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It’s not often you see beach balls bouncing around Powell Symphony Hall or patrons wearing Hawaiian shirts, shorts and flip-flops. But that was the scene Wednesday night as the Beach Boys performed as part of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Casual Classics series.
Reduced by attrition and lawsuits to the duo of vocalist Mike Love and keyboardist/vocalist Bruce Johnston, plus a quintet of younger players, the Beach Boys are no longer trying to catch that perfect wave so much as the memory of it.
Love, especially, seems to enjoy pointing out his age (he’s 68). "We’d like to take an intermission," he said at one point, "followed by a nap."
Still, the band’s two-hour show was surprisingly lively, opening with a non-stop nine-song salvo that featured early hits "Surfin’ Safari" and "Surfin’ U.S.A."
The rest of the first hour breezed by thanks in large part to Love surrendering the spotlight to the backup players, including drummer John Cowsill (of the Cowsills), guitarist Scott Totten and guitarist Christian Love (Mike’s son), who sang lead on many of the songs and helped recreate the Beach Boys’ famous vocal harmonies.
Love’s own vocals sounded heavily processed or were buried in the mix. When he sang "Kokomo" in the second set, he was barely audible. Johnston, meanwhile, seemed to be straining for notes during "Disney Girls," which he introduced with an odd non-sequitur, saying since President Obama was elected, he couldn’t remember the words.
Love offered a shout-out to the Maharishi on "Cool Head, Warm Heart," one of the set’s weakest tunes, while Johnston’s frayed vocals marred "God Only Knows."
But they nailed an a cappella version of the Four Freshmen’s "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring," and Cowsill’s strong performance drove the evening's most ambitious number, "Heroes and Villains."
Overall, the show was a reminder that the endless summer once promised by the Beach Boys may be waning, but there still may be some fun — or even "Fun, Fun, Fun," as it were — to be had.
Set List
First set
"Surfin’"
"Surfin’ Safari"
"Catch a Wave"
"Little Honda"
"Do It Again"
"Surf City"
"Summer Means Fun"
"It’s OK"
"Surfin’ USA"
"Surfer Girl"
"Getcha Back"
"Darlin’"
"Be True to Your School"
"The Ballad of Ole Betsy"
"Still Cruisin’"
"Don’t Worry Baby"
"Little Deuce Coupe"
"409"
"Little Old Lady from Pasadena"
"Shut Down"
"I Get Around"
Second set
"California Girls"
"Then I Kissed Her"
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
"When I Grow Up to Be a Man"
"California Dreamin’"
"Sloop John B"
"Wouldn’t It Be Nice"
"Their Hearts Were Full of Spring"
"Cool Head, Warm Heart"
"Disney Girls"
"In My Room"
"God Only Knows"
"Heroes and Villains"
"Kokomo"
"Help Me Rhonda"
"Barbara Ann"
Encore
"Good Vibrations"
"Fun Fun Fun"
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