The Real Beach Boys Concert
Last edited Sat Oct 9, 2021, 04:48 AM - Edit history (1)
So I went to my concert with Brian Wilson and Al Jardine last night. The attendees were mostly my age (60s) or above. The venue is a large one, maybe 4000 people. It wasn't sold out, but a decent turnout for people my age in a still Covid era: maybe 2/3 full. We had good seats in the 12th row.
The good news is that I had a great time! The music featured their hits from the 60s with a few excursions into some of the later stuff. Sarah and I got a bit hoarse singing along to all of the songs we know so well.
A word about Brian. He's in his late 70s now. He sat at the piano, which he didn't play much, for the entire show. His affect is pretty flat. He would introduce many of the songs and sing a bit in some. When he sang his voice was quite good I thought.A few of the songs he sang more of. Al Jardine was more active, playing guitar and acting some of the time as MC. There were about a dozen great musicians, among them Al's son Matt Jardine who did the vocal parts of Carl Wilson and the famous guitarist Blondie Chaplin who has over the years played with the Rolling Stones and The Band among many others. All the musicians did a great job.
For me the real thrill was just being in the same room with Brian Wilson as his music was being played. Brian is a genius of a composer who wrote much of the soundtrack of my youth. No one has ever better written the music of summer!
I think the people in the crowd felt much the same way. You could really feel the warmth of emotion that flowed through the room. I wasn't the only one who shouted out "We love you!" after a song.
The show lasted 90 minutes with no intermission. But I felt like I got my money's worth. For the last half dozen songs people were standing, dancing in place, and a bunch rushed to the front of the auditorium to show their appreciation.
Al and Brian and the band are only touring this month in the northeast and a couple of venues in the midwest. They have plans to tour europe in the spring. They don't need the money. As they said a couple of times, they are really happy to be performing live again after a couple of years. They are doing it for the love of the music.
I'm so happy I went! It is so good to hear live music again.
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