The Beach Boys in concert 16 Aug 2023

The Beach Boys (Mike Love) Live 16 Aug 2023!

Tour T-Shirt, Ticket and keys for my '67 Mustang.

California state flag for a California band and a very formative place of my youth.

I always liked The Brothers Records Label era band logo.

     In mid-August I got to see my second concert for the legendary band The Beach Boys, or if you want to get technical, Mike Love and a backing band named The Beach Boys.  For all practical purposes I call them The Beach Boys.  Anyway...it was a great show!  

     This was my second time seeing the band from California that rode the wave of teen pop in the early to mid 1960's.  The first time was seeing them with my friend Dan on their Summer 1995 tour at Blossom Music Centre outside Cleveland, Ohio.  My California state flag made it to that show as well.  What I recall from the show as a young 24 year old is very little concerning details.  I do recall it was a great show.  I was at the point in my music life that I knew their early popular hits that would be played on the oldies (and regular radio back int he 70's and 80's) radio.  I did not know the songs that were on LPs, but were not hits.  I did not know any songs that were recorded after the 1966 pop psychedelic masterpiece "Good Vibrations" (except "Getcha Back" from 1985 & "Kokomo" from 1988, more on that later...).

     The major difference between the show this last August and the show from 1995 was, obviously, the band on stage.  When we saw The Beach Boys in 1995, Carl Wilson was still alive and playing in the band.  The only major people missing were Brian Wilson, who was not touring regularly since 1965 and of course Dennis Wilson who passed away in 1983.  For all practical purposes that show was a complete Beach Boys line up.

    This time it was just Mike Love and The Beach Boys name in the incarnation of a new band.  I think Mike did a great job onstage.  Mike Love, who is 82, can still put on a great show.  Having said that...I'd love to have gone to a Beach Boys show and have Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and in some parallel universe to be joined by Brian Wilson onstage.  Do I think that will ever happen?...only time will tell.

     Anyway the show started on time listed on the ticket.  After a short video screen intro film, the show started with something I did not expect, an opening song straight from the forgotten depths of late 1960's radio that had been forgotten by the masses...  The opening song was "Do It Again" from 1968 and included in the 1969 LP "20/20" (which is a great album).  I was hoping to hear this song, but was not going to keep my hopes up.  But to hear it as the lead off song for the show knocked me off my feet.  And this song actually had some "bite" to it.  

     The whole show was this way...surprises of songs that I'm sure a lot of people, including those who were around when these songs were new, had totally forgotten about.  Of course all the hits were included, there would probably be a riot if these were not played.  But hearing songs like "Darlin'" from their 1967 album "Wild Honey", which never gets played anymore was played.  Looking at a setlist from the 1995 show, "Darlin" was also played then, but I did not know the song then and did not remember.  On the topic of the the "Wild Honey" album...the title track was also played at the 16 Aug 23 show.  That was a shot straight out of nowhere...  

    Generation X was not forgotten by the inclusion of the 1985 hit "Getcha Back".  I was hoping to hear this song, but was not expecting.  I was very happy to hear this one.  If I recall "Getcha Back" was not on the setlist for the 1995 show?  Speaking of 1980's Beach Boys hits...of course the number 1 from 1988 "Kokomo" was included.  I have to honest and say I would have been happy not to hear this song, but that puts me in the 1% of the attendees at this show.

     The show was just short of two hours long, keep in mind that Mike Love is 82 and there was around 34 songs played!  Granted he did not sing everyone of those songs, but still that is a big effort to be onstage that long!  There was an intermission that lasted about 20 minutes.  After that is was back to the music with more songs I had totally forgotten about coming through the PA system.

    The first part of the second half of the show was heavy on the "Pet Sounds" album.  Also included was a song dedicated to George Harrison of The Beatles fame.  In the first set was a cover by The Ramones called "Rockaway Beach", that blew me away to hear The Beach Boys cover a punk song.  I was lucky enough to catch The Ramones in concert back in 1995, that is for another blog post.

     The next to last of the 34 songs was the 1966 masterpiece "Good Vibrations"....if you don't know this song, then I feel sorry for you!  Do your self a favour and get with this song, it was change your life!

The last song was "Fun,Fun, Fun"...which make for a good song to end with.