Brian Wilson w/ Al Jardine & David Marks – MN Zoo (07/27/13) live review

The sounds of summer could be heard emanating from the Weesner Amphitheatre at the Minnesota Zoo, even if the weather was doing anything but cooperating. On a brisk and very fall-like Saturday night, over 1,450 fans jammed into the outdoor venue to witness two solid sets of mostly Beach Boys songs performed by Brian Wilson with Al Jardine and David Marks and a 9-piece backup band.

AL JARDINE DAVID MARKS

Wilson, Jardine and Marks have carried on for a brief 7-city summer tour, following a successful 50th anniversary album/73-show tour under The Beach Boys name which fizzled after singer Mike Love took the band and name in a different direction following. Of the split acts, Wilson’s version can be described as the more ‘authentic’ one, as he wrote/co-wrote most of the bands hits and sidemen Jardine and Marks were there in the mid-60s, just as the surf band was making musical waves everywhere.

The 71 year-old Wilson seemed to be in good spirits and fairly engaged, perched on the stool behind his ivory piano, opening strong with ‘California Girls’ which got the crowd immediately into the summer spirit on a chilled misty evening. Hits followed- ‘Catch a Wave’, ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ and ‘Surfer Girl’, the first song Wilson ever wrote, still sounding of the beachfront comfort and west coast harmonies it had a half century prior.

The large backing band (most from the Wondermints Plus, who performed with Wilson on the SMiLE Tour) proved more than musically able, each member having a turn in the spotlight; especially Jeff Foskett providing that needed Beach Boys falsetto and Darian Sanaja, who carried the vocals on a nice version of ‘Darlin’.

SETLIST PHOTO

After a 50 min. first set, the band took a short break before returning for their 75 min closing set, the rain by then past, and audience primed to hear the band’s biggest hits.

Beginning solemnly with the quiet ‘Our Prayer’, it quickly built momentum, highlighted early on by the 1-2 punch of the recent Beach Boys reunion single, ‘That’s Why God Made the Radio’ (from their highest charting album to debut) and a powerful ‘God Only Knows’, dedicated to Wilson’s late brother Carl and which brought an extended and well-deserved standing ovation following. Al Jardine, still blond haired in a white suit, led a spirited ‘Sloop John B’, sandwiched between mega hits ‘Wouldn’t it Be Nice’ and ‘Good Vibrations’, which ended the 2nd set.

A six-song encore followed, anchored by ‘Surfin USA’ and ‘Fun Fun Fun’ which really got the crowd moving and singing, before Wilson came out again saying ‘the rock and rolling is done’ and ending with the melancholy but appropriate ‘Summer’s Gone’.

BRIAN WILSON

The sound was mixed well and clear from our upper vantage point, though the crowd in our section were constantly up and down the stairs mid-song (young people and their multiple beer runs and baby boomers and their weak bladders), which proved more than an annoyance when trying to forget the October-like evening and assimilate into the endless summer of the lyrics and melodies.

All in all though, a satisfying reminder of Wilson’s impact on music history in creating a defining sound; and with word of an upcoming album back on Capitol Records featuring Jeff Beck on guitar, proof that this aging legend, still has more than a little gas left in the tank.

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