Concert Review: Brian Wilson (w/ Al Jardine & David Marks) at Interlochen, 7-23-2013

The big night finally arrived last night at the Kresge Auditorium in the campus of Interlochen Center For The Arts, near Traverse City, Michigan. Girlfriend & I arrived quite early, I thought (to straighten out a ticket snafu at the box office ahead of time) but there was already a crowd gathering, decidedly older and grey-haired, mixed with the teenage student body of the Interlochen Arts & Music Camp, who were milling about in their cutesy uniforms of light blue shirts & socks with dark blue shorts.....

This was the first time I had ever been to this venue, which was built in 1948 on the shores of Green Lake for classical and jazz/pops performances. It holds nearly 4000 people under a pavilion roof. No lawn or hill seating. No alcohol either, being part of a school campus.

While waiting for opening act Wilson Phillips to take the stage, who but Brian Wilson himself ambled out across the stage, accompanied by some crew member, walking with somewhat of a limp, but still purposefully, for the sole reason of checking out one of the stage microphones. Not the one at the white grand piano, either. Hmm....

At 8:15 pm sharp, Wilson Phillips began their set, introduced by none other than Papa Brian himself. Opening with my favorite song of theirs, "Reckless", I was surprised that WP was self-contained, with their own 5-piece backing band. I had thought that Brian Wilson's group would be backing the girls, but nope. The ladies looked fine and sang well, despite Carnie Wilson complaining of a chest cold at one point. Chynna Philips told the crowd that she had actually been a student at Interlochen as a 14 year old......for a grand total of 5 days. Apparently the precocious California teen wasn't used to the strict rules at Interlochen (No Cigarettes Allowed!) and ran away after a few days to a gas station in town and frantically called Mama Michelle begging to come home....

Other songs played included "Dream Is Still Alive", "You're In Love", covers of the Eagles ("Already Gone"), and from their recent 'Dedicated' album, "California Dreamin'", "Dedicated To The One I Love", and their own hits, "Release Me", and closing with "Hold On". It was a strong set, although somewhat old-school in that they used microphones with cables, which the girls were clearly not used to, as they good-naturedly complained about the mic cords getting in the way.

After they finished, there was a cute moment when Chynna told the crowd that "The Beach Boys are next....", to which someone quickly corrected, "Brian Wilson!". But the point had been made...

And even though this was billed as "Brian Wilson and guests", there was no doubt that this was a Beach Boys show in all but name and the lack of Mike Love. Not one song from Wilson's solo career was performed.

The set list was as follows:
1) California Girls
2) Catch A Wave
3) Dance, Dance, Dance
4) Girl Don't Tell Me
5) Little Deuce Coupe
6) Surfer Girl (Brian introduced this as "the first song I ever wrote....."
7) Please Let Me Wonder (featured a nice, a-capella vocal tag)
8) Then I Kissed Her (lead vocal: Al Jardine)
9) Don't Worry Baby (lead vocal: Jeff Foskett)
10) In My Room (mainly sung by Wilson Phillips, who joined Brian around the piano)
11) Darlin' (lead vocal: Darian Sanaja)
12) Ol' Man River/Cottonfields (possibly my favorites of the entire night and of the older crowd)
13) Little Bird (lead vocal: David Marks) (a surprise choice and done well)
14) Our Prayer
15) Heroes & Villains (with the SMiLE arrangement/in the cantina section)
16) I Get Around
17) Summertime Blues (introduced by and sung by David Marks)
18) That's Why God Made The Radio
19) (On My Way To Sunny) California
20) Sail On Sailor (lead vocal: one of the keyboardists)
21) Marcella
22) Wouldn't It Be Nice (lead vocal: duet with Jeff Foskett & Al Jardine)
23) Sloop John B (lead vocal: Al Jardine, entire song)
24) God Only Knows
25) Good Vibrations
Encore:
26) All Summer Long
27) Help Me Rhonda
28) Barbara Ann
29) Surfin' USA

Al Jardine looked exactly like he did in that old footage of the Beach Boys touring Europe in the late 60s---all white suit, with a very sharp candy apple ORANGE Fender Jaguar. In fact, this was a tour-de-force of odd Fenders----David Marks had a candy apple red Jaguar, Wondermint Nick Walusko (introduced as 'Nick Wonder') had a white Jazzmaster, while Jeff Foskett must have brought along 5 different guitars to play, including a sunburst Gibson Dove acoustic. Most of the band from the SMiLE tour was there----The Wondermints Plus.

Which brings us to the man himself.

I had last seen Brian Wilson in Ann Arbor in 1999, at his 2nd ever solo show, and the man, then, was frankly nervous as could be. I had hoped that this many years later and a hundred more shows under his belt, that things would be better this time around....

And to some extent, Wilson did seem more relaxed, but he didn't seem any more engaged, or proficient. I couldn't see his hands from where we were sitting but I would be surprised if his piano was even miked up. He was looking down most of the time (at the teleprompter?) and the biggest sound issue/complaint of the concert was that most of the verses Wilson sang had the first word or two cut off---either from singing off-mic, or worse, from being a beat or two behind from reading the lyrics and then singing them. This happened time and again throughout the show.

 

More pictures:

 

Did Al not sing Rhonda and California??

 

I did not see any of the 2012 Beach Boys "Reunion" shows, so I am not sure if this set list was largely taken from those shows or not....

David Marks did tell a nice story about growing up across the street from the Wilsons, and falling out of a tree and breaking his arm one time----his buddy Dennis Wilson took care of him though----by chopping down the offending tree.

 

Al did sing 'Rhonda', of course.......'California' I am not sure about now....I know Brian did the opening line like always.

I also want to mention that Al & Brian briefly met eyes and seemed to agree that Al would sing Sloop John B (all of it) at the point in the song where Mike normally takes over the lead vocal. I got the impression that Brian was to enter at that point but decided not to...

 

Al gets 6 songs, David 2. Not bad but I wish Brian would give Al even more leads - maybe as the tour progresses he will. Inspired coupling of Ol Man River/Cottonfields - was OMR a Capella? Little Bird another great choice. Nice to see Darian and another band member get a lead - Brian always has trouble keeping up with the lyrics of Sail on Sailor. The problem with seeing Brian of course is you never know if he'll be "on" or just going through the motions.

 

OMR was like the version on the GV Box---a capella intro and then full band for the rest. Really good.

I missed the name of the guy who did "Sail On Sailor"; it was one of the backing musicians in the far-left back row (Scott Peterson?). The pen I was using to take notes during the show ran dry at this point and I had to text notes to myself after that.

*Note* At one point, Jeff Foskett had to leave the stage for some reason and this same musician stepped forward and took Foskett's mic for the remainder of the song. It felt like someone had to be in that spot for the entire show, which was to Brian's immediate right.

 

It's usually Scott Bennett on lead for SOS.

 

Yes, that was it. Scott Bennett.

 

Is John Cowsill the drummer on this tour?

Thanks

 

I would go to one of these shows for sure if I knew "Wake the World" was on the set list. That would be a good one for Al to do.

 

No, Wondermints drummer Mike D'Amico plays the drums.

 

They are playing in Kettering, Ohio tomorrow night. Check it out....

 

Thought these pics would be of interest.

 

Great review. Thanks.
>>13) Little Bird (lead vocal: David Marks) (a surprise choice and done well)
now that is a genuine oddity to read in a BB, eh, BW with friends set list

 

Cool set list. It will be interesting to see if Jeff Beck plays part of the Brian Wilson set, or just does an encore with Wilson.

 

did Taylor Mills achieve her return to the band with this corny André Rieu thing?

 

Interesting. I saw a BB show many years (during the Stamos years) and at one point Mike Love was offstage. I can't remember the song, but it was one of those where Mike Love took the bridge in his distinctive, nasal voice. As the bridge approached Alan Jardine started looking around for Mike Love, who continued to be offstage. So when the time came and still no Mike, Al just stepped up to the microphone and sang it in Mike's voice. No problem!