Brian Wilson
Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour With Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin
UB Center for the Arts
SUNY
Amherst, NY
September 28, 2016

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I'm not really sure why Brian Wilson Keeps touring (other than people keep throwing their money at him), but I guess if Pet Sounds needed a tour where the whole album is played he should be the one to do it (although I seem to remember him already doing that, and making a live album of it, which makes this tour all kinda pointless). Kind of a shame the Beach Boys didn't do this when they did the reunion tour, then all call it quits and retire, but nooooo.

Personally, I feel Brian shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a microphone anymore, no only because listening to him slaughter Beach Boys tunes by singing them all pitchy and with a mouthful of marbles is hard for the audience to stomach, but because he's at the same time showing us just how pathetic he is, tarnishing the aura of greatness he once had with performances that range from mediocre to just plain bad. The guy hasn't been able to sing since the late 60's, yet he keeps trying against all common sense. Do I feel sorry for Brian for having led the life he has? A little (then again he did it to himself). Do I feel he should parade himself in front of audiences to show us how far he's come? No. Because he has so much farther to go.

So if you want to see a really good Beach Boys tribute band brought down to average by the mushmouthed caterwauling of the old guy who should be sitting in the wings watching his work realized by competent musicians, but instead feels he has to participate, this is the show for you.

BTW, the band is great. Jardine and son do a great job. Blondie Chaplin too. If only Brian could have called in sick...

01 Intro
02 California Girls
03 Dance, Dance, Dance
04 I Get Around
05 Shut Down
06 Little Deuce Coupe
07 Little Honda
08 In My Room
09 Surfer Girl
10 Don't Worry Baby
11 Salt Lake City
12 Wake the World
13 Add Some Music to Your Day
14 California Saga: California
15 Sail Away
16 Wild Honey
17 Sail On, Sailor

18 Row, Row, Row Your Boat
19 Wouldn't It Be Nice
20 You Still Believe in Me
21 That's Not Me
22 Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
23 I'm Waiting for the Day
24 Let's Go Away for Awhile
25 Sloop John B
26 God Only Knows
27 I Know There's an Answer
28 Here Today
29 I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
30 Pet Sounds
31 Caroline, No

32 thank you's and band intros
33 Good Vibrations
34 Help Me, Rhonda
35 Barbara Ann
36 Surfin' U.S.A.
37 Fun, Fun, Fun
38 Love and Mercy

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SOUND PLAN
Brian Wilson notes an anniversary with heartfelt harmony
by Jeff Miers, Buffalo News pop music critic
September 29, 2016


Fifty years ago, when the Beach Boys released Brian Wilson's masterpiece "Pet Sounds," the groundbreaking marriage of dense harmony and pop hooks caught the B-Boys' faithful by surprise, and the album was generally considered a commercial flop.

This was not the lovable surf-soaked pop the fans had grown to love from the early '60s forward.

The general public just didn't seem to understand.

As Wislon and his band celebrated the album's birthday before a full Center for the Arts on UB's North Campus Wednesday evening, "Pet Sounds" still sounded like the soundtrack to a melancholy dream. By now, hower, the album is rightly regarded as one of the crowning achievements in 20th century popular music's rise from entertaining trifle to high art. "Pet SDounds" sounded like nothing else released in 1966. in 2016 it still stands as a singular work and the greatest testament to Wilson's troubled genius.

At 74, after decades battling depression-related illnesses, Wilson is not the same boyish figure we remember feeding barnyard animals on the cover of "Pet Sounds". He can't hit the highest of high notes anymore, but he has assembled a team able to bring an air of the sublime to the music's live performance - he's trhe composer, yes, but these days Wilson's voice is but one of many in the choir.

Wednesday's show was all about "Pet Sounds," but Wilson and company offered a stellar opening set of Beach Boys classics, ranging from 60s evergreens ("I Get Around," "Little Deuce Coupe") to transcendent ballads ("In My Room," "Surfer Girl") and, finally, to oft-overlooked 70's epics, featuring special guest Blindie Chalpin, whose singing and playing during "Sail On," "Wild Honey" and "Sail On, Sailor" commingled to end the first set.

After a short break, the ensemble - Wilson, the Jardines, Chalpin, and, among others, drumer Mike d'Amico, saxophonist Paul von Mertens, and guitarist Nick Walusco - Returned for a full performance of Pet Sounds, aided by stellar arrangements that played to everyone's strengths.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "You Still Believe in Me" offered flawless vocal harmonies and impeccably orchestrated chamber pop from the band; Wilson and Matthew Jardine traded vocal lines seamlessly during "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" and "I'm Waiting for the Day"; and the instrumentals "Let's Go Away for a While" and "Pet Sounds" reminded us that, even sans vocal harmonies, Wilson's best compositions are richly evocative and close to peerless.

A shoert set of further Beach Boys favorites - "Good Vibrations" and "Surfin' USA" among them, naturally - concluded with Wilson offering a heartfelf "Love and Mercy" as a farewell, concluding a warm, intimate and, at times, profoundly moving show.

This is said to be the last time Wilson plans to perform "Pet Sounds." If this is the case it seems fittin to than him for this music that has offered a peaceful beauty to the world for all these many years.