The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Shows

The five surviving members of the Beach Boys back together again, according to Brian Wilson, it wouldn’t have happened last year.  I thank the stars that it did happen.  They were so good and have such a storied history of turmoil, especially on Brian Wilson’s part.  He hasn’t done any work with the band in over 20 years.  They have a 70+ date tour, plus a new album.  Rumor has it they recorded enough cuts for 3 albums, in just under 3 days.  Thanks Brian!

 

I went to three shows on the reunion tour.  I know what you’re thinking, overkill with a capital O, right?  No, because I brought a special guest to each show.  Austin has had a “bromance” with Brian Wilson for many years.  He loves Brian Wilson and well deserved, the man is a genius.  I think Austin models his recording techniques after BW.  I took Austin to the first Beacon show.  On May 8, 2012, on a slightly chilled Tuesday evening, we saw something that John Stamos said “we will never see again folks.”  The surviving members have a combined age of 344 years!  Led by the front man, Mike Love and his cousin Brian, they took the stage and offered their very best for over 2 hours and 44 songs.  BW was having an off night, he wasn’t really singing into the microphone and really didn’t move from his perched position at his white mid-sized grand piano.  Since it was the golden anniversary, they all sang into gold plated microphones.  Brian had to be helped to the piano because of back problems, flying cross country for 3 months probably doesn’t help matters much.  They started the show off with Do It Again, an apropos choice, if you ask me.  They did a bunch of earlier songs in the first half, while the second half was the more ‘grownup’ songs, that showed their growth as musicians and growth in BW’s musical genius.

Mike Love was his charming self, for 71 he still has a nasally voice, but sounded good.  He anchored the bass department on such classics as Surfin Safari, I Get Around, Little Honda and the painful to sit through Be True to Your School. 

Brian Wilson took lead on Surfer Girl, the first song BW wrote driving down Hawthorne Highway.  His delicate tenor is still intact with astounding pitch control.  While he has been using a teleprompter since he started live performing on his solo career in the 90’s, it didn’t distract from his performance.  I’d rather have the right words and a spot on performance, so if BW needs his security blanket, give it to him.   

Al Jardine seems very centered, even though he was both fired and sued by Mike Love in the past.  I told you there is a lot of turmoil.  He sang such classics like Help Me Rhonda, the cover of California Dreamin’ and Cottonfields, which was a hit everywhere in the world, but not in the US.  One would think a song filled such a vivid image of the great American South would be a natural hit.

Bruce Johnston has a way of energizing the crowd and getting them going.  He has a lot of time on his hands during the show since he has a keyboard in front of him, but really doesn’t play it.  He sang his song Disney Girls.  A funny exchange between Bruce and Mike Love happened at the Mohegan Sun show.  Mike introduced Bruce as the Grammy® award winning songwriter who wrote Barry Manilow’s hit I Write the Songs.  Mike said you hear in every doctor’s office and elevator.  Bruce came back with, right after Kokomo.  Good jab Bruce.  Mike and Bruce have a great rapport, they are like brothers.  Bruce has the need to announce what album the song they have just finishing singing is off of too.  It keeps him busy.  Bruce joined the band around ’65.  When he does sing at the show, his voice is pretty much shot, but does an admirable job on California Girls. 

David Lee Marks is the baby of the group.  He is a whopping 63.  He played guitar when he was like 12 on the first 5 Beach Boys albums.  He is a great guitar player, and as Mike Love calls him, the “King of the Surf Guitar.”  I read somewhere that he plugs directly into the amp, he has no effects pedals or anything, it’s just the direct guitar sound.  

The Boys has a hot 10 piece band, and 2 musical directors.  The set list at all three shows was always slightly different.  After one song, Brian called Mike over and wanted to add the song “Add Some Music to your Day.”  Someone replied tomorrow, and sure enough, they opened the second set after the intermission with that song Brian wanted to do.  They also added the album track, Marcella to the set for the second night. 

John Stamos was at both NYC shows.  He did a lengthy intro both nights.  The first night, it was like John Stamos was the main act and the Beach Boys was the supporting act.  He came out and played the drums on a few numbers in the first set.  During the second set, they have video tributes for the two passed Wilson brothers, Dennis and Carl.  The Dennis video cut out during Forever.  The band was backing up a vocal backing track of Dennis singing that song.  After the second verse when the track cuts out, John comes out to save the day.  Instead of being a quiet hero, he had to announce, that the video went out, “thank God I was here.”  Mike then mentioned that he knows that song “because when Uncle Jesse got married on Full House, that was his song.”  Also during the second set, during the last number, John pulled this little girl out of the audience.  She looked terrified, so did Al because John put her on his shoulders and tried to play the guitar while she was on his shoulders.  I know John is a big fan, but did he really have to horn in? 

Brian Wilson seemed more relaxed during the second night at the Beacon.  He is a quiet observer and doesn’t have to be in the spotlight.  What’s really cool is that he straps on his BW bass and comes to the front mics to sing Barbara Ann and Surfin USA.  Jeff Fosket should also be mentioned.  He sings most of the high parts.  He is pretty much doing Carl’s job.  He seems very protective of Brian.  The funny thing is BW is off the stage before the last note of the last song is struck.  

Some of the highlights were when Brian took lead on Do You Wanna Dance?  Also some of the rare and obscure songs, like Wendy, You’re So Good to Me and The Little Girl I Once Knew.  I hope that Brian got to put songs he wanted to do in the set.  Some of the more “grown up” songs like Sloop John B, and Sail on Sailor were welcome.  Heroes & Villains is an insane song to listen to, let alone sing live.  Brian messed up a bit but it was barely noticeable on the first night. 

I was lucky to be in the crowd for the first public performance of Add Some Music to your Day.  They all gathered around Brian at his white piano and sang that song.  Al says it’s like the old days of recording around one microphone. 

Set Lists

Beacon 5/8/12                        

Do It Again/Catch a Wave/Hawaii/Don’t Back Down/Surfin’ Safari/Surfer Girl/Let Me Wonder/You’re So Good to Me/Wendy/Then I Kissed Her/The Little Girl I Once Knew/Why Do Fools Fall in Love/When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)/Cotton Fields/Disney Girls/Don’t Worry Baby/Little Honda/Be True to Your School/Little Duece Coupe/ 409/Shut Down/I Get Around

California Dreamin’/Sloop John B/Wouldn’t It Be Nice/Forever/Sail on Sailor/Heroes & Villains/In My Room/All This is That/This Whole World/I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times/God Only Knows/That’s Why God Made the Radio/California Girls/All Summer Long/Help Me Rhonda/Rock & Roll Music/Do You Wanna Dance?/Barbara Ann/Surfin USA//ENCORE//Kokomo/Good Vibrations/Fun, Fun, Fun

Beacon 5/9/12

Do It Again/Catch a Wave/Hawaii/Don’t Back Down/Surfin’ Safari/Surfer Girl/Please Let Me Wonder/You’re So Good to Me/Wendy/Then I Kissed Her/Why Do Fools Fall in Love/When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)/Cotton Fields/ Marcella/Disney Girls/Be True to Your School/Don’t Worry Baby/Little Honda/Little Duece Coupe/409/Shut Down/I Get Around

Add Some Music to Your Day/California Dreamin’/Sloop John B/Wouldn’t It Be Nice/Forever/Sail on Sailor/Heroes & Villains/In My Room/All This is That/This Whole World/I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times/God Only Knows/That’s Why God Made the Radio/California Girls/All Summer Long/Help Me Rhonda/Rock & Roll Music/Do You Wanna Dance?/Barbara Ann/Surfin USA//ENCORE//Kokomo/Good Vibrations/Fun, Fun, Fun

Mohegan Sun 5/13/12

Do It Again/Catch a Wave/Hawaii/Don’t Back Down/Surfin’ Safari/Surfer Girl/Please Let Me Wonder/You’re So Good to Me/Dance, Dance, Dance/Kiss Me, Baby/Then I Kissed Her/Why Do Fools Fall In Love?/When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)/Cotton Fields/ Marcella/ Be True to Your School/Disney Girls/Don’t Worry Baby/Little Honda/Little Duece Coupe/409/Shut Down/I Get Around

Add Some Music to Your Day/California Dreamin’/Sloop John B/Wouldn’t It Be Nice/ I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times/Forever/Sail on Sailor/Heroes & Villains/In My Room/All This is That/God Only Knows/That’s Why God Made the Radio/ Good Vibrations/California Girls/All Summer Long/Help Me Rhonda/Rock & Roll Music/Do You Wanna Dance?/Surfin USA//ENCORE//Kokomo/Barbara Ann/Fun, Fun, Fun

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks back together again.  Stamos is right, we will never see this again!

Happy 70th Birthday Brian Wilson!

On the eve of Brian Wilson’s 70^th Birthday, I’d like to reflect on how much joy and pleasure he, his brothers, a cousin and a few friends have brought to the world with their music.  For 70 years, Brian Wilson has been marching to the beat of his own drum.  He has worked out all forms of music, surf, rock n’ roll, jazz and the list goes on.  He is amazing, even at 70, he still has it.  He can write harmony in his head and still has a very nice tenor voice.  The Beach Boys’ new album is some of the strongest material from established artists I have heard in a while. 

I feel privileged to have been able to see the Beach Boys three times with Brian Wilson this year.  Those three shows were like catching lightning in a bottle.  Like watching Rembrandt paint, you get where I’m going with this.  As John Stamos said at the end of the first Beacon show, “you’ll never see this again folks,” and I believe him.  Happy Birthday to the Mozart of Rock n’ Roll!   

Brian Wilson at the Beacon, May 8, 2012

Happy 70th Birthday Macca!

Words can’t express what this man and his music have meant to my life.  Yes I rag on him a lot for this stale setlists, use of teleprompter, inability to sing well anymore, but he’s my idol and I respect him.  I came close to meeting him once.  I was at a Paul Simon concert and he was about 10 rows away.  I spotted him first and whispered to Austin “there’s Paul McCartney.”  The crowd lost their shit just by catching a glimpse at him.  Seeing him in the flesh, and not on stage wearing his old suspenders and tie endeared him to me.  I taught myself to sing by singing his songs, which explains my singing voice.  I was, and still am a Paul McCartney solo fan first.  Then I stumbled upon this other band he used to be in before Wings called The Beatles.  The Beatles made a pretty nice noise and I can see why 50 years on, new generations are experiencing the magic.  I first saw my idol in concert in 2002.  What a night that was, you can read the ‘rewind’ blog entry all about that special evening above.  I have since seen him 7 times total. 

Enjoy the ride Sir Paul, because there will never be another one of you, ever!  Congrats on the first 7 decades, I know you will be around for at least 7 more, just hope I’m here to see it too!     

And I also wanted to lay to rest a rumor that Paul owns the rights to "Happy Birthday," he does not.  

Simon & Garfunkel Rewind Mohegan Sun Arena, June 11, 2004

It was big news when Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel announced in September 2003 that they would be getting back together for a reunion tour.  It was the 50^th anniversary of their friendship and they were going out on the ‘Old Friends Tour.’  I was very excited and got to see them twice on this tour, once on the first leg and once on the second leg.  The second leg was much better than the first.  On June 11, 2004 my mother and I drove to Mohegan Sun Casino.  She would gamble and I would go to the concert.  We had dinner at the old buffet.  Keep in mind this was before the days when they had a lot of causal dining, and the casino was about half it’s current size. 

After dinner, we went our separate ways and I found myself sitting on the floor, 8 rows from the stage where Simon & Garfunkel would re-unite for one last hurrah.  The show started about 40 minutes late.  The opening film showcasing an instrumental version of America started playing, I was too close to see the screen, it was like if you’re in the first row of a movie theatre.  So I actually watched the action in front of me, and not on the screen all night.  After the film ended, the lights came up on Paul and Artie, just two old friends live in the flesh. 

Paul was in a red shirt with a collar and black pants, while Artie was wearing a white shirt and a purple tie, tied in a knot (not a tie knot, but a regular knot).  After the applause died down, Paul started the opening phrase of Old Friends.  After a perfectly phrased version of Old Friends, the lights when down once again. In the dark, Jamey counted off for Hazy Shade of Winter and the band launched into it.  Paul strapped on his 12-string and away they went.  The good thing about the band was that it was an amalgam of both Art’s and Paul’s bands--it wasn’t just Paul’s band with Art.  The two guitarists from different camps worked well together.  Mark Stewart is Paul’s new sideman, much like Richard Tee used to be.  Mark has a great technical sense and is a very good musical director, while Larry Saltzman has a fond appreciation for the recordings and makes his playing sound true to the original recordings.  Paul even said at later shows that Larry can play the songs better than he can.  Larry played the lead riff on a 12-string electric guitar and Mark played the solo.

I heard (because I was close enough) Art say to Paul that “we sound good,” and they did.  Paul started the next song.  I am a Rock had a shaky start, Jim Keltner the drummer, came in late with the bass drum and threw off the rhythm a bit.  After a few phrases and a nasty look from Paul, it was corrected and the song came off great.  After this song, Art said it was “great to be here.”  Art then quipped, "be honest, this is a whole lot more hair than you thought I was gonna have isn't is?"  Although he wears a hairpiece, it was still quite amusing.  Then Paul started America on his signature Martin guitar.  The arrangements were very close to the recording, they added the humming found on the original recording.  In the middle of the song, there was a break down where Warren played the piano and Art sang about the bow tie really being a camera.  I find that Paul arranges the songs quiet well, and it’s nice when they don’t sound exactly like the recording.

At the Zoo/Baby Driver was a great choice and I was a bit upset when it was dropped for the mini reunion tour in 2009.  By the way, the 2009-10 tour was so much better.  I had tickets for the 2010 tour, but it was canceled because of Art’s voice problems.  I wish I could have seen that.  Paul started At the Zoo, but talked his way through the opening line.  It was kind of funny listening to a 62 year old man singing that song.  During the second chorus, the piano and the rest of the band came in.  Mark played a small guitar, that looked like a Ukulele, but I wasn’t sure if it was.  Then the band went right into Baby Driver, a forgotten gem from the “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album.  They actually added a vocal part that was missing from the first leg.  That was a nice surprise for me.  Don’t know if anyone else realized.  I still don’t know how Larry played that complex guitar intro, I’ve been trying to learn it for a long time.  This was only the second gig of the 2^nd leg after opening the tour in Albany the night before.  It was the same band, except, Pino Paladino was not available so they got a session player named Freddie Washington to cover the bass part.  He was having a rough night, I don’t know if his monitors were working, but he kept fiddling with buttons on the amp and bass in between songs.  He also had a microphone so he added backup singing, which is something Pino did not do.

The band left the stage after Baby Driver and Art was telling the story about busking in Europe to the next song.  He dedicated Kathy’s Song to his wife Kim who was in the audience.  “Where are you honey?” he asked.  I saw her, she was all dolled up, I did have a better seat than her, except I had to pay for mine, and she didn’t.  I also noticed that the good seats were 40 dollars more for this tour.  My ticket cost 265 dollars US!  I thought 225 was exorbitant for the 2003 tour.  After Kathy’s Song, they did the usual banter about being friends for 50 years and how Paul was the white rabbit.  Paul said that he had “just finished his 5^th grade production of ‘Death of a Salesman,’ and I was looking for something light to do, so when the role of the White Rabbit came along, I lept at it.”  Paul was in a good mood and joked a lot more than usual.  Maybe because it was only the 2^nd night and the tedium of being on the road hadn’t set in yet.  The second leg was much smaller, I think it was only about 15 dates in the US, and 20 or so in the Europe.  Paul made another joke about it being their 50^th anniversary.  He said “we should have a party, you can book Simon and Garfunkel for entertainment, it would cost a fortune though.”  They finally got around to singing their first song called Hey Schoolgirl.  Paul started the song, but his monitors cut out, he looked down and strummed and motioned to the engineer that something was wrong.  He sang most of the rest of the show without monitors.  Art doesn’t really use them either, I think he uses fill on each side, but doesn’t really have direct monitors on the floor. 

This tour was special for many reasons, one for the reunion of Simon & Garfunkel, but also because Paul got Don and Phil Everly back together to do a few numbers halfway through the show.  Paul introduced them, they came out wearing black blazers with their matching black long haired lady Gibsons.  They played Wake Up Little Susie.  Don did most of the singing.  I thought it was interesting that with over 50 years in the business, they still use a double headed mic stand.  All I Have to Do is Dream was next and it brought a tear to the baby boomers in the audience.  With only three songs to do, they had to pick the best from their catalog.  I think Let it be Me is a popular one, but one of my favorite songs they did is a Carole King penned classic I’ll Do My Crying in the Rain.  After Let it be Me, S&G came back out to sing Bye Bye Love.  Paul played his black high strung Yamaha guitar (from the Graceland days). 

After Don and Phil left the stage, Mark got behind his cello and Paul started the recognizable guitar part for Scarborough Fair.  Homeward Bound has a nice breakdown section where all the musicians have mini solos.  To close the first act of the show, Paul opened with a new phrasing of the Sound of Silence.  He plays a lengthy introduction then the Paul and Art sing the first two verses by themselves.  After this, Larry comes in with the rest of the band with his electric 12-string, like on the electric recorded version.  A short film about the 60’s and 70’s plays next featuring clips from the Graduate film as well as Paul’s SNL appearances in the turkey outfit.  The film ends with a scene from The Graduate and the lights come up as Paul starts the opening on his guitar.  They do a jazzy loose version of Mrs. Robinson, complete with the guitar solo in the middle that originated during the Paul Simon/Bob Dylan tour in 1999. 

Paul changed guitars to his trusty 12-string and Art got a stool to sit down to sing Slip Slidin’ Away.  This was one of my favorite arrangements, up to that point in time.  Paul is always changing this song up.  Guess he never cared for the recording, and neither do I.  Without missing a beat, the band went right into El Condor Pasa, which starts with the same chord Sliding ends with.  That Paul Simon is crafty.  They both took turns singing solo verses.  Paul once again strapped on his 12-string to do another forgotten gem from BOTW, Keep the Customer Satisfied.  There is a rocking guitar solo from Mark Stewart and a piano solo from Warren Bernhardt. 

Paul tells the story about how Art went down to Mexico to film Catch-22 and left the group, so Paul wrote The Only Living Boy in New York.  S&G used to go by Tom and Jerry, and Paul used to use the name Jerry Landis.  In this case Art is Tom--I hope this song now makes sense to everybody.  Coincidentally, Paul recorded most of BOTW without Art, and Art overdubbed his vocal lines later.  Paul’s angelic higher register came out during this song. 

Art introduced American Tune, one of my favorite Paul Simon solo songs.  This song featured a Fender Rhodes intro that was new.  Art and Paul each took verses and Mark even played a cello solo.  There was a lot of feedback during this song, so much so that Paul didn’t sing a certain line because of it.  There was a lot of feedback all night come to think of it. 

My Little Town is my favorite Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel penned songs.  Its dark brooding quality makes us all think about our little home towns.  Paul played his black Yamaha for this song.  It’s got some tricky chord changes and fancy finger picking.  The horns were replaced by Mark’s guitar and Warren’s piano.  This song went right into Bridge Over Troubled Water.  The song was down a whole step, most likely so Art could sing it.  Paul sang the second verse.  There was a very obvious key change during the bridge, right before the “sail on silver girl” part.  Paul picked up his electric guitar and they both belted out the rest of the song.  When it came time for Art’s final note, Paul receded into the shadows on the side of the stage to give Art his shining moment.  After this song, the band left the stage for the encore. 

A few minutes later, the band came back out and Paul introduced Jamey Haddad who started the opening of Cecilia.  There is a nice section in the middle where Paul and Art swap vocals and echo each other.  After a standing ovation, Paul started The Boxer.  The Boxer has a great Theremin solo by Rob Schwimmer, the multi instrumentalist in the band and Mark Stewart's good friend.  The Theremin replaced the trumpet solo in the original recording.  After this song, they left the stage again. 

Simon & Garfunkel came back for the second encore to sing Leave That Are Green.  Paul said they hadn’t done this song since 1967.  That was a lie, but it was a gentle song with a lovely melody.  The band came back out for the last number.  Paul started Feelin Groovy.  Mark Stewart was playing a homemade instrument that looked like a big didgeridoo, google it.  I was reading a review of this show I wrote a day after it happened on a Paul Simon fan site, and I noted that the crowd was very loud.  And now I do recall this, they were increadbily loud.  Mind you the arena was about 75% full this evening, so it was only about 5,500 people, but it was very loud.  I don’t want to blame that all on the ticket prices, but I think it had a little part in it.  After they left the stage, the house lights came up, and the PA was playing What Is Life by George Harrison while the crew was breaking down the stage.  In 10 minutes they had over half the stage broken down and packed away.  They really work fast after the show.

On the way out, I bought a program it cost 30 bucks, it was thick and nice, so I didn’t mind, but my Mother gave me a lecture like “do you really need that?”  On the way home we were both tired and as she was driving, she swerved once, and there just happened to be a trooper behind us.  She gave us a ticket for failure to maintain lane.  Who would have thought that that was even a valid excuse?  I think she made is up to meet her quota  A bittersweet end to an enjoyable evening.  

Old Friends

Hazy Shade of Winter

I Am a Rock

America

At the Zoo/
Baby Driver

Kathy’s Song

Hey Schoolgirl

Wake Up Little Susie

All I Have to Do is Dream

Let It Be Me

Bye Bye Love

Scarborough Fair

Homeward Bound

Sound of Silence

Mrs. Robinson

Slip Slidin’ Away

El Condor Pasa

Keep the Customer Satisfied

The Only Living Boy in New York

American Tune

My Little Town

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Cecilia

The Boxer

Leaves That Are Green

Feelin Groovy