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''We're closer to hip replacement than hip hop,'' Beach Boys leader singer Mike Love joked.
Love's self-effacing humor at Musikfest's RiverPlace set a light tone for a performance that had more the air of a revue of a bygone era than a Beach Boys concert.
The band that played Tuesday contained only one original member (Love), who couldn't quite hit the notes he used to, and nobody with the last name of Wilson.
But that didn't matter to an enthusiastic crowd of 4,000 that seemed to know every word to every song, and was willing to help out.
The band covered the considerable Beach Boys catalog with a medley format. They opened with 11 straight songs including ''Do You Wanna Dance?'' and ''Little Honda.'' They segued into ''Surfer Girl'' and ''Don't Worry Baby'' and tapped the hits ''Little Deuce Coupe,'' ''409,'' ''Little Old Lady From Pasadena,'' ''Shut Down'' and ''I Get Around.''
The band then turned back the clock to classic doo-wop songs, the highlight of which was a stunning rendition of Gene Chandler's ''Duke of Earl,'' sung by John Cowsill, original drummer of late '60s family band the Cowsills. Throughout the night, Cowsill had the campy, over-the-top persona of a Vegas crooner.
Attention then turned to Bruce Johnston, who joined the Beach Boys in late 1964. He continued until 1972 and has had an on and off relationship with the Beach Boys since then.
Love noted that Johnston ''is the only Grammy-winning member of the band.'' With that, Johnston sang a brief version of ''I Write The Songs,'' the Grammy-winning Barry Manilow hit he penned. He also sang ''God Only Knows'' and dedicated it to the late Carl Wilson, who originally sang the song.
Love did not mention Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, or Al Jardine, the original members of the Beach Boys. There was, however, one nod to Brian Wilson's orchestral arrangements; a timpani drum the Cowsill played for several songs.
The band wrapped the show with another flurry of hits that included ''Sloop John B,'' ''Wouldn't It Be Nice,'' ''Good Vibrations'' and ''Help Me Rhonda,'' with Love and Cowsill frequently aiming microphones into the crowd for help with the chorus. They threw in ''Summertime Blues,'' ''Barbara Ann,'' ''Surfin' USA'' and an encore of ''Kokomo'' and ''Fun, Fun, Fun.''
By the end of the show, Love and Johnston were functioning more as cheerleaders, leaving most vocal duties to band members. The crowd responded by leaping to its feet and singing along.
The Beach Boys are definitely closer to hip replacement than hip hop, but for the crowd Tuesday night, they were still plenty hip.
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