Jardine was joined by his son Matt, as well as Wendy and Carnie Wilson on his ‘Family & Friends Tour’ to perform classics by The Beach Boys and Wilson-Phillips.
It was a chilly weeknight in New York City, but it was all smiles and sunshine at Sony Hall on March 8. Al Jardine brought a little slice of California to the Empire State on the last night of his “Family & Friends Tour.” Jardine was joined by his son Matt, as well as Carnie and Wendy Wilson of Wilson-Phillips fame. The backing band included former mainstays of The Beach Boys’ touring band, Ed Carter and Bobby Figueroa, as well as Probyn Gregory who plays with Brian Wilson’s band, and Debbie Shair who is a former member of Heart.
When Jardine spoke to The New School Free Press earlier this year, he was still crafting a setlist for the trek which, to the crowd’s delight, consisted mostly of hits by The Beach Boys, a group that Jardine co-founded 60 years ago with Brian Wilson. Wilson-Phillips songs, back wall fan favorites like “Wake the World” and the title track from Jardine’s only full-length solo album, “A Postcard from California” were sprinkled throughout the show.
The audience wined and dined seated at tables that packed the underground venue, often abandoning their seats to dance to Beach Boys mainstays like “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.” In typical Beach Boy fashion, the group delivered their harmonies in pristine condition.
The band and the concertgoers were in good spirits. In between songs, Jardine shared banter with the crowd.
“This place reminds of The Cavern Club,” Jardine remarked, comparing Sony Hall to the famed underground venue in Liverpool where The Beatles cut their teeth.
Richie Cannata, who runs the Monday night open jam at The Bitter End and most famously played saxophone on several Billy Joel albums, joined the group for a rendition of The Del-Vikings’ “Come and Go with Me” and The Beach Boys’ 1965 classic, “Help Me Rhonda,” which celebrated its anniversary on the night of the performance.
At the performance’s conclusion, I had the opportunity to chat with Jardine before the group headed home.
“Hey Al, did you know it’s been 56 years since you guys released Help Me Rhonda?” I asked him.
“57,” the Beach Boy corrected me.
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