[qwerty49]

I wanted to go to a Beach Boys concert back in 1964 at San Jose Civic Auditorium, but my ever-protective parents wouldn’t let me! 

I eventually saw them twice — first time was in ‘73 in SF (Fillmore West, I think) when they were trying to figure out if they were going to be any more than an oldies act. Brian wasn’t touring and Mike Love sang a somewhat embarrassing version of “Jumpin Jack Flash.”  Carl sang the lead on “Help Me Rhonda” (in later years it was Al).

Then fast fwd 39 yrs to their 50th anniversary tour in 2012 at an outdoor amphitheater south of San Diego. One of the last times Brian and Mike were on the stage together. For their final encore they closed with “Fun Fun Fun” — got the audience singing the final “Woo-oo, woo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo, ooh” vocals….while the whole band walked off the stage one by one. The audience kept singing for another few minutes a capella into the night. What a way to end a concert!  It was, in a word, bitchin.

[qwerty49]

I wanted to go to a Beach Boys concert back in 1964 at San Jose Civic Auditorium, but my ever-protective parents wouldn’t let me! 

I eventually saw them twice — first time was in ‘73 in SF (Fillmore West, I think) when they were trying to figure out if they were going to be any more than an oldies act. Brian wasn’t touring and Mike Love sang a somewhat embarrassing version of “Jumpin Jack Flash.”  Carl sang the lead on “Help Me Rhonda” (in later years it was Al).

Then fast fwd 39 yrs to their 50th anniversary tour in 2012 at an outdoor amphitheater south of San Diego. One of the last times Brian and Mike were on the stage together. For their final encore they closed with “Fun Fun Fun” — got the audience singing the final “Woo-oo, woo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo, ooh” vocals….while the whole band walked off the stage one by one. The audience kept singing for another few minutes a capella into the night. What a way to end a concert!  It was, in a word, bitchin.