Concert Review/Photos: Brian Wilson/Rodriguez @ Mann Center 6/29
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Up to 13 live performers recreated some of the all-time best rock ’n’ roll last Monday as Brian Wilson led a glorious parade of 33 songs from The Beach Boys and his own career. To hear the four-song powerhouse “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B,” “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations” was certainly one of my favorite live music moments of 2015. Sure Wilson is not at the height of his musical powers, but his charm and crack team of musicians — including one-time Beach Boy Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin — led the Mann Center crowd through hit after hit. And, after an encore of surfin’ classics like “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” to conclude with the gorgeous “Love and Mercy” was pure brilliance (and somewhat expected due to the current movie of Wilson’s life of the same name).
Rodriguez opened with only a guitar and the words of a rock poet, with songs like “Sugar Man” and “I Wonder” earning rapturous applause. With both men in their 70s, they — along with other septuagenarian performers I have been lucky enough to catch this summer including Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney — show age is very relative in when it comes to music. If you are still passionate for your work, as Wilson and Rodriguez so artfully displayed, you will triumph in the ears and minds of your listeners as they did and hopefully will continue to do.
SETLIST
- Our Prayer (The Beach Boys song)
- Heroes and Villains (The Beach Boys song)
- California Girls (The Beach Boys song)
- Shut Down (The Beach Boys song) (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
- Little Deuce Coupe (The Beach Boys song)
- I Get Around (The Beach Boys song)
- You're So Good to Me (The Beach Boys song)
- This Whole World (The Beach Boys song) (Brian with Darian Sahanaja on vocals)
- Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals cover) (Sung as 'Then I Kissed Her')
- Cotton Fields (Lead Belly cover) (Al Jardine on lead vocal)
- In My Room (The Beach Boys song)
- Surfer Girl (The Beach Boys song)
- Don't Worry Baby (The Beach Boys song) (Matt Jardine on lead vocals)
- One Kind of Love
- Sail Away (Brian, Al and Blondie Chaplin on vocals)
- Wild Honey
- (The Beach Boys song) (Blondie Chaplin on lead vocals)
- Sail On, Sailor (The Beach Boys song) (Blondie Chaplin on lead vocals)
- Darlin' (The Beach Boys song) (with Darian Sahanaja on lead vocals)
- Wake the World (The Beach Boys song) (Al Jardine on lead vocals)
- Busy Doin' Nothin' (The Beach Boys song)
- Surf's Up (The Beach Boys song)
- The Right Time (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
- Runaway Dancer
- Wouldn't It Be Nice (The Beach Boys song) (Matt Jardine on lead vocals)
- Sloop John B ([traditional] cover) (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
- God Only Knows (The Beach Boys song)
- Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys song)
ENCORE
- All Summer Long (The Beach Boys song)
- Help Me, Rhonda (The Beach Boys song) (Al Jardine on lead vocals)
- Barbara Ann (The Regents cover)
- Surfin' U.S.A. (The Beach Boys song)
- Fun, Fun, Fun (The Beach Boys song)
- Love and Mercy
For more photos by Chris Sikich, see sikichphotography.com.
