Al live, new Al cd, New POB - legacy cd (warning long)

Al Jardine’s Endless Summer Band
Las Vegas Suncoast Showroom
Friday April 4, 2008 7:30pm
Saturday April 5, 2008 7:30pm

Band lineup:
Al Jardine – Guitar and Vocals
Matt Jardine – Vocals, Tambourine, and Timpani
Adam Jardine – Vocals, Tambourine and Bongos
Billy Hinsche – Keyboards and Vocals
Ed Carter – Bass and Vocals
Bobby Figueroa – Drums and Vocals
Richie Cannata – Sax, Flute, Tambourine, Congas, and keyboards
Tom Jacob – Keyboards
Jared Dalley – Guitar, and Banjo

Setlist for Friday and Saturday:

1.   California Girls (Al)
2.   Do It Again (Al)
3.   Catch A Wave (Adam and Matt)
4.   Hawaii (Matt and Al)
5.   I Can Hear Music (Matt)
6.   Come Go With Me (Al)
7.   Don’t Worry Baby (Matt)
8.   409 (Adam) Excellent guitar solo by Al
9.   Shut Down (Al)
10.   Little Deuce Coupe (Al)
11.   I Get Around (Matt) (Billy introduces band)
12.   Sail On Sailor (Bobby and Billy)
13.   California Dreamin’ (Al, Matt)
14.   California Saga (On My Way) (Al) excellent banjo work by Jared Dalley
(Second night has an acapella break that was not done the first night)
15.   God Only Knows (Matt)
16.   Sloop John B. (Al, Adam, Al)
17.   Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Matt, bridge - Al)
18.   Good Vibrations (Matt)
19.   Kokomo (Billy, Matt)
20.   Honkin’ Down The Highway (Al)
21.   Help Me Rhonda (Al)
22.   Surfin’ USA (Matt)
Encore:
23. Fun, Fun, Fun (Matt)

(I got the setlist from the stage and it indicated a couple of songs they didn’t play which were: Girl Don’t Tell Me, Rebel, Barbara Ann) Al also mentioned the first night that they wanted to play more but they were already over there allotted amount of time.

Both night comments:

I managed to catch the soundcheck before the first show and enjoyed it very much. They played bits and pieces of Hawaii, Cal Girls, DIA, CAW, ICHM, DWB, 409, Shut Down, LDC, IGA, Good Vibes, SOS, GOK, and Honkin DTH. Sometimes they would play the whole song, other times just work the transitions between songs, sometimes they would just work instrumental bits, but the part of soundcheck I enjoyed best was when they were checking a few vocal parts. Being treated to a few acapella renditions of certain parts of songs was heavenly. Some great singers in the band for sure. Billy and Al made most of the instructional comments and the band were pretty laid back and appeared to be having fun even while they were getting down to business.

The shows themselves:

Al’s guitar was quite loud in the mix the first night (it didn’t hurt that I was super close to his amp and his monitor). This gave me the opportunity to really focus on his playing. He was playing many lead lines that Carl used to do. And he was playing them very well. I was really impressed with his guitar work. His solo on 409 (a song I don’t normally care too much for) was scorching. I wonder if he has been this good for the last 40 years and I just under-estimated or failed to fully appreciate his guitar abilities because Carl seemed to take the guitar focus. At any rate Al is no guitar slouch. He played much more lead guitar than the new guitar addition Jared Dalley (from Tripsitter - who was quite good but too low in the mix the first night). I was expecting Al to play the white strat but he was playing a black telecaster. Al was dressed in his white suit and wore white tennis shoes for anyone interested in the fashion side of things.

Al vocals were very, very strong; almost undiminished by time. Having seen all of the surviving Beach Boys quite a few times in the last couple of years; I feel he is far and away the strongest vocally of the surviving Beach Boys. He did flub a few lines and made a couple of light hearted memory jokes at his own expense. Matt was smiling when Al flubbed a line as he did with California the first night (and Hawaii the second night). Al said “I wrote the thing and I still can’t get the words right”. It was a cute moment.

Matt Jardine voice is Al’s secret weapon for sure. I have seen Jeffrey Foskett do the high parts and falsettos both with The Beach Boys and with Brian Wilson many times, I have also witnessed many live shows with Randell Kirsch and Adrian Baker on the high stuff with the Beach Boys. Jeff, Randell, and Adrian all have EXCELLENT voices and sing those challenging parts very, very well, but as I told Matt after the show, I think his voice best captures the spirit of Brian’s original vocal parts. He makes that tough transition from chest voice to falsetto seamless and also has a bit of the Whine that Brian had. He is also a pleasure to watch as he clearly feels the music and enjoys singing so much. His leads on Don’t Worry Baby, I Can Hear Music and Wouldn’t It Be Nice were sublime.

There were some nice remembrances of Carl. At one point in the show Al said “singing these songs (they were about to launch into I Can Hear Music at the time) makes me think of Carl, he used to stand just to my left. He looked over and paused for a moment and you could see he was genuinely missing him. They also mentioned Carl (and dedicated the song) just before God Only Knows. One interesting moment is on the first night Billy Hinsche mentioned that Don’t Worry Baby was originally a song about a soldier going off to war but that it was changed to a car song. Al said it was the first he has heard of it. The second night Billy mentioned it again and said that he talked to Jeff Foskett who said Brian had confirmed the story.

The best moment of both the shows for me was hearing Al do California (from the saga). The banjo work by new member (these were his first shows) Jared Dalley was perfect. The harmonies were incendiary. Honkin Down the Highway was another highlight. Al talked about his new cd that is still not finished (but very close). He said it was great working with Brian again. He also talked briefly about working with David Marks, America, Steve Miller, Neil Young, Glen Campbell. Apparently Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby (who hasn’t recorded his part yet) and Matt Jardine will be on the new version (in a bit of a different style and key). Matt’s wife recently had another baby so he recorded his part for California at his home. Matt received the song via e-mail and he said it was pretty cool when he pulled up the parts on his computer and heard Neil Young doing his thing. He recorded his part and then sent it to Al on cd to put on the master.

Sail On Sailor was very soulful and Bobby Figueroa and Billy Hinsche did a great job vocally with it. I was front row center and a mere couple feet away from the performers so I could hear each of their individual monitors which was pretty cool. Besides fantastic bass work, Ed Carter can really sing well. Richie Cannata added a lot of flavor with his great sax and flute parts. Adam held down a bunch of Mike Love parts and much of the lower end vocals with Billy Hinsche.

Talking with Al after the first show he said his favorite on his new cd is the title track and he said that you should hear Glen Campbell sing on it (I did get to hear it - but more about that later). I met Al several times on the weekend and he was easy going, happy, and very happy to chat with fans. By after Saturday’s show he was calling my father and I the (Canadian fan club). It was pretty cool to go to the show with my dad (he went to the Saturday show only) as he took me to my first Beach Boys concert in 1987. Though Al is the only “original” Beach Boy in the line-up it was interesting to note that back in 1987 when I saw the Beach Boys for the first time Billy Hinsche, Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa were also on stage. If you include Richie Cannata, that is a lot of veterans from the classic Beach Boys band that are backing up Al. My dad also went with me to see Mike and Bruce last year at home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada together. But we took the long trip to Vegas just to see Al. Worth every penny. Although sometimes I think I would want a reunion of the surviving Beach Boys (My vote would be for a studio reunion and an album of all new material with maybe a one off t.v. special that could be helped out with some nice post production so the vocals are just right), I’m not sure a reunion tour would be the best for Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, David etc. Part of me thinks that the current 3 separate touring acts are maybe the best scenario. I have loved concerts by all three acts at any rate, and will go see all of them again if I can.

I got my Smile slick that has already been signed in person by Smile artist Frank Holmes, Brian Wilson (Edmonton 2004), Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (Calgary 2006) signed by Al now. This is my most treasured Beach Boys possession and it looks beautiful all framed up.

Big thanks go out to those who organized the meet and greet. Thanks Trisha Campo and Paula Bondi – Springer! It was great to have the opportunity and Al stuck around to meet and sign for everyone who was interested.

Trisha Campo was nice enough to give me an opportunity to hear some of the new Dennis Wilson 2 cd compilation. The sound quality and mixes are unbelievable! Carl’s vocal on Its Not Too Late just rings out clear as a bell – the whole track sounds better than I ever thought it could. Under The Moonlight rocks harder than I could have possibly imagined. She also played me a few full versions of songs from Al’s new cd. Help Me Rhonda with Steve Miller is a very bluesy version with great vocals from Al and Steve as well as some blistering harmonica work. Glen Campbell’s vocals on Postcard are great too. I should mention that the tracks I heard from both cds may not be finalized versions though. Thanks Trisha – I didn’t mind being your servant or sharpie supplier either.

It was also a great pleasure to meet and spend some time with super fans Sue and Stu from across the pond. I thought I spent a lot of money to see Al, I can only imagine what they spent. Passing up the big Mike and Bruce shows in the UK must have been tough, but like myself, I think they needed to see Al live and his appearances are sadly harder to come by. It is too bad Al can’t get more bookings with his current band as they certainly put on a great show. Maybe they should give licenses out to both Mike and Bruce’s show AND to Al’s show to use the Beach Boys name.

Whatever…

I am focusing on the positive. Thanks for a great show Al (and company)! Can’t wait for the new cd and I hope to hear you sing again live soon! I wish I could have stayed for Sunday night’s show too but sadly I have to go back to work to pay for my Beach Boys obsession.

Cheers,

Rich Panteluk
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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