If it seemed likely, or even possible, that Brian Wilson was never going to tour again , there is a good chance I would pony up $125 for a general admission, one price fits all, gig at Highline, Saturday June 11.
But since his return to live performance, it has been easy enough to catch him live, and to be perfectly frank, it is something of a frightening experience.
In 1998 I stood in line at Tower Records for two hours to have Wilson sign my CDs. I have never met a blanker human being in my life. On stage (I saw him for the last time on the Pet Sounds tour), he sat at a keyboard he didn't play, singing. It was both mesmerizing and bewildering.
Highline isn't a huge room, it fits 400 people. But a lot of the room is taken by tables reserved for having dinner -the food is pretty naff as well. So despite it being a small room for a musician of Wilson's stature, it isn't necessarily a good place to see a performer. I caught Loudon Wainwright II there a coupla years and it stank.
And $125 is very expensive.
I would've gone if it was $40 and sprung for the dinner. But $125? Until I make bucks off this website, i think not.
Ps: the best of his Gershwin Re-Imagined album was excellent.