The Beach Boys in concert
White Oak Amphitheatre • Greensboro, NC
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Seeing Mike Love and Bruce Johnston in concert always brings its tinge of nostalgia.
This particular night, Love was in fine form, and Johnston sounded wonderful on “Summer Means Fun” and “God Only Knows.” There were a few surprises too; “Back in The U.S.S.R.,” 1976's overlooked "It's OK," 1989’s “Still Cruisin’” and 1992’s ecologically minded “Summer in Paradise.”
The music was executed so well that the late Carl Wilson’s presence (and influence) was felt. There’s no getting around the presence of Mike’s cousin Brian Wilson either, who wrote most of those hits, primarily with Love.
The most impressive element of the show was the precision, accuracy and pace of the band. Unbelievable! Music director Scott Totten runs a tight ship…Love called him his “boss” while he is on stage. John Cowsill, Randell Kirsch and Tim Bonhomme round out the energy-fueled backline, and Christian Love – on rhythm guitar & vocals – just makes it look easy.
After the show Love asked me how I thought “Summer in Paradise” went over. My answer was simple; I enjoyed it. The Beach Boys have a stigma of always having to perform “the hits.” “Summer in Paradise” never received chart success, but it deals directly with taking care of the earth and bringing the world together in peace. Isn’t that worth singing about?
Wall-to-wall Beach Boys hits, but more of a rock and roll show for anyone who enjoys music.
Check out The Beach Boys on tour here: Beach Boys tour dates
Subscribe to the world's leading Beach Boys publication: Endless Summer Quarterly
© David M. Beard/All rights reserved
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT: This article is the original work of David M. Beard. Under no circumstance may any portion of this article be broadcast, copied, published, rewritten or used without the permission of the author. To purchase this or any other article by David M. Beard, please email esqeditor@esquarterly.com.
Comments