Photo by: Miles Overn copyright © 2010
The Beach Boys, whom some refer to as “America’s Band”, delivered a stunning performance at Penticton’s SOEC that truly approached perfection. This was so much more than a trip down memory lane wrapped up in a momentary return to a simpler time. Instead, this was a current group of touring musicians, some younger and some older, playing ultra-tight arrangements behind original singer Mike Love as he led them through a fast paced but never hurried string of classic Beach Boys tunes.
The original members made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a long time ago, but this was no mere caricature of a once great band. Guitarist and musical director Scott Totten has clearly rehearsed this ensemble through not only the arrangements, but also the transitions. As a group they pulled off the daunting task of stringing together, seamlessly, songs of varying lengths and widely different tempos in different keys done well enough to allow not just a single vocalist, but a group of them singing intricate harmonies to have total confidence as they moved from song to song. Many of the original recorded versions of their tunes were under 2 minutes. Every note of every bar by every player counts, and these guys placed every one of them with precision.
Frontman and lead vocalist for many of the tunes, Mike Love, was for many in attendance “The Beach Boys”. His face, his voice, his mannerisms and style and gestures, epitomizes the band and indeed the whole youth culture of sun and surf and cars and girls from that era. He did not disappoint. So many of their songs are such classics, which is a testimony to both the quality of the songs themselves and their vocal and band arrangements. It’s easy to forget how many great songs they’ve had, but 36 of them have made it to the US Top 40 and that is the most of any US rock band ever. Billboard magazine lists them as the number 1 selling American band of all time. Love performed those songs he sang exquisitely. His uber-casual vibe only added to the whole Beach Boys effect.
Late in the show two lucky audience members were invited onstage to dance while the group played and sang. Totten hung his guitar around one of the young ladies’ necks, brought her front and center, and then reached in from behind and took an amazing solo on his guitar while she was wearing it. Great musicianship, phenomenal showmanship. The audience, and I’m sure the woman involved, loved it.
On a 5 point scale, I’d have to give this one a 5. This performance exceeded my expectations by a wide margin, and judging by the way the audience swayed and danced and sang along, it at least met theirs as well.
A special shout out to Shawn Hlookoff, who opened on this night. Simply one of the best young voices on the planet today. And he writes his own stuff. He did his set solo, split between acoustic guitar and piano. Composure, good looks with just the right amount of attitude, good songs, and that voice. Yes, I think he has a very bright future.