nater
Kahuna
Posts: 188
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Post by nater on Apr 23, 2023 10:26:35 GMT -5
This morning, Scott Totten announced on his FB that he has played his final shows with The Beach Boys.
His post reads...
"A NEW CHAPTER Well friends after nearly 23 years I have performed my last shows with The Beach Boys. It has been a dream come true for me to play those amazing songs night after night, year after year for all the great fans out there. I’m very proud of the work I did to honor the musical legacy of The Beach Boys – with the help of my bandmates Brian Eichenberger, Tim Bonhomme, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, Christian Love and especially John Cowsill. Also the great BB crew - Swifty, Tara Ricart, Mike Czaszwicz, John Bracken and Adam Richter. I want to thank Mike Love and Jacquelyne Love for the many opportunities and experiences my family and I have had during my tenure. Many of you don’t know that I actually started touring in 1993 with the show TOMMY, so after 30 years I’m looking forward to being a bigger part of my family’s lives, and for my next adventure, big or small. I hope we cross paths again."
My heart skipped a beat reading that because I assumed he was saying it was the last BBs shows in general, but doesn’t really seem like he’s saying that. But it’s so hard to even picture what the BBs band would like now without him. I wonder who will be MD, and who will play lead guitar ? Randell? Adrian? Rob? Gonna be interesting. Everyone in that band is great , but It seems so much like Scott was the glue holding everything together. I’m so surprised.
It makes me feel like maybe the band is indeed slowing down now. Very bittersweet. It's hard to imagine The BBs without Scott at this point. He has been so tremendous. I am happy for him that he'll get to spend more time with his family.
Thoughts?
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Post by filledeplage on Apr 23, 2023 10:37:04 GMT -5
This morning, Scott Totten announced on his FB that he has played his final shows with The Beach Boys.
His post reads...
"A NEW CHAPTER Well friends after nearly 23 years I have performed my last shows with The Beach Boys. It has been a dream come true for me to play those amazing songs night after night, year after year for all the great fans out there. I’m very proud of the work I did to honor the musical legacy of The Beach Boys – with the help of my bandmates Brian Eichenberger, Tim Bonhomme, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, Christian Love and especially John Cowsill. Also the great BB crew - Swifty, Tara Ricart, Mike Czaszwicz, John Bracken and Adam Richter. I want to thank Mike Love and Jacquelyne Love for the many opportunities and experiences my family and I have had during my tenure. Many of you don’t know that I actually started touring in 1993 with the show TOMMY, so after 30 years I’m looking forward to being a bigger part of my family’s lives, and for my next adventure, big or small. I hope we cross paths again."
My heart skipped a beat reading that because I assumed he was saying it was the last BBs shows in general, but doesn’t really seem like he’s saying that. But it’s so hard to even picture what the BBs band would like now without him. I wonder who will be MD, and who will play lead guitar ? Randell? Adrian? Rob? Gonna be interesting. Everyone in that band is great , but It seems so much like Scott was the glue holding everything together. I’m so surprised.
It makes me feel like maybe the band is indeed slowing down now. Very bittersweet. It's hard to imagine The BBs without Scott at this point. He has been so tremendous. I am happy for him that he'll get to spend more time with his family.
Thoughts?
Thanks to Scott for doing the deep dive into the BB catalog for authenticity-bringing the audience into that studio of the 60s and 70s. Very fine quality work, and I have enjoyed his dreamy Harrison interpretation of Beatle George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun." I will miss you! Their kids are getting older and sometimes those changes have to be made. But don't be a stranger and please visit onstage from time-to-time. ❤️⭐️🏄♂️🙏🏻🎶🎧 And, John, the ❤️beat of the band. 🥁🪘🎤
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Post by lonesurf on Apr 23, 2023 10:38:00 GMT -5
Scott was a phenomenal addition & a great MD. He really transformed Mike’s band.
Wow. Good for him spending more time with his family. But … He will really be missed.
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Post by Mikie on Apr 23, 2023 10:55:59 GMT -5
Wow! Scott Totten was a great singer, player, and musical director for the band. And a real nice guy. I'm sorry to see him go.
And Cowsill too? Again, what a great singer and player!
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Post by AGD on Apr 23, 2023 11:08:44 GMT -5
Posted on his Facebook page an hour ago:
"A NEW CHAPTER Well friends after nearly 23 years I have performed my last shows with The Beach Boys. It has been a dream come true for me to play those amazing songs night after night, year after year for all the great fans out there. I’m very proud of the work I did to honor the musical legacy of The Beach Boys – with the help of my bandmates Brian Eichenberger, Tim Bonhomme, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, Christian Love and especially John Cowsill. Also the great BB crew - Swifty, Tara Ricart, Mike Czaszwicz, John Bracken and Adam Richter. I want to thank Mike Love and Jacquelyne Love for the many opportunities and experiences my family and I have had during my tenure. Many of you don’t know that I actually started touring in 1993 with the show TOMMY, so after 30 years I’m looking forward to being a bigger part of my family’s lives, and for my next adventure, big or small. I hope we cross paths again."
Seems Cowsill has left too. Damn, that's a blow and no mistake.
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Post by John Manning on Apr 23, 2023 11:13:04 GMT -5
Just saw this on FB.
Scott’s time with the BBs saw them reclaim their title as a great live act and he must take the credit for that. He has my eternal thanks for restoring their credibility in that realm.
John Cowsill too brought power and fun to their performances, and was a great friend of the fans. The band will not be the same without him.
I hope they don’t let things slip; onward and upward, Beach Boys, please!
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 23, 2023 11:14:01 GMT -5
That is a shame to lose two very important members of the band. Best of luck to both Scott and John.
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Post by AGD on Apr 23, 2023 12:18:25 GMT -5
I wonder who will be MD, and who will play lead guitar ? Randell? Adrian? Rob? Gonna be interesting. Everyone in that band is great , but It seems so much like Scott was the glue holding everything together. I’m so surprised. Absolutely not. The only worse thing than that would be making Stamos the full-time drummer.
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nater
Kahuna
Posts: 188
Likes: 352
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Post by nater on Apr 23, 2023 13:10:59 GMT -5
I wasn't implying that Adrian would be on the top of my list for replacements. Just listing those I thought could fill the role.
Of past guitarists that could do that, we have...
-Randell K and Rob B who have both filled in for Scott recently.
- Probyn, who not only has been with the BW band for 20+ years, but has also played with Al's Endless Summer band and Dean Torrence's Surf City Allstars.
- Jeffrey, though I think his health issues might prevent him for returning to the road.
- Phillip Bardowell, though I know from being friendly with him that he is currently preoccupied with his new job as a nurse and his religious obligations. He's an amazing singer and guitarist, and still plays with the Allstars, but has been more fulfilled by those community related things recently.
- And from longer ago, we have Adrian and Smilin' Eddie who are both still active.
And what's the word with Cowsill? I read and re-read Totten's post and couldn't find anything to indicate Cowsill was leaving. Did he also make an announcement? Or has word just spread among those in the know?
Of the drummers that could replace him I can think of...
- Mike D'Amico from the BW band, who also played with The BBs in 2012.
- Mike Kowalski, who played with the band for decades (and just did a great interview on BBs Talk)
- David Logeman, who was J&D's drummer, and still plays with and manages the Allstars.
- Bobby Figueroa, who still plays with Al and his own tribute band.
Or the craziest (albeit, *least likely*) path could be David or Blondie returning as guitarist and Ricky returning on drums. But once again, I think this is very very very unlikely.
Mike could also just simply go with new instrumentalists that we've never heard of before, which certainly wouldn't be unprecedented. I'd imagine a band at the status of The BBs would have musicians lined up as potential replacements.
Does anyone get the funny feeling that this might be indicative of something bigger going on? Could the band losing its two MVP touring members mean they're starting to finally slow down? They do have far less shows booked for this year than past years.
Or could there be some kind of rift going on? I know this is really reading into things, but Scott mentioned everyone in his post but Bruce. He even mentioned Mike's wife and the crew members, plus every other member of the band, except Bruce. John and Scott have seemed to be a unit, does them both leaving at the same time mean anything or does it show that something happened/changed? It's not like this announcement came at a convenient time. The summer tour is about to kick off. There are dates announced through September. Might we see some of these dates start to go away, like what happened with BW? Or do we expect Mike to continue to carry on like he always has? If just Scott or John were leaving I may not be as shocked, but with both of them leaving at the same time I'm definitely confused. I'm happy for them and supportive of them wanting to be with their families more.
It's definitely just strange that this is happening at the same time of the touring schedule being fairly light. Honestly, I feel like I've just been taking this all for granted, feeling that Mike and The BBs would continue forever, as silly as that sounds. It just feels like Mike would never stop, and like the band had reached a new peak as a live unit with John and Scott's talents. The rest of the band is extremely talented, but I can't help but feel like this will leave a noticeable hole.
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Post by AGD on Apr 23, 2023 13:14:23 GMT -5
There's a very good reason why Cowsill took over from Kowalski.
I'm sure it's not escaped anyone's notice that there's a ready-made pool of outstanding musicians currently at a loose end...
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Post by Fall Breaks on Apr 23, 2023 13:17:30 GMT -5
Am I blind? Where does it say that Cowsill is leaving?
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 23, 2023 13:29:43 GMT -5
Am I blind? Where does it say that Cowsill is leaving? It doesn’t and why would it? It was Scott’s announcement of leaving, not of Cowsill’s. John Cowsill info came from a different source.
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Post by Fall Breaks on Apr 23, 2023 13:35:35 GMT -5
Am I blind? Where does it say that Cowsill is leaving? It doesn’t and why would it? It was Scott’s announcement of leaving, not of Cowsill’s. John Cowsill info came from a different source. Okay, let me rephrase that. From where comes the info of Cowsill leaving? From what I can see, Mikie is the first one mentioning it in this thread.
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Post by Mikie on Apr 23, 2023 13:44:16 GMT -5
It doesn’t and why would it? It was Scott’s announcement of leaving, not of Cowsill’s. John Cowsill info came from a different source. Okay, let me rephrase that. From where comes the info of Cowsill leaving? From what I can see, Mikie is the first one mentioning it in this thread. I just questioned it. I have no firm confirmation (yet) on whether John has announced his departure or not. Stay tuned to this channel....
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Post by Emdeeh on Apr 23, 2023 13:47:56 GMT -5
I am really going to miss Scott. He gave so much musically to the touring band, and he relates to the fans as a fan of the music himself. Good luck to him in his next venture.
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Post by Fall Breaks on Apr 23, 2023 13:49:06 GMT -5
Okay, now Mike posted this on his Facebook:
"Our live show and band family was blessed by both Scott & John’s contributions for 23 years. Change is a part of life despite being difficult to accept. Although Scott and John may not tour regularly with us, they will always be my family, my brothers in music and great friends in life. This is not goodbye, just see you soon 🙏
My Love & gratitude to Scott & John and best wishes for a fantastic next chapter.
Peace & Love, Mike & Jacquelyne"
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Post by Mikie on Apr 23, 2023 13:54:55 GMT -5
I am really going to miss Scott. He gave so much musically to the touring band, and he relates to the fans as the fan of the music himself. Good luck to him in his next venture. I'm going to miss Scott and John. Both good musicians and......good people.
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Apr 23, 2023 13:59:08 GMT -5
I am really going to miss Scott. He gave so much musically to the touring band, and he relates to the fans as the fan of the music himself. Good luck to him in his next venture. I'm going to miss Scott and John. Both good musicians and......good people. And two very important cogs in The Beach Boys band. All within weeks of the Spring tour.
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Post by monolithic on Apr 23, 2023 16:12:34 GMT -5
Sad news, but it's amazing that Scott and John performed with the touring band for so long.
It will be very tough to replace them.
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Post by andrewhickey on Apr 23, 2023 16:20:40 GMT -5
Wow, I've not been around here for a couple of years (I was getting into arguments I didn't want to get into and it was making me a more unpleasant person than I'd like to be) but had to log back in to say that this is really saddening and shocking. Only saw them last month (I went on the cruise, this year and last year) and they were certainly both talking then as if they were planning on being in the band indefinitely. With both going together at once... that's going to *destroy* the musical integrity of the band. For the first time in six years I wish I was still on Facebook so I could let them know how much they've meant over the years, and how grateful I am for the personal generosity they've both shown in our occasional interactions. As well as being the best musicians in the touring band, they've also been just exemplary in the way they deal with the fans, even socially-awkward nerds like me. Whatever the backstage goings-on that have led to this, this is going to be the worst blow for the touring band since Carl's death, and I don't say that lightly. Mike's band lost a *lot* today.
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Post by Mikie on Apr 23, 2023 17:48:39 GMT -5
Wow, I've not been around here for a couple of years (I was getting into arguments I didn't want to get into and it was making me a more unpleasant person than I'd like to be) but had to log back in to say that this is really saddening and shocking. Andrew, you're more than welcome here anytime.
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Post by lastofmykind on Apr 23, 2023 17:55:07 GMT -5
Im sure the high expectations that Scott had and recieved from the other musicians will last quite a while. Yes Scott and John will be hard to replace however I'm sure no stone will be left unturned in finding quality replacements. I would expect that Randell may sub for a while until a suitable replacement is found on lead guitar. Personally I'd wish that he'd be the full time replacement becuase it coulndt happen to a nicer guy. Drums really has my wheels turning in who a replacement might be, I woulnd't be suprised if it was Mike D'Amico, I know him and Cowsill were pretty tight and Mike and Bruce already have some familiarity with the 50th tour.
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Post by newbbfan on Apr 23, 2023 18:16:56 GMT -5
Well I'm darn glad that I saw the fantastic show at the Pechanga Casino with both those great players who are leaving the band. Some major shows coming up including the Hollywood Bowl on the 4th of July so Mike's got to have some plan.
I still think it would be really wonderful if for those great Fourth of July shows that he actually got the band back together with Dave and al. Blondie and Ricky absolutely that would be fantastic and of course we don't know where they're Brian will play again. I'm sure the world would go wild if that 4th of July show turned into just one more heroic Beach Boy 4th of July extravaganza.
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Post by andrewhickey on Apr 23, 2023 18:25:12 GMT -5
Im sure the high expectations that Scott had and recieved from the other musicians will last quite a while. Yes Scott and John will be hard to replace however I'm sure no stone will be left unturned in finding quality replacements. I would expect that Randell may sub for a while until a suitable replacement is found on lead guitar. Personally I'd wish that he'd be the full time replacement becuase it coulndt happen to a nicer guy. Drums really has my wheels turning in who a replacement might be, I woulnd't be suprised if it was Mike D'Amico, I know him and Cowsill were pretty tight and Mike and Bruce already have some familiarity with the 50th tour. I'm not so sure that "quality" is necessarily what Mike is looking for in musicians. Certainly Kowalski and Baker, for example, were just diabolical musicians. I think Mike got very, very, lucky to get someone like Scott as musical director, and while, yes, Randell would be a fine replacement for him as far as performances go, getting a similarly-talented musical director would be a very, very hard job. (Actually, Probyn is one of the few people I can think of who *could* step into Scott's shoes, but I'm not sure he'd want to, or that Mike would want him to). And likewise, Cowsill was an *exceptional* drummer. Mike D'Amico is certainly very, very good and I'm sure would do a good job, but remember when he's been playing with Brian's band he's been essentially one half of a two-person percussion team, and Cowsill was doing both halves himself. I also wonder (and it is wondering, not a statement of certainty) if D'Amico's drumming style would work with the kind of show Mike does. D'Amico isn't an *exciting* drummer the way Cowsill is, at least in the many shows I've seen him play over the years. He's perfect for Brian's band doing Pet Sounds material and similar, but that kind of nuanced, sensitive, playing might not translate as well to the more upbeat style of performance Mike's band has. Of course, it might -- he's a good musician, no doubt he can adapt his style to the people he's playing with -- but I'd be curious.
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elora
Grommet
Posts: 19
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Post by elora on Apr 23, 2023 19:20:04 GMT -5
According to a John Cowsill Facebook fan group (not the finest sources of info, but work with me) the replacement guy will be a Jon Bolton (https://jonbolton.net/about). Not heard any rumours as to Scott's replacement yet. I would imagine they'd go with younger fresher faces for all the replacements regardless, recentish additions of Brian Eichenberger, Randy Leago and Keith Hubacher were all new people! I would be very surprised if any of the older tour guys came back into the fold.
EDIT: Brian Eichenberger has also changed his LinkedIn to state he is now the Musical Director of The Beach Boys as of April 2023, for what that's worth.
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