Show review: The Beach Boys at Bank of America Pavillion – 6/26

The surviving, reunited original members of one of the most enduring American rock and roll bands of all time made a stop in Boston during the course of their 50th anniversary world tour Tuesday night.

Make no mistake, this 50th anniversary reunion bears little resemblance to the ‘Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and some guys’ touring lineup which has called itself The Beach Boys for the past fifteen years or so. With the return of Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks, this is the closest to a classic era Beach Boys lineup as there could be in 2012. Forget the state fair/Cape Cod Melody Tent circuit too. Huge outdoor venues and festivals are the setting for this tour. It was satisfying to see a 5,000 seat amphitheater nearly full to capacity for a band so deserving of its massive legacy. Granted, it’s a legacy that’s been progressively tarnished over the years by tragedy, substance abuse, cash-grabs and lawsuits, but there’s no denying that The Beach Boys have been a massively influential force in American popular music over the course of their career. From the summer mixtape and oldies radio staples of their early LPs to the critically adored baroque and psychedelic pop of the Pet Sounds/SMiLE era, the band’s catalog is full of indisputably classic material. These are the types of songs that become ingrained in our cultural consciousness. Anyone who’s turned on a radio in the past fifty years can likely hum the melody to “California Girls” or one of the band’s myriad other hit singles. It was surreal, then, to watch so many classic songs being performed by most of the original group for what could likely be the last time.

The show began on a slightly awkward note when a drum beat kicked in ten minutes or so after the scheduled start time, with a good portion of the mostly aged audience still milling around, buying beers or otherwise not paying attention to the stage. Under an overcast sky on an unseasonably cool Boston night, the world’s foremost summer band would then take the stage and launch into, appropriately, “Do It Again.” Love, Jardine, Johnston and Marks appeared with genuine enthusiasm and seemed more than happy to be there. Mastermind Brian Wilson, seated stage right behind a piano, remained deadpan for much of the evening. It was a joy to see him light up for certain songs though, including a SMiLE medley with a stunningly gorgeous “Our Prayer” and a brilliantly executed “Heroes and Villains.” The original five were joined by a sizable band, which included a drummer, a secondary percussionist, a saxophonist, a bassist, two keyboardists and three guitarists, some of whom also sang backup vocals. To say the stage was crowded would be an understatement, and while the number of involved musicians did feel superfluous at times, it helped to nail the more lush and layered arrangements of the later material.

Situated mostly at the back of the stage, the backing band was also careful not to overshadow the original five members. Marks’ lead guitar rang out loud and clear, and the majority vocal mix on every song was low on the backups. Gorgeous vocal harmonies have always been a Beach Boys trademark, and it’s remarkable how well their voices have aged for the most part. Wilson can’t quite hit the high notes anymore, but if you closed your eyes when Jardine, Johnston or Love sang lead, it sounded pretty damn close to the sixties in there. The boys can still harmonize brilliantly, and there were few instances where something sounded off. That’s doubly impressive considering the marathon three-hour length of the show, with only a fifteen minute intermission and barely existent encore break to divide things up. All in all, the band played a whopping forty-seven songs, running the gamut from early girls/cars/surf hits like “409,” “Little Honda,” “Surfin’ Safari,” and “Surfer Girl” to Pet Sounds classics, covers and lesser-known tracks like “Disney Girls” from Surf’s Up and “Add Some Music To Your Day” from Sunflower. Hell, even a couple of cuts from the barely remembered Carl and the Passions – “So Tough” made the setlist. It was eclectic for sure, but covered every relevant era of the band with few omissions. (I say “few” almost solely because a rendition of “Surf’s Up” with Brian on vocals would’ve been astounding.)

Despite the show’s mega-extended length, it never felt tedious in the slightest. The band is hardly phoning it in for this tour, and puts on a satisfying show that’s well worth the off-putting ticket prices. The evening wasn’t 100% snag-free of course. Mike Love’s self-appointed role as frontman/spokesman/band historian grows tiresome after a while, especially during particularly shameless requests for the audience to buy as many copies of the band’s new album That’s Why God Made the Radio as they could during intermission. The sound mixing also wasn’t doing anyone any favors during many songs. Wilson’s piano was inaudible throughout the night, and one could’ve mistaken the four or five guitars on stage for one or two a good portion of the time. These were minor drawbacks though, to what was by and large an unexpectedly impressive show for a band entering its fifth decade. Rumors have floated about of another album with the reunited lineup once this tour is finished, but whether that or any further live appearances will come to fruition is up in the air. It’s very possible that this run of shows is the last opportunity to catch The Beach Boys as they should be seen, i.e. with Brian Wilson and every other surviving sixties member in-tow. Approximations and touring bands made up of studio musicians can never replicate the real thing. The boys still put on a remarkably skillful and entertaining show after all these years, and it’s assuredly worth seeing if you have the opportunity.