Thighs Wide Shut

[BW]

Brian Wilson
presents Pet Sounds – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary with Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin
Beacon Theatre
September 24th

The Beach Boys are America’s Beatles, and while the line-up has changed, and separated, and divorced, and talked smack, and reunited, and broke apart again – the only thing that matters is the music – and man, there is so much of it, and it’s all great (minus ‘Kokomo’), however you hear it, and by whomever is playing it – and however it is, I’LL TAKE IT!

I saw the Beach Boys numerous times as a child in the 80s, when they played the Mall in DC 4th of July, after 4th of July, after 4th of July, then other times in the 90s, when Brian Wilson was on a mental sabbatical, and then again when he was back and solo in the 00s, and again in the 10s!  And I’ve seen the Mike Love Beach Boys in the 10s too, and then when the Mike Love Beach Boys reunited with guys who are ACTUALLY Beach Boys, and then again.  And I’ve loved it all!!!

And now Mike Love doesn’t love Brian and Al no more, and so Mike Love does his thing (which is important, but not as important to me), and Brian (and his amazing backing band) goes on and does his thing, and rightfully keeps Al with him, which is MOST important to me

Juss being in a room with Brian Wilson feels like an honor – in the same way as being with Paul McCartney, or Simon and Garfunkel. I say this same thing all the time, but we are so blessed to live in a time when all these people are alive, and we can still hear them do their thing – and that thing – is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!

This tour tackled Pet Sounds and its 50 anniversary.  I’m more of a SMiLE guy, but who am I to complain.  Oh wait, THIS WHOLE WEBSLIGHT IS BUILT ON COMPLAINTS (and boobs!)! And so Brian and his awesome band, and Al Jardine rocked the sh!t out of it, and oh yeah, that Blondie Chaplin guy was there too!  Former Brian Wilson right-hand man Jeffrey Foskett recently re-joined the Mike Love Beach Boys, but the falsetto parts void was EASILY filled by Al’s awesome son Matt!!!!

Brian and Al and Mike Love won’t be with us forever, but the music truly will.  And so will their offspring, and you know what, I’d see them play their parents’ music, cause the music is all that matters (although if we can figure out a way to freeze Brian Wilson and keep him for future centuries, methinks that that would be the way to go!)

Set 1 – Our Prayer / Heroes and Villains / California Girls / Dance, Dance, Dance / I Get Around / Shut Down / Little Deuce Coupe / In My Room / Surfer Girl / Don’t Worry Baby / Salt Lake City / Wake the World / Add Some Music to Your Day / California Saga: California / Darlin’ / Sail Away / Wild Honey / Sail On, Sailor

Pet Sounds – Wouldn’t It Be Nice / You Still Believe in Me / That’s Not Me / Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) / I’m Waiting for the Day / Let’s Go Away for Awhile / Sloop John B / God Only Knows / I Know There’s an Answer / Here Today / I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times / Pet Sounds / Caroline, No

Encore – Good Vibrations / Help Me, Rhonda / Barbara Ann / Surfin’ U.S.A. / Fun, Fun, Fun / Love and Mercy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKw3M6XjFhn/

The Beach Boys
Jones Beach
June 24th

There’s just something about seeing The Beach Boys in an aquatic setting that just screams BEACHY KEEN!!!  And there was plenty of beachy screams too, by us, cause we become lil girls when seeing the American Beatles, although most of the ladies in the audience only got wetty wet when Uncle Jessie reared his pretty head, when the ladies should only be getting wetty wet at the sight of Al Jardine’s face, Brian Wilson’s crazed-genius, Mike Love’s a$$holey bravado, Bruce Johnston’s smile, David Marks’ marksmanship, and the non-original B-Boy member who’s the true glue making this show the tour of the summer - Jeff Foskett [read this article]

Most people wouldn’t bother seeing The Beach Boys in this day and age, and given their age.  Understandably, as one would think that their concert would be juss one giant geriatric wheelchair bound nostalgia stale air affair, but if one thinks that way, then one will miss out on perhaps one of the last chances to see Rock n Roll royalty reign, and if you do dis & miss out, yer a grade-AAAAA moron and should be deported back to Uranus or whatever anus you came from [we’ve said this before, but repeating things sometimes drives homeslice a point]

The show was basically the same as the Beacon one we saw a month ago, but the fellas dropped a few different tunes into the mix [set list below].  The biggest and bestest addition was ‘Our Prayer’, the actual lead-in intro to ‘Heroes & Villians’ (one of their bestest), and while the song contains no instruments and very few words (mainly ‘oooooh’s, ‘aaaaah’s and a bunch of ‘doooot’s), it captures the pure (cabin) essence of what The Beach Boys are – perfect harmony, in harmony.  YOU CAN HEAR THE LIVE VERSION OF ‘OUR PRAYER’ HEAR!!!

and - more of what they sound like live these days HEAR

Also, whilst wees here, their new album…

is what you would expect from the Beach Boys at 50 (the band’s age, not theirs).  there are slower paced songs about reflecting on times past, and cars and surfing, and other California dreamts.  As a whole, it doesn’t pack much of anything, but hearing songs like the title track & ‘Isn’t It Time’ live, alongside their hits of yesteryear, they sound like they is from yesteryear too!!!  That’s a good thing  Why?  CAUSE GOD MADE THE RADIO, THAT’S WHY!!!!!

First Set – Do It Again / Little Honda / Catch A Wave / Hawaii / Don’t Back Down / Surfin’ Safari / Surfer Girl / Please Let Me Wonder / Marcella / Wendy / Then I Kissed Her /Kiss Me, Baby / Getcha Back / Why Do Fools Fall in Love /When I Grow Up (to Be a Man) / Disney Girls / Isn’t It Time / California Saga / Cotton Fields / Be True to Your School / Don’t Worry Baby / Little Deuce Coupe / 409 / Shut Down / I Get Around

Second Set – Pet Sounds Instrumental /Add Some Music To Your Day / Our Prayer / Heroes and Villains / Sloop John B / Wouldn’t It Be Nice / I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times / Sail On, Sailor / All This Is That / That’s Why God Made The Radio / In My Room / Forever / God Only Knows / Good Vibrations / California Girls / Help Me, Rhonda / Rock and Roll Music / Do You Wanna Dance? / Surfin’ U.S.A.

Encore – Kokomo / Barbara Ann / Fun, Fun, Fun

Seeing the Boys shine together again, with zero signs of rust (just wrinkles), got we thinkings, what if John Lennon had lived?  We all think that a Beatles reunion was something that would have NEVER happened, but that’s mainly cause Lennon’s death rendered that idea moot.  The Beatles were only 10 years apart when John died, but had he lived, there’s no doubt they woulda reunited (even Led Zepp did, without Bonham, once!), and with a full backing band behind them, like The Boys of Beach have, The Beatles would have been able to reproduce that magical mystery studio tour sound on actual tour.  Imagine. What if.  WHAT IF!!!  If only.  And imagine there’s no religion too.  The only thing you don’t have to imagine is what Al Jardine’s face looks like, cause you can see it live, NOW!!!

The Beach Boys
Beacon Theatre
May 9th

They do it-ed!  Again!  Just like the song says!  They old, but they no moldy.  They the Beach Boys, the ultimate American band, and if you think otherwise, we’re gonna get the House Un-American Activities Committee to come ittee to your house and make your activities nothing but American!!  Carl & Dennis Wilson are gone and surely missed, but the Boys of Beach didn’t miss a beat.  Sure, they aint those golden haired boys catching waves no more (although Dennis was the only surfer in the band), but these gray haired gentlemen were true to their school and their roots and to their fans and even to John Stamos who made like 2188282 cameos

We had seen Brian twice and the Mike Lovely version of the BBs at Coney two years ago, but not together, WITH AL JARDINE’S FACE, since the 80s, when wees was a child and they seemed to play DC’s 4th of July thing year after year. Now we old(er) and appreciate them more, and happy they put their greedy differences behind them and reunited to tour and roar, and roar they did.  Sure, a lot of the hactual music work is supplied by Brian’s usual and brilliant touring band, with them falsetto spots hit up by long time associate Jeff Foskett, but who cares, as long as a Beach Boys concert sounds like a Beach Boy concert, no?  Well, it did, and it sounded flawless!  Honestly, when all the Boys pass on (which we hope is never), we’d pay to see Brian’s backing band in concert.  They’re already pretty much the greatest Beach Boys cover band going!

They played 44 songs(!!!!!) and outside of ‘Disney Girls’ (it’s fine and all, but the one song you can use to take a pee break during) and ‘Kokomo’ (sure, it blows-a-mo, but we understand why it needs to be included), the tracks they choose were solid choices from a catalog that offers too munch goodness to choose from, and choosy moms choose JIF AND THE BEACH BOYS!!!!

First Set - 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 / The Little Girl I Once Knew / Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers cover) / When I Grow Up (to Be a Man) / Cotton Fields (Lead Belly cover) / Disney Girls / Don’t Worry Baby / Little Honda / Be True to Your School / Little Deuce Coupe / 409 / Shut Down / I Get Around

Second Set - California Dreamin’ (Mamas & the Papas cover) / Sloop John B / Wouldn’t It Be Nice / Forever / Sail On, Sailor / Heroes and 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 and Roll Music (Chuck Berry cover) / Do You Wanna Dance? (Bobby Freeman cover) / Barbara Ann (The Regents cover) / Surfin’ USA

Encore  –  Kokomo / Good Vibrations / Fun, Fun, Fun

if you have ears and eyes, it is your American civic/cervix duty to see these Boys on tour this summer