The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed and influential bands of all time and on Tuesday, December 6th, Mike Love brought the current version of the band to The Paramount in Huntington, Long Island. The lineup included Mike with longtime member since 1965 Bruce Johnston, musical director Scott Totten, Brian Eichenberger, Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, Keith Hubacher and Randy Leago.
John Stamos also performed as a special guest with the band for this show and their show at Carnegie Hall the night before. Stamos grew up idolizing the band as a teen and formed a friendship with the group during his days as an actor on “General Hospital” and has frequently collaborated with them since.
Mike Love at The Paramount 12.6.22
The group formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Shortly after Dennis’s tragic death in 1983, Brian became estranged from the group. Following Carl’s death from Lung cancer in 1998, the band granted Mike Love legal writes to tour under the group’s name. Other then a brief reunion in 2010’s for the 50th anniversary, Wilson and Jardine do not perform with Love’s edition of The Beach Boys, but still remain official members of the band.
Mike Love and Bruce Johnston at The Paramount 12.6.22
The show included 30 plus songs spanning over the 60 year legacy of The Beach Boys. The concert also included a generous collection of Christmas songs with a Beach Boys twist made famous by their 1965 “The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album.” Love, 81, recalls events leading to the Beach Boys first Christmas song. “In the early 60’s we made a 45 with “Surfin Safari” on one side. On the other side was a song about a hot rod ‘409’. Then we did “Surfin U.S.A.” and “Shut Down”. Along about 1963, we said, “Lets give Santa a hot rod sled” and “Little Saint Nick” was born. Other songs from Love’s 2018 album Reason for the Season were also performed.
This current tour is also an opportunity to acknowledge the new Sail On Sailor– 1972 box set which celebrates the landmark albums 1972 albums Carl And The Passions and Holland . The 5lp set also includes a 38 page book with liner notes and rare photos plus a previously unreleased concert from Carnegie Hall recorded in 1972.
Setlist: Do It Again, Surfin’ Safari, Catch A Wave, Surfin U.S.A., Surfer Girl, Getcha Back, When I Grow Up, Darlin, Be True To Your School, White Christmas, The Man With All The Toys, Santa’s Beard, Jingle Bell Rock, Finally It’s Christmas, Celestial Celebration, In My Room, Don’t Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, I Get Around, California Dreamin, Sloop John B, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, California Girls, Forever, God Only Knows, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Frosty The Snowman, Must Be Christmas, Reason For The Season, Do You Wanna Dance, Help Me Rhonda, Kokomo, Barbara Ann, Good Vibrations, Little Saint Nick, Fun, Fun, Fun
Highlighting both newly-made holiday songs and traditional Christmas tunes will be the ‘Tis the Season with the Beach Boys tour performance event on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The featured album, Reason for the Season, having been produced by established musicians such as Sam Hollander from Panic! at the Disco and Train, and Steve Greenberg of Hanson and AJR, features artists like Hanson and Beach Boys co-founder Love’s children.
‘Tis The Season with The Beach Boys 2022 Tour Advertisement
The 16-date tour starts on November 26th and takes place in several cities across the country, including at Carnegie Hall in New York on December 5th. Their following performance in New York will be held at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse on December 7th.
Tickets will be on sale on Friday, October 7th and may be purchased online at Ticketmaster or at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter Civic Center Theaters.
Tis the Season with the Beach Boys featuring the Holidays Vibrations Orchestra Tour Dates:
10/8 – Syracuse Crunch vs Rochester Americans
10/8-10/9 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Convention Center – RetroGameCon
10/11 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – FOCL Presents Yusef Salaam
10/14 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinders Theater Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood: Scared Shitless
10/16 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – The Princess Bride – An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes
10/18 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Convention Center – The Salvation Army’s 51st Annual Civic Celebration
10/27 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – Whose Live Anyway?
10/29 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – Zach Williams
10/30 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinders Theater – Kevin James
11/2 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – Ray LaMontagne The MONOVISION Tour
11/15 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – FOCL Presents Casey McQuinston
11/18 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – Ancient Aliens Live
11/18 – Syracuse, NY – Upstate Medical University Arena – Oncenter War Memorial – Trey Anastasio Band & Goose
11/19 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater – Daryl Hall and the Daryl’s House Band
11/26 – Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
11/27 – Medford, MA – Chevalier Theatre
11/30 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
12/2 – Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
12/2-12/4 – Syracuse City Ballet Presents Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”
12/3 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
12/5 – New York, NY – Carnegie Hall – Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman
12/7 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater
12/7 – ‘Tis the Season with The Beach Boys featuring The Holiday Vibrations Orchestra
12/9 – Buffalo, NY – Shea’s Buffalo Theatre
12/10 – Akron, OH – E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
12/11 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
12/11 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater -Championships of Magic
12/12 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater -Nutcracker! Magic of Christmas Ballet
12/13 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
12/14 – Saint Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox Theatre
12/15 – Des Moines, IA – Des Moines Civic Center
12/16 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Resort & Casino
12/17 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
12/18 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
1/13/23 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinder Theater – Brian Regan
3/21/23 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinder Theater – FOCL Presents Kate Quinn
4/18/23 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinder Theater – FOCL Presents Garry Trideau
5/9/23 – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinder Theater – FOCL Presents Jill Lepore
Nostalgia, Hawaiian shirts, good vibrations and the sounds of Motown were abound in Saratoga Springs on Thursday August 18th, as legendary summer surf rock pioneers The Beach Boys and iconic Motor City hitmakers The Temptations belted out classic after classic at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Celebrating Sixty Years of The Sounds of Summer, the evening played out like a trip down memory lane, taking the mostly older audience back to a time when, on the surface, things just seemed simpler. Like a snapshot through American history, fans welcomed the chance to hear the songs that provided the soundtrack to so much of their lives.
The Beach Boys took fans at SPAC on a Surfin’ Safari on 8/18/22
From Hitsville USA to the Spa City, the evening kicked off with the Motown soul of The Temptations. Dressed in matching green suites, the dapper looking group was led by original member Otis Williams along with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Tony Grant and Jawan M. Jackson and also included a full orchestra as part of the backing band. With vocals ringing true and like a well-oiled machine, the tightly choregraphed set included fan favorites “Get Ready,” “I’ll be in Trouble, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” With the crowd fully engaged and singing along to almost every song, not only were fans having a good time, but it seemed like the members of The Temptations were too, exchanging smiles and high five handshakes that felt genuine and unchoreographed. After a medley of songs paying homage to other Motown greats of the era, The Temptations closed their set with a song everybody knows, their signature hit “My Girl.”
Otis Williams and The Temptations performing at SPAC 8/18/22 – Photo by Zak Radick
After a brief break to clear the stage, the fun-filled evening continued with an elaborate pre-produced video introduction that flashed images and soundbites of The Beach Boys storied career. With the group’s 60th anniversary of their first album, Surfin’ Safari, approaching in October – their impact on American culture through the decades cannot be overstated. Watching the montage of popular television shows and movies the band has been featured in – from Good Morning Vietnam, Cocktail, Look Who’s Talking, and the closing credits of Boogie Nights, to shows like Full House and Friends and their complicated association with the Fab Four, it’s clear not only does this band continue to have a wide-ranging generational appeal, but that their songs have indeed stood the test time.
Have Mercy: A career spanning video montage of The Beach Boys plays moments before showtime on 8/18/22
With a minimal stage setup that simply included some artificial palm trees and a jumbotron LED screen, original Beach Boy Mike Love and longtime member Bruce Johnston walked to the front of the stage and showed their love for the Saratoga crowd by blowing them kisses before launching into the first of many surf rock medleys, kicking the party off with a “Do It Again”>”Surfin’ Safari”>”Catch a Wave” trifecta. Bolstering their iconic sound with help from talented supporting musicians Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, Brian “Ike” Eichenberger, Christian Love, Randy Leago, Keith Hubacher and Scott Totten, this incarnation of The Beach Boys both looked and sounded great.
Working their way through all the fan favorites – the surfing songs like “Rockaway Beach,” “Surfin’ USA,” and ” Surfer Girl,” to the cruising anthems like “Little Deuce Coup,””409” and “Little Honda” it was clear The Beach Boys not only welcomed the nostalgia, but thrived in it. With their signature sun-drenched vocal harmonies for days, hearing songs like “Don’t Worry Baby,” “I Get Around, “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” and “Sloop John B” felt truly special and provided some of the biggest ovations of the evening, but perhaps the loudest came on the heels of an emotional rendition of “God Only Knows,” a song many consider to be one of the greatest ever written.
After telling a short story about the time he ran into The Beatles in India, Mike Love would sing an original song called “Pisces Brothers”, before the band would string together another series of love songs (“Darlin,” Then I Kissed Her,” Help Me Rhonda”) that saw some of the elderly couples embrace in sentimental overload. Picking the tempo back up, possibly out of fear of being too mushy, “Dance, Dance Dance, ”Do You Wanna Dance?” and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” came next, followed by everyone’s favorite a luau anthem ”Kokomo,” which had everyone on the SPAC lawn singing and smiling, making the final song of the set, “Good Vibrations,” very fitting. The Beach Boys would return to the stage for a two song encore, “Barbara Ann” and “Fun, Fun,Fun,” sending the audience home satisfied and happy.
After more then six decades of performing, both The Beach Boys and The Temptations have proven they still have what it takes to entertain at a high level and that there is still an audience hungry to see them. With an astounding catalog of songs that have become engrained in American culture and themes that remain universal – teenage love and angst, rebelling against authority, driving fast and having fun in the sun, hearing them played live can feel almost surreal at times. It didn’t seem to matter the original members of each group were few and few between, it was all about being there in the moment, singing the songs you grew up on, and rediscovering a piece of your own youth. A great night of ‘Greatest Hits,” have mercy on me for saying it, but even Jess and the Rippers would have found this show satisfying.
If you missed the stop in Saratoga Springs, don’t worry baby, New Yorkers still have a few more chances to catch the Sixty Years of The Sounds of Summer Tour. The Beach Boys and The Temptations play Bethel Woods on August 25th, the Chautauqua Amphitheater on August 26th, and swing by Wildwood, NJ on August 27th.
The Beach Boys | August 18, 2022 | Saratoga Springs, NY | SPAC
Setlist: Do It Again, Surfin’ Safari, Catch a Wave, Hawaii, Little Honda, Rockaway Beach, Surfin’ USA, Surfer Girl, Don’t Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, 409, Shut Down, I Get Around, Be True to Your School, Getcha Back, You’re So Good to Me, Darlin’, God Only Knows, Pisces Brothers, California Girls, Sloop John B, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Then I Kissed Here, Help Me, Rhonda, Do You Wanna Dance, Kokomo, Good Vibrations
Encore: Barbara Ann, Fun, Fun, Fun
The Temptations | August 18, 2022 | Saratoga Springs, NY | SPAC
Setlist: Get Ready, Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue), The Girl’s Alright With Me, Beauty is Only Skin Deep, I’ll Be In Trouble, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today), I Wish It Would Rain, Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, I Can’t Get Next to You, Is It Gonna Be Yes or No, Get Up (I Feel like Being a Sex Machine / I Want to Take You Higher / Let’s Get It On, Treat Her Like a Lady / Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, My Girl
