Former Beach Boy Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band stopped in at The Magnolia on November 22 for what was truly an amazing show. Billed as a Tribute to Brian Wilson, it was a dream gig for Beach Boys fans, split into three sections, opening with a run-through of just north of a dozen of the band’s classics, then following a break, a near complete performance of their 1977 album, Love You, tagged with a four song mini-set of songs from 1966’s masterpiece, Pet Sounds. And then a four-song encore. It’s a testament to the wealth of hits and gems in the Beach Boys repertoire and Jardine’s own catalog that even with a 33-song set list, they only touched on the musical possibilities for the night. The show was filmed with multiple cameras and a cameraman moving amongst the musicians.
The 11-piece Pet Sounds Band are the musicians who previously toured with Brian Wilson, including Darian Sahanaja (keyboardist and music director), Michael D’Amico (drums), Bob Lizik (bass), Matt Jardine (vocals / percussion), Gary Griffin (piano), Rob Bonfiglio (guitar), Jim Laspesa (percussion / vocals), Paul Von Mertens (horns) and Debbie Shair (keyboards). The fast-paced show was well constructed, nicely balancing hits with deep cuts, but even more importantly, faithfully reproducing Wilson’s instrumentation and arrangements, as well as providing breathtaking harmony vocals. All that and the collective group of musicians looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage. The smiles and energy were contagious and the audience response was tremendous, from start to finish.
That said, not everything went smoothly. As the show was about to begin, a glitch in the matrix, or more likely the control booth, saw the band start opening song “California Girls” on a dark stage with the audience lights on, the correction of which brought the night’s first of many big cheers. Segueing right into “Do It Again” the crowd barely had a chance to catch its breath, with one hit after another: “Surfer Girl,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “I Get Around,” “In My Room,” “Darlin’” and more, the latter featuring a terrific vocal from Sahanaja. The first set wrapped up with one of Wilson’s most intricate hit arrangements, “Heroes and Villains.”
After the intermission, the group played 11 of the 14 tracks from the Love You album. While this particular release is one of The Beach Boys’ lesser-known works, featuring no chart hits, the audience loved it. Those unfamiliar with the songs were instantly won over by the band’s performances and Wilson’s music, with the album’s lone single, “Honkin’ Down The Highway,” going over especially well. Meanwhile, die-hard fans were in heaven hearing these rarely performed tracks live, complete with between song commentary from Jardine. Coming out of the Love You album, the audience was treated to four tracks from Pet Sounds: “God Only Knows,” highlighted by Matt Jardine (Al’s son) wonderful vocals, “Sloop John B,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” with “Good Vibrations” closing out the second set.
The band came back for a four-song encore that kept the audience on their feet, wrapping things up with veritable sing-alongs to “Help Me Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” Surfin’ USA” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.” That last song pretty much sums up the night.
The evening’s only quibble? While the vocal mix was great, the instrument mix at times didn’t have lead instruments loud enough, but it was a minor thing. At 83-years-old, Jardine remains a terrific, engaging performer and storyteller. Bottom line, don’t miss a chance to see Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band. If you’re a fan of The Beach Boys, you won’t be disappointed.
Sidenote: As might be expected at a show like this, lots of local musicians were in attendance, including Cindy Lee Berryhill, Joel Nowak (Drip Tank / The Slurps), Jackson Hines (Surf Birdz) and Donna Daly (The Chartreuse).
www.aljardine.com
