nice, but I miss the occasional unexpected moments / excitement.

Then again, I guess it’s a miracle that there are still original Beach Boys involved at all.

I appreciate it all.

I get this. Both bands’ shows are fabulous; however in trying to replicate the records something “in the moment” is lost. There’s very little room for improvisation, looseness, no jamming, no sense that the musicians are relaxing and going with the flow.

And yet one of the joys of those 2000/2002 Pet Sounds and 2004 Smile shows by Brian and his band was the recreation of the studio sound (listen to the rehearsals from even earlier tours, and the musicians can be heard recreating the studio chatter that can be found on the Sea of Tunes bootlegs!).

One of the few reasons I regret not being older is that I missed out on hearing The Beach Boys live as they were during the early ‘70s, when they really rocked out, were loose and chilled and frankly, to my ears, cool as hell. The arrangements were respectful but allowed the musicians to stretch themselves while enjoying the gigs, and they were cool, in tune with their contemporary audience, playing contemporary music.

With two bands on the road today, there’s surely some room for more of that? Blondie brings a taste of it to Brian’s band… I’d be all for more.

Both bands are outstanding in their different ways. I'm lucky to have seen both. Some "fans" refuse to go see Mike for no better reason than "it's Mike". Their choice, their loss. Fact is that in five years - possibly much less - none of the originals will still be touring. Think about that.

I think there’s something about most BB music that goes against the very notion of jamming or letting go to a big extent. Most songs are very tightly-constructed structures, with carefully thought-out instrumental and vocal arrangements. It’s not that they lack spontaneity, freshness or “spirit of the moment”, but improvisation was incorporated into a firmly-knit final result.

It’s not like you can gather four of your best friends and immediately come up with a decent rendition of I Get Around: your friends need to sing and play well, and you need enough instrumentalists to fill out parts that, if lacking, the song will not be itself. This is not immediate music in the sense that, for instance, the Beatles’ early songs were.

My point is that there is a comparatively limited framework for stage-creativity while preserving the integrity of THIS music. None of the current bands, nor any of the earlier incarnations, had it easy for them.

If I want to hear the original arrangements, I can listen to the records. I have seen the band many times over the past 5 decades and while I loved shows like the 93 box set tour, my favorite shows are still those early to mid 70s concerts for being edgy and exciting. The 1980 Philadelphia Spectrum show was one of the most exciting shows that I ever attended. Those edgier arrangements made all the difference. I swear it felt like the building was rocking. I have been to bigger events later in the 80s and 90s, but nothing has equaled that show. The shows with Blondie and Ricky were also great. Crowds on their feet for most of the show. It was those heavy, edgy arrangements that made those old songs sound new. Back then, the Beach Boys ROCKED!

And there is something wrong with that? 😉 The shows were more intimate with the band talking between songs and tuning their instruments. It also gave you chance to have a drink from your lamb skin and maybe smoke a doobie or two. It was an event and we treated it as such. 🙂

I last saw the Mike led group in 2014. It was the last time they were here indoors in the summer. They kicked ass and did some deep cuts. Not seeing them cuz it's Mike is missing out. The guys backing him are as good as Brian's team. The cross over in 2012 formed friendships. Several had met before. My view on how they perform will NEVER stop me from going to see both.

Yesterday in Texas (courtesy of Elora).  Looks like Brian "Ike" Eichenberger hasn't lost a step with the falsetto! Mike, on the other hand, seems to be slowing down a little - he's definitely not 100%. Dunno about Bruce either.  Cranking them out one after the other - this concert goes as fast as the cars on "Shut Down".

Thanks for asking, Mikie.  It is complicated. A live performance (except for some carve outs such as Pet Sounds and Smile) should be some version tailored for the public. It is not as scripted as a studio recording is, even if you want to come close with the original orchestration. The whole Student Demonstration Time thing was kind of anomaly - albeit if leading into the Holland era with a type of music that aimed at being responsive to what was going on and in-their-faces with the anti-war movement. We were not living in la-la land, even though the early music was about pleasure, in sport, cars and with boys and girls coming of age.  

But - I don't agree with Mike on this one - that they were trying to be something that they weren't. Hearing that song - not even a single in the US but with big airplay on college campuses and college towns fm stations; it just resonated. We knew that the band was not operating on another planet, which was the prevailing perception. They were affected by the Vietnam War - whether it was Carl's draft or playing free shows at prisons or other locations, to satisfy Carl's arrangements with the court to avoid contempt.

The shows at that time took on the aura of an extended jam session - with certain songs - and that was very uncharacteristic of them. They were not just running through the setlist that they had written, with a flair pen on their palms. You can hear some of that on that '73/74 Concert album. I had seen some of those college shows and they were pure fire and exactly the opposite of Mike's statement - they took a risk and stepped outside their comfort zone - even if only for that Vietnam era window, forced their own growth, and man did they ever get respect. They were no longer just dismissed as a has-been surf band. When you are in the audience - you get to hear what people are saying. They had evolved.  

Now - they plan and tailor the setlist to the venue and the crowd. It is not a spontaneous jam with certain songs.  What I observed after C50 was that Brian's band rocked more - and Mike's band became more nuanced with more support musicians for the studio effect that Brian's band had - so whatever people say about C50 - they both learned from each other. They both had takeaways.