Al Jardine - 2025 Tour Thread (Plus Archived 2018-2024)

[Uncle Walter]

I emailed the guys at City Winery NYC, here's what they said:

Thanks for reaching out! There may be some mix up as we do have Peter Wolf confirmed to perform on March 31st. As of yet, tickets to Al Jardine are not available for purchase.

Our shows and ticket release dates are announced on social media on Friday. You may follow us on Facebook at CityWineryNYC, on Twitter at CityWineryNYC and on Instagram at citywinenrynyc to receive these updates.

Our Vinofile members have access to a 48hr pre-sale, beginning on Tuesday afternoon. If you care about getting the best tickets, you might want to check out everything that a Vinofile membership offers.

Our weekly newsletter detailing tickets available to the general public, rolls out on Thursday. You may sign up for the general newsletter at the bottom of our homepage at www.citywinery.com/newyork to be alerted when tickets to Al Jardine are available.

[Tony S]

Thanks for the information! Hoping it was mixed up and Al performs there. I noticed the Saturday before, 3/24, looks open, which seemed a bit strange for a Saturday night, with almost all other nights booked. Hope  it turns out that's it's the 24th! Thanks again.

[HeyJude]

The April 12 and 13 dates are now missing from Al's website. Not sure if things have changed or not. I think at least the April 12 show has already gone on sale, so I'm guessing they're just wrenching on Al's website.

[HeyJude]

First show tonight! Hoping someone gets some good recordings. I wish the whole thing could end up on YouTube (as opposed to 30-second bits).

[STE]

Any reports yet??

[Tony S]

Just a couple of pictures on Facebook; I hope some folks who were there give us an update,and setlist. Hope they come to NJ/NY.

[HeyJude]

Yep, Al just posted a couple of pics, that's about it so far. The second pic has a mention on Facebook of a Glen Campbell tribute, so I'm guessing he probably performed the title track "A Postcard from California."

[Matt H]

No idea if this is accurate but here is what is at setlist.fm

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/al-jardine/2018/dakota-jazz-club-and-restaurant-minneapolis-mn-5be14b08.html

1.   Surfin'
2.   Surfin' Safari
3.   Don't Worry Baby
4.   I Get Around
5.   Little Deuce Coupe
6.   California Girls
7.   California Saga: California
8.   Sloop John B
9.   God Only Knows
10.   Good Vibrations
11.   Heroes and Villains
12.   Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
13.   Vegetables
14.   A Postcard From California
Encore:
15.   Help Me, Rhonda
16.   Surfin' U.S.A.
17.   Barbara Ann

[Tony S]

Thanks Much. I was kind of hoping for a little bit more focus on 70's/80/s songs, like Santa Anna Winds and Feet, but love seeing Looking at Tomorrow. Hope I get to see this show; I had just checked the setlist site about an hour ago and nothing had yet been reported. Good to see folks who attended are kind enough to post quickly.

[the captain]

Either my memory is photographic or somebody used my next-morning recollection to inform setlist.fm (although breaking up those I’d posted as medleys). Guessing the latter, as I’m not very smart. Anyway, here’s what I posted at psf.
.....

As planned, I attended Al’s opening-night show in Minneapolis. I went in more curious than excited and left with mixed feelings.
 
The best and worst parts of the show might have been the same: it was really loose, with the “storytelling” aspects rambling into (and sometimes not out of) tangents, the set list loose, and the musicians—or Al, anyway—not entirely sure what was going on. I’d guess there were at least half a dozen “who kicks this one off?” from him, and another half dozen “what key are we doing this in?”
 
The setup was a trio, with Al, Matt, and Jeff Alan Ross (formerly of Badfinger). There was a large (at least large for the small venue) projection screen above the stage showing an assortment of images and occasional videos throughout, which were also displaying on the flat-screens around the venue, and there were a handful of instruments on stage.
 
First up was “Surfin’,” with Al on stand-up bass and the other two on acoustic guitars. That was that as far as the bass’s workout: it sat near the rear of the stage for the remainder of the roughly two-hour show. Al played mostly acoustic guitar the rest of the time, though he also played Fender Strat. Matt played some auxiliary percussion as well as his acoustic guitar, while Ross played acoustic guitar and keyboards (occasionally with cheesy synth string sound, I should add, such as on “God Only Knows”).
 
My biggest surprise was that it was more a Beach Boys greatest hits show than a deep dive for Al, although I suppose it ought not be that surprising. I mean, what songs are the draws, especially for non-fanatics? And that’s not to say he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary: late in the show, he did do—barely, after almost not doing, complaining about a blister—“Lookin’ At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song).” But for the most part, it was Beach Boys hits, be they Al songs or, more often than not, not, performed in vaguely approximate chronological order.
 
I didn’t keep a set list because I prefer to experience concerts I attend, but it was something along these lines. I know there were other board members there, perhaps they kept records.
 
Surfin
Surfin Safari
Don’t Worry Baby
I Get Around / Little Deuce Coupe
California Girls / California
Sloop John B (“Kingston Trio arrangement” segue into more Beach Boysish arrangement)
God Only Knows
Good Vibrations
Heroes & Villains
Lookin’ At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)
Vegetables
Postcard From California
 
Encore:
Help Me, Rhonda
Surfin USA
Barbara Ann
 
Several omissions surprised me: Cottonfields, Lady Lynda, Honkin’, Susie Cincinnati, Then I Kissed Her … those were the sorts of songs I expected to hear more of. Not exclusively those, but more of those kinds of things.
 
For those who have had a little fun in the past with Al’s memory, this show would be either delightful or torture for you, depending on your demeanor. The faulty memory was on full display. He got his facts wrong here and there; he questioned himself and stood semi-silently, trying to remember this or that. Matt and Ross prompted him pretty regularly as to what they were supposed to be doing, saying, playing. There were quite a few “oh, whoops, I forgot to tell that story” kinds of moments.
 
Those stories were sometimes very familiar, sometimes less so. Nothing blew my mind in that respect. In fact, it was more a (uncertain, tentative) history than it was the sort of anecdote I really hoped for more of, though there were a few.
 
Al sang pretty well: not as well as I’ve heard him, but certainly still better than could be expected. Matt was Matt, despite wrestling with his monitor all night, providing the strongest vocals and taking a lot of leads. Ross was the strong instrumental support, very important considering the minimalist environment. Al seemed to drift in and out of his own show, to be honest, sometimes taking his own (non-lead, non-featured) parts in Beach Boys songs, other times skipping around to flesh out arrangements with a little Mike here, a little Carl there.
 
All in all, it was fun, loose, and full of mistakes. Had Minnesota a more outgoing population, it could have been a really fun, informal (if somewhat expensive) singalong. Instead it was an unusual experience. I don’t regret going.
 

[HeyJude]

Thanks for the review.

Regarding the setlist, my best guess is someone who frequents one of the BB boards took your setlist and slapped it on setlist.fm. I don't know who it is that does it, but I've seen partial and/or truncated setlists pulled from this board in the past and posted on there. I've had to correct a number of such setlists in the past.

As for Al's show, this sounds along the lines of what I expected, especially for an opening night. My only fear in all of this was that the show would be too much like Al's record store appearances of recent years, where he seems to start and stop a lot during songs and not finish them, etc. It sounds like this opening night show wasn't *that* loose; it sounds like he didn't just do half-versions of all the songs or anything.

I'm guessing they'll work the kinks out of the show.

As for the setlist, while I would love more deep cuts, keep this in mind: Al's going out on a limb doing club shows. I'm sure he knows the first thing he has going for him is a library of famous songs. I think once he does more of these shows and feels more secure that true fans are going to these things rather than just schlubs off the street, he might just loosen up more and do more deep cuts.

I'm also guessing he's at least trying to form stories around these songs, and he might feel the stories of the hits are more interesting than the story of "Honkin' Down the Highway."

The storytelling element could well be why we won't get "Lady Lynda." Considering Al was sensitive enough to the of singing a song about his ex-wife that he changed the words in 1993 to "Little Lady", I'm guessing "Lady Lynda" isn't the most likely inclusion.

But yeah, someone's gotta convince him to do "Santa Ana Winds." It's a no-brainer for an acoustic show like this.

[Tony S]

Agree with you Jude. I also was hoping these shows don't turn into the Music store appearance of a couple of years, ago, with the starts/stops and incomplete versions of songs. Sounds like it didn't so that's a good thing. I would expect some kinks the first couple of shows, and understand the predominance of Beach Boys classics. Still, I sure hope he does the songs that the true fans like us want to hear, like Lookin(which he did), Santa Anna Winds, Feet, Kissed Her(which he absolutely owns), and maybe Friends which would be a good choice for the acoustic setting, and stuff like that. I would really like to hear the stories too, of some of the lesser known songs. I think it'll improve a bit as we get more into the tour, still hope he comes to the NJ/NY area; would buy tickets in a minute.

[the captain]

To be clear, there were several abbreviated songs, skipped verses or sections, etc, as well as what would’ve likely been aborted tales had Jeff and Matt not powered through until al got back on track.

[wilsonart1]

How was the food Cap.  Your rating on the menu! 

[Zesterz]

Interesting reports, thanks. I think Al could use a Kingston Trio song, to illustrate direct influence ( not one that the BB did)....

.....and why not a NEW AJ song. Those "moves" could work wonders, I believe.

[Zesterz]

..........and my suggestion derives from his great rendition of I I had a hammer with Richard Barone. That showed Al's voice to be wonderful folk "instrument"

[Tony S]

I agree. Wasn't thinking we were going to get Little Deuce Coop; was hoping for more Postcards or rarities. Al's most likely also not used to being the MC of shows, like the Lovester was all those years, and that will take some getting used too. Could be the reason for some of the rambles. He has such a huge opportunity here, I just hope he really shines as bright as he can.

[RubberSoul13]

I echo the sentiments of the board...hoping confidence builds and some of the hits fade...I can't believe "Cotton Fields" and "Then I Kissed Her" aren't in there. Those are well-known hits that surely have intriguing stories behind them. That's a little perplexing that they weren't included. I will say that it's nice to hear "Vegetables" and "Lookin' at Tomorrow" in there as I've never heard them live...along with "A Postcard from California"...still truly hoping and praying I can use my ticket this March for the MD show...but also hoping and praying the set gets fleshed out a bit.

[Emdeeh]

Just heard from a friend in MN, who went to last night's show. He and his wife give it a thumbs up. They were sitting right next to the stage.

I didn't see this in other reports -- my friend said that Al and co. passed out carrots to the audience to chomp on during "Vegetables."

[the captain]

Just heard from a friend in MN, who went to last night's show. He and his wife give it a thumbs up. They were sitting right next to the stage.

I didn't see this in other reports -- my friend said that Al and co. passed out carrots to the audience to chomp on during "Vegetables."

The Dakota is such a small venue, everyone feels right next to the stage!

As for the carrots, true. Organic, we were told. About 6-8 of them, though the people next to me who got them failed to chomp.

[wilsonart1]

National Peanut Butter day!  Hope Celery available at the show tonight.

[Bob K]

What key are we doing this in???    Did they rehearse?

[the captain]

How was the food Cap.  Your rating on the menu! 

I’m generally a fan of their food. Last night we just had a snack—best pomme frites (say the fancy among us) and bearnaise around. And a few pints of Surly, obviously.

[guitarfool2002]

Pomme Frites...with ketchup or nacho cheese? 

[the captain]

Pomme Frites...with ketchup or nacho cheese? 

Bearnaise. That’s how they’re classy enough to be listed as pomme frites!