From: spammandeggs@yahoo.com   
      
   I saw Brian perform Smile at the Pala Indian Casino near San Diego last   
   night.  I won't go into the typical brilliance of the piece, but will   
   instead give you some highlights and insights.   
      
   First, Pala is a horrible place for a concert!  The show was held in a big   
   convention room standard hotel chairs placed in rows.  I felt like I was   
   going to a typical business rah rah meeting.  For $80 I thought it should   
   have been a better venue.  Flat convention center seating meant that you   
   could not see very well as soon as the person in front of you sat down, and   
   I was in the 13th row.  They had screens, but done very amateurish - sort of   
   like a business convention.   
      
   OK, the music.  The opening "party" setting was great.  Surprise songs for   
   me were (SPOILER)   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   Wendy, Hawaii, and then, believe it or not, Drive In!  To hear Brian say "if   
   you say you watched the movie you're a couple of liars, and remember only   
   you can prevent forest fires" was a complete crack up.  The song, which I   
   always viewed as filler, was very up and very well done.  In fact, it was   
   better than the original.  When the entire band was up, surprise song was   
   Marcella.  Great rocking song, very well done.  Brian introduced GIOMH as   
   "here's a song from my new album called GIOMH, the song is called GIOMH".  A   
   chuckle from the audience, a realization that Brian perhaps wasn't trying to   
   be funny but you can never tell.  It sounded great.  He also did Forever,   
   dedicatated to Dennis, and it was note for note perfect.  Even the "nah nah   
   nah naaah naaah"s were intact.   
      
   Brian's voice was better than ever.  I mean that.  I have seen him many   
   times and watched how Jeff would rescue the vocal, as well as when he toured   
   with the BB in the 80's (dismal).  He hit the notes most of the time, but   
   had an enthusiasm that seemed real and genuine.  He also had this odd BIG   
   SMILE that he would do now and then that was sort of out of place.  I mean   
   BIG BIG SMILE, like the telepromoter said "DO IT NOW".  But it was a huge   
   welcome compared to the Pet Sound show where he looked at times like he did   
   not want to be there.  He also did his odd hand gestures, like waving his   
   hand over his head during, yes, GIOMH, or waving his hands like vibrations   
   during Good Vibrations.  But that is Brian, right?  Odd, yes.  Unexpected,   
   no.   
      
   For you Taylor Mills fans, and I am one of them, she looked great and sang a   
   lot more solo parts.  But when she danced during the encore Surfin USA,   
   well, you had to be there.   
      
   Smile, of course, was fantastic and done note for note perfect (with a few   
   exceptions - Brian once again jumped the gun during Surfs Up and sang   
   "brother....(john)" on the first verse, looked around confused when no one   
   joined him, then went on).  Big news is that Jeff lost a ton of weight   
   (perhaps not exagerating) and looked healthy.  The mints were awesome as   
   always.   
      
   So a great show.  Maybe not as good as the very first time I saw Brian solo   
   with the Pet Sounds show, but I had a big smile on my face for a long time.   
   If you get a chance, go to the show.  Even at an Indian casino, it was   
   great.   
      
   gary   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)