Concert Review: The Beach Boys - Endless Summer Gold
At the Ford Amphitheater, Colorado Springs
CONCERT REVIEW: THE BEACH BOYS — ENDLESS SUMMER GOLD
Last night, The Beach Boys came to Colorado Springs as part of their 2024 Endless Summer Gold tour. The tour kicked off in February in Honolulu and will wrap up in December in New York. They appeared at the new Ford Amphitheater. More on the venue later.
CONTENT
History of The Beach Boys
My History With The Beach Boys
Last Night’s Beach Boys Concert
The Endless Summer Gold Setlist
Ford Amphitheater Venue: Not Ready for Primetime
History of The Beach Boys
They’re among the most successful American bands ever, with over 100 million records sold and over 80 charted songs worldwide.
The original band consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their pal Al Jardine. They started in Hawthorne, CA, in 1961 as a garage band in Southern California.
The band’s lineup has changed many times over the years, with more than 60 musicians counted among its touring members, including John Stamos (the actor has periodically performed with the Beach Boys since 1985) and Glen Campbell, who temporarily replaced Brian on tour in the mid-’60s, and rose to fame on television as the summer replacement for the popular Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
After a lengthy legal dispute over rights to The Beach Boys’ name was settled amicably in March 2008, with Mike Love owning the name and agreed to by the Wilson Brothers. Al Jardine was no longer allowed to use the name for his touring band. Mike Love has been the consistent lead singer for the band since the 1960s.
This tour is called Endless Summer Gold. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of their greatest early hits album, Endless Summer, released in 1974, which revived the band’s career. The tour also promotes a new documentary ironically titled The Beach Boys, which is streaming on Disney+.
Endless Summer album cover, 1974. Image: Wikipedia
My History With The Beach Boys
1964: My love of The Beach Boys goes back to the early ’60s. One of the first record albums I bought was All Summer Long, their sixth album, which came out in 1964. It was the same year The Beatles came to America. Considered one of the first true “concept albums,” it featured more autobiographical songs of a typical teenager in Southern California rather than cars and surfing. I was too young at the time to understand all the concepts, but five years later, I would be on a Southern California beach as a teenager where I watched the Girls On the Beach (a song from the album).
I got the song I Get Around and enjoyed cruising up and down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in 1969. And the song Little Honda inspired me as I rode my Honda 350 throughout my university days. The lead song All Summer Long was featured in the closing credits to George Lucas‘ autobiographical film, American Graffiti.
1972: My first Beach Boys concert was in early 1972. I did not just attend it; I participated with my college roommate in producing the light show for the concert.
In the psychedelic days of the early ’70s, the light shows used gels and fluids pushed around with concave glass dishes. I was up in the rafters of San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom.
2009: The second Beach Boys concert I attended was in 2009 at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Many attendees were older than I was; last night, I was older than most attendees. Here is my Concert Review from fifteen years ago.
2012: The most recent Beach Boys concert I attended was in 2012, when they celebrated their 50th anniversary. The band reunited Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnson, early member David Marks, and, for the first regular tour in almost three decades, Brian Wilson. The tour also paralleled the release of a new album, That’s Why God Made The Radio.
Brian said the concert tour was dedicated to the memory of his two brothers: Dennis, who had drowned in 1983, and his youngest brother Carl, who died of lung cancer in 1998.
I saw the concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver, CO, where The Beatles performed in 1964. Brian occasionally had a hard time and used a teleprompter, but we didn’t care; we were listening to a legend.
2018: But wait, there’s more. In 2018, I saw Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, and early band member Blondie Chaplin do a 50th Anniversary of Pet Sounds concert world tour that came to Colorado Springs at the Pikes Peak Center. He struggled a bit, but no one cared; we were listening to a legend. Here is the setlist.
Last Night’s Beach Boys Concert
As I watched the band come on stage, I reflected that this was the “America’s Band” defining the California Sound that typified the California Dream. They were famous for their complex harmonizations. As the music started, beach balls were bounced among the audience. All of the “orchestra section” was on their feet. As the songs played, there were photos and film clips of earlier performances across the last six decades. There were tributes of an idealized nostalgia.
The band lineup included:
Mike Love: writer, vocals. He is 83 and was married five times. President Biden is only 81.
Bruce Johnson: Keyboard, bongos. He joined in 1965 and is the longest non-original Beach Boy.
Christian Love, son of Mike Love, took the stage with purple hair. He did vocals and guitar. He played a Rickenbacher guitar, like his uncle Carl Wison and Beatle George Harrison)
Brian Eichenberger, musical director
Jon Bolton on drums seemed to channel Keith Moon of The Who. His playing was vigorous, but he did several vocal solos and was very good, especially for songs that initially featured Carl Wilson
Keith Hubacher
Randy Leago
John Weidemeyer, lead guitar. He did the falsetto vocals originally done by Brian Wilson.
The Endless Summer Gold Setlist
The concert started with:
Do It Again
Surfin’ Safari There were photos on the monitors of surfers younger than Mike Love’s grandchildren
Hawaii My Apple Watch told me the ambient sound exceeded 90Db, but I have worn earplugs since seeing The Who
Don’t Back Down
Rockaway Beach (originally done by The Ramones)
Surfin’ USA
Little Surfer Girl was dedicated to all the ladies in the audience. Mike Love asked everyone to turn on the flashlight on their phones. It might have worked better later in the evening.
Summer (vocals by Christian Love)
Getcha Back (Mike Love had trouble hitting all the notes, but no one cared; we were listening to a legend)
Wendy (vocals by Bruce Johnson)
Good To My Baby
When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)
Darlin’ Wild Honey (vocals by Jon Bolton) from the album Wild Honey
Be True to Your School from 1963 (vocals by lead guitarist John Weidemeyer. Mike Love shared that Brian Wilson’s son graduated from local Colorado College)
In My Room
Still Cruisin’
Don’t Worry Baby written by Brian Wilson and lyricist Roger Christian, inspired by the Ronettes‘ Be My Baby and later inspired The Byrds‘ Mr. Tambourine Man. (vocals by Leichenburger)
And then some motorized songs:
Little Deuce Coupe
409
Shut Down
Little Honda
I Get Around
INTERMISSION
The Warmth of the Sun, Mike Love related that Brian Wilson began writing it in November 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. “The melody was so haunting, sad, melancholy.”
I Can Hear Music, a cover of the Ronettes‘ song. But his version includes acapella, reminding me of CSN&Y or Eagles. (vocals by Jon Bolton.)
Pisces Brothers (Mike Love related that while in India, he met George Harrison, who had a birthday close to his, making them born under the sign of Pisces.
God Only Knows from the Pet Sounds album, originally sung by Carl Wilson. Mike Love dedicated the song to him, as he was lost to lung cancer over 20 years ago. The song is featured in the end credits of the hit British film Love, Actually. Paul McCartney says this song “reduces me to tears every time I hear it.” I describe the relationship between Brian Wilson and The Beatles in my article History of the Summer of Love — 1967: Part 4, Rock & Roll.
California Girls featuring photos of beautiful models and actresses. They added a lyric, “I wish they all could be Colorado Girls.”
California Dreamin’ is a cover of the hit by the Mamas and the Papas.
Sloop John B
Wouldn’t It Be Nice was featured in the film Shampoo
Then I Kissed Her is a cover and rewording of Then He Kissed Me by The Crystals.
Do Ya Want to Dance was initially sung by Dennis Wilson. (vocals by Bruce Johnson.)
Help Me Rhonda (vocals by Christian Love)
Barbara Ann People from the audience were invited on stage to dance, especially young children and pretty young women
Kokomo featured in the film Cocktail was written by Mike Love and Terry Melcher, as well by “Papa” John Phillips and Scott McKenzie. who did San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair.
Good Vibrations (vocals by Christian Love)
Summertime Blues is a song covered by everyone, including The Who
The concert closed with:
Fun, Fun, Fun where the intro was taken from Chuck Berry‘s Johnny B. Goode.
Ford Amphitheater Venue: Not Ready for Prime Time
Not that I’m complaining, but:
The venue is not complete; it’s only been open for a week.
There is no queue (line) control; it snakes around the block and then doubles back on itself. The gate doesn’t open until 45 minutes before the concert.
The venue holds 8,000 people; the parking lot holds 500 cars.
Seat ushers were not to be found; seat sections are only labeled when approaching from the bottom of the amphitheater, and the entrance is at the top.
The noise abatement walls are temporary; 144 neighbors have complained about the noise during the first weekend of its opening.
However:
The seats had cup holders!
And the venue had giant water dispensers… with a warning.
It was fun, fun, fun.
Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com
Bill,
Absolutely stunning review! That had to have been the concert of a lifetime. The number of songs they sang was impressive. I could literally listen to them all day long and never get tired of listening. Was the venue something you were able to drive from your home to or did you fly in and then take a rental car to the venue and spend the night in Colorado Springs. Last time I was in that area I toured Cheyenne Mountain. That was interesting to say the least. I love Colorado and the mountains there. I lived in Longmont as a kid for several years and was able to climb several (don't remember the names of the mountains). I also love seeing the old miners' towns there. It was fun to take time back and see how things were done back when. Great to hear you loved the concert. I would have as well. Thanks for sharing the review. Terry