The Beach Boys played the Jones Beach Theatre with America on a Saturday night in August, 1994 making for a great summer night at the beach. My favorite “Beach Boys performing at the Jones Beach Theatre” memory, and I do not recall 100% if it was this show or another, was sitting with my wife in the rear orchestra to the right of the stage when the Beach Boys brought the USC cheerleaders out on stage wearing their cheerleading outfits and with pompoms. Now USC cheerleaders are not your average college cheerleaders as they vaguely resemble Las Vegas chorus girls. At the time, and even now, I thought bringing the USC cheer team on tour with the band was complete genius for somewhat obvious reasons. I believe Carl Wilson was still touring with the band at the time as he did not pass away from lung cancer until 1998. I read Mike Love’s autobiography which sort of explained why he continues to tour with a Beach Boys line up to this day. Brian Wilson will also be on tour this summer opening for Chicago; I am not expecting much from Brian as when I last saw him perform at the Westbury Music Fair a few years ago, along with Jeff Beck, Wilson looked completely shot, and he even had trouble navigating through the crowded half round stage set up with equipment for both bands on the bill that evening after his set was done. At the time there were rumors of a Jeff Beck and Brian Wilson collaborative project which I do not think ever materialized, but somehow probably prompted the Westbury concert, but they did not perform together that night.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice

Rock on!

GQ