Friday March 16, 1973
University of California, Riverside, CA (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys first concerts in 1973 were benefits on behalf of the Love Foundation, a non-profit entity formed by Mike and his brother Steve. Mike told a reporter from the UC Santa Barbara Nexus that he launched the foundation because “I wanted to do something other than amass a large personal fortune. My objective was to use my individuality in any area where I could be of use in improving the quality of life.” The Love Foundation initiated a prison reform program and the group played a number of shows to aid it. One of Mike’s motivations to aid prisoners was his knowledge of the case of “Humble” Harv Miller, a famous KHJ DJ, who’d been convicted of killing his wife. Miller wanted to start a prison radio station and give prisoners training in broadcasting skills. In addition, the Foundation aimed to help prisoners cope with incarceration by teaching them meditation techniques. Carl told Lisa Robinson of Disc that after visiting a number of prisons, he solidly supported “trying to get meditation in prisons. It would really be helpful to them. Because all the prisons I’ve been to are really tense, and the feeling inside is just so frustrating. It draws all of your energy out to go to a prison.”
The Beach Boys’ backup band suffered a major loss during this time. After almost six years of service, keyboardist Daryl Dragon left and took Toni Shearer with him. The pair would soon achieve massive chart and television success as the Captain and Tennile. The parting between Dragon and the group was not altogether amicable. Daryl recalled, “They couldn’t believe I wanted to quit. I told them I was going to go work in nightclubs with Toni and they couldn’t believe it. They were making much better money by then but I had complete faith that Toni was good enough to be a recording star…The other reason I quit the Beach Boys was because during the last period of time that I was touring with them, they would have their roadie come out and do the mixing at concerts. I wanted to see if he knew what he was doing, because all you can hear on stage is the monitors. So I said ‘Toni, take my place at the piano, I want to take a break.’ I could just get up and go off stage. They didn’t care. So I walked out into the audience. I heard one voice, Carl. I heard no piano, very little bass, one very loud guitar and the other one I couldn’t hear. It was a total disaster. So I said ‘I’m not going to play my heart out just so I can hear it. I’m part of a band to deliver a message.’” Billy Hinsche replaced Shearer, while Carli Munoz (who’d played percussion for the Beach Boys in 1971) rejoined on keyboards. Munoz remained with the band until 1979. The current lineup also included Ed Carter on bass.
Steve Cooper of the San Bernardino Daily Sun complained that the gymnasium’s poor acoustics marred the show. He also criticized the group’s “perfection”, arguing that they played it too safe and seldom deviated from the sound of their records. “Whether the Beach Boys were too bored or felt too safe to improvise, they just didn’t break loose. It made them wooden and the audience, which came to dance, stiff.” Cooper argued that Blondie’s impassioned performances of ‘Leaving This Town’ and ‘Sail on Sailor’ were the highlights of the evening. “Only Chaplin and Carl Wilson seemed interested in the concert. The others half-heartedly made their appearance and let sidemen lead the group. Dennis Wilson probably should have stayed home. He stumbled around the stage throughout the concert, rarely singing and occasionally shouting an incoherent speech in the general direction of the audience. He was not an asset.”
Saturday March 17, 1973
Robertson Gym, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
The proceeds from this show were split between the Love Foundation and the Santa Barbara Society for Public Education and Reform. At the request of Mike, ex-road manager Jack Lloyd organized this show as well as one in Irvine the next day. It was his first encounter with the group in almost four years. He recalled that Dennis was offered a jug of wine as he was heading to the front of the stage to take a vocal solo. Lloyd grabbed the jug from Dennis, infuriating him. As soon as the song was over, Dennis rushed backstage to confront him. Lloyd recalled, “I could see that he was upset, so I handed the wine to someone, walked towards him and wrapped my arms around him, pinning his own arms at his sides, so he couldn’t do anything…’Now Dennis,’ I said, ‘Do you remember you once promised me you would never do anything like that on one of my shows?’ It stopped him long enough to think about it and he said, ‘Okay, Jack I won’t.’”
Sunday March 18, 1973
Crawford Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA (7:30 PM Show)
The third benefit for the Love Foundation took place at this campus in the suburbs of L.A. John Timpane of the New University gushed, “The Beach Boys gave the best concert. Without so much as a shove, they moseyed on stage, and gave a crowd, that was determined to be reserved, a big jolt. They forced them out of their seats, they compelled them to clap and shout and carry each other around and watch the searchlights and even the band on occasion and most of all they had us looking around and saying, ‘Aren’t we great?’” British writer Nick Kent noted in New Musical Express that Murry Wilson watched the second half of the show with the promoter, while Marilyn Wilson danced in the aisles. Brian was nowhere to be seen. This show was broadcast live on student radio station KUCI. In addition, Mike was interviewed on the station after the show.
Saturday March 24, 1973
California Men’s Colony, San Luis Obispo (afternoon) and Men’s Gym, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (8:00 PM Show)
The group played an afternoon show at the local prison, before performing a benefit appearance that night. 4,100 people turned up at the Cal Poly gym and greeted the band with “thunderous applause.” According to a reporter from the Poly Post, Mike got the crowd going early in the show when he taunted them by yelling ‘Santa Barbara was dancing’ in reference to the show a week earlier. “From then on, through the three songs until intermission and through the rest of the evening, the bleachers rocked as people poured down the crowded aisles to the gym floor or boogied right where they were. Old favorites from earlier records such as ‘Surfin USA’ and ‘I Get Around’ alternated with ‘Good Vibrations’ ‘Funky Pretty’, ‘Sail on Sailor’ and many more.”
Thursday March 29, 1973
UD Arena, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH (8:00 PM Show)
The group embarked on a major tour to promote their new LP Holland. Musicians accompanying them included Ed Carter (bass), Carli Munoz (piano), Billy Hinsche (keyboards), Joe Pollard (extra percussion) and Richard Didymiss Washington (congas). The first concert of the tour was somewhat of a downer. The Beach Boys were eager to present their new sounds but the Ohio audience greeted the recent material with impatience. According to Mike Clarke of the UD Flyer News, “Only ‘Funky Pretty’ succeeded in garnering a favorable reaction, due to Chaplin’s soulful vocal and brilliant solo, whipping his head and swaying his body like a hypnotized snake in time to the churning strains of his guitar. The show stopper was a not to be believed rendition of the Stone’s ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’ Mike Love, pompously strutting about the stage, eclipsed the performance with a perfect imitation of Mick Jagger’s concert choreography. It’s a shame that the evening was marred by the selfish attitudes of the audience.”
Friday March 30, 1973
Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago, IL (8:00 Show)
As on the previous night, the group was tumultuously applauded for oldies, while new material received a tepid response. A fan in attendance recalled: “The guys (quite understandably) wanted to play mainly their more recent-stuff from Holland, Carl and the Passions, and Surf's Up, but the audience was very resistant right from the outset and almost outright hostile toward the group while they played some of their newer stuff. And so they stopped playing for a couple of minutes while they had a meeting on stage, and then proceeded to rip through a veritable juke box of their old hits. And while they were doing this Carl looked angry, Al looked detached, Mike looked bored, and Dennis kind of wandered around the stage. But the younger musicians (including Blondie, Ricky, Billy, et al) played the songs with gusto, and really seemed to be enjoying themselves. They saved the show.”
Saturday March 31, 1973
Athletic and Convocation Center, Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN (8:00 PM Show)
The set list consisted of “Sloop John B,” “Darlin,” “Do It Again,” “Sail on Sailor,” “Heroes and Villains,” “Funky Pretty,” “Caroline No,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Surfin USA,” “Marcella,” “California,” “Leaving This Town,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Let the Wind Blow,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Wild Honey,” “Good Vibrations,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “Jumping Jack Flash.”
According to Pat Small of the Notre Dame Observer, “The triumphant return of the Beach Boys was everything and more as the Boys thrilled an enthusiastic audience at the ACC.” Though he was disappointed by the absence of any songs from the Surf’s Up album “due to the hoarseness of Carl’s voice,” Small was particularly impressed by performances of ‘Caroline No,’ “which was simply exquisite featuring Carl Wilson on vocal and some nice flute by Rickie Fataar.” He also singled out ‘California,’ with Ricky Fataar on pedal steel guitar and Al Jardine on banjo, ‘Help Me Rhonda,’ with Dennis “on raunchy vocal” and Billy Hinsche on piano, and “a soulful ‘Heroes and Villains,’ with Al Jardine laughing through the last verse” for special praise. Small later made it backstage and interviewed Jack Rieley, who informed him that “Brian Wilson is singing less now because he considers himself more of a producer and because he wants the group to sound more exact live.” Whether this was true or simply an attempt to cover up Brian’s increasing indifference is a matter of conjecture.
Sunday April 1, 1973
Assembly Hall, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL (8:00 PM Show)
The crowd at the Assembly Hall didn’t respond well to the group’s new material during the show’s first half, but became very enthusiastic when, according to Bob Hykan of the Daily Illini, the Beach Boys played “one of the many old hits which the crowd had been begging for… ‘Help Me Rhonda.’ They followed that with one more mellow number ‘Let the Wind Blow’ and some more terrific 1960’s songs-‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun.’ Both the crowd and the group then reached new heights of frenzy as the Boys played the Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ with a bare-chested Mike Love prancing around ala Mick Jagger.”
Mike told a reporter that he enjoyed the show, though he felt the first half lacked energy. He commented that the addition of Ricky and Blondie added, “Quite a unique chemistry to the group. We play kind of a little harder rock than we did before when we played a good kind of rock and roll. Now it can get a little more outrageous which is good. We expanded to do stuff like ‘Jumping Jack Flash.’”
Tuesday April 3, 1973
Stokes Physical Education Building, Saint Francis College, Loretto, PA (8:30 PM Show)
The Loretto student newspaper called the event 'the best concert ever held at Saint Francis College...The show was a characteristic combination of old material and new. The new material was more impressively forceful than before. This was due to the new members, Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, who seem as if they have finally 'fitted in' with the original group. This was especially evidenced in Blondie's vocal work on three tunes. In Sail on Sailor and Leaving This Town his funky voice blended in perfectly with the trademark harmonies of the Beach Boys. On Wild Honey Chaplin combined with the rest of the group performing the most 'soulful' piece the Beach Boys have ever done. The wailing vocal combined with the pounding congos and searing guitars made the song one of the highlights of the evening. The audience was given a pleasant surprise when Mike Love announced 'a moldie-oldie', which turned out to be that fine ballad 'Don't Worry Baby.' The group hadn't done this song in a while and Al Jardine is to be complimented on his lead vocal, despite his inability to reach the high notes."
Wednesday April 4, 1973
Alumni Hall, St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY-with the Charles Lloyd Band (7:00 PM Show) and The Dome, C.W. Post College, Brookville, NY-with the Charles Lloyd Band (11:00 PM Show)
The St. John’s Alumni Hall “was too hot and stuffy” according to Al, but the group still put on an energetic show. Gerard Lewandowski of St. John’s Torch reported, “The Beach Boys are excellent entertainers and know a lot about crowd psychology. While the Beach Boys still play their old songs, they usually add something new. ‘Do It Again’ has the kind of beginning that lends itself to improvising on the guitar, and Carl Wilson is no slob when it comes to playing. Listen to what he did on ‘Surf’s Up.’” Lewandowski singled out Blondie Chaplin for special praise declaring, “His absence would certainly be missed, especially on such songs as ‘Sail on Sailor’ and ‘Leaving This Town.’…He can play anything lying around on the stage, as do most of the Beach Boys. ‘Wild Honey’ is ‘his’ song in concerts.”
The St. John’s show ran late and the C.W. Post concert didn’t begin until 1 AM. Despite being tired, the group performed for over two hours, before a sellout crowd of 3,000. It was almost 3 AM when the show ended, but the band returned to the stage for encores of “California Girls” and “Barbara Ann.” Frank Aimetti of the CW Post Pioneer commented “The Beach Boys showed remarkable vocal ability throughout, especially on the intricate harmonies of ‘Heroes and Villains.’ Carl Wilson did a beautiful job soloing on ‘Caroline No,’ a pretty ballad from the Pet Sounds album, which he played on acoustic guitar…I really can’t say enough about the show…the vocals were perfect, song selection excellent, and their rapport with the audience was, as usual, great…I was also happy that the Beach Boys now fully integrate their show with both old and new materials. They seem satisfied that they are being accepted for what they do now as well as their oldie hits.” The photo was taken at CW Post.
Thursday April 5, 1973
State Farm Arena, Harrisburg, PA-with Argent (8:00 PM Show)
The Doobie Brothers were originally advertised as appearing, but were replaced by Argent.
Friday April 6, 1973
Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA-with Spooky Tooth and Argent (8:00 PM Show)
Over 20,000 fans attended this show. John Fisher, of the Bucks County Courier Times, expressed surprise that the crowd, the vast majority of whom were teenagers, stayed for the Beach Boys set. He noted, “Many of the kids in the audience were too young to appreciate the Beach Boys when they were in their prime but the same youth rock and rolled furiously when the group began to play. Such flashes from the past as ‘Get Around’, ‘Rhonda’, and ‘California Girls,’ sent the kids as well as the older generation, in this case in their early 20s, reeling down memory lane.”
Saturday April 7, 1973
Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, VA-with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (8:00 PM Show)
This concert featured a young Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, then promoting their first album Greetings From Asbury Park. Springsteen opened for the Beach Boys twice on this tour, giving him access to a larger audience. Chip Rachlin recalled that, “back then it was not so complicated to put an opening act on. If you got a call from Walter Yetnikoff asking for a little help on Billy Joel or Bruce, you knew that would come back to you at some point. And the Beach Boys, particularly Carl, were very good about that sort of stuff. Mike didn’t pay that much attention to it. I would try to make sure that there was some good advertising and promotion that went along with the act and that they were hot.”
Steve Abramson of the Flat Hat noted that in comparison to a performance he’d witnessed in 1972 at Hampton Coliseum, the group focused more on oldies, though they were just as impressive as before. He commented, “Carl has matured the most since the ‘Surfin Safari’ days… Vocally he seems to have followed in Brian’s footsteps, phasing beautifully with a clear, bright falsetto that would make your ears smile if they could…Jardine, like Carl, has a likable voice which is highlighted on a vivid, satisfying rendition of ‘Heroes and Villains. Chaplin was in especially good voice and his hard edged R&B trained style was put to good use on the soul oriented ‘Wild Honey.’”
Sunday April 8, 1973
French Fieldhouse, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH-with the Muledeer and Moondogg Medicine Show and the Doobie Brothers (8:00 PM Show)
Over 7,000 people attended this show. Cynthia Robins of the Columbus Dispatch noted that the audience had trouble sitting through the slower numbers and “Mike Love literally had to cajole people to allow Carl Wilson to solo on ‘Caroline No,’ a quiet, bittersweet memoir, more David Gates than Brian Wilson.” Nevertheless, despite sound problems, caused by the late arrival of the equipment truck, the group won over the crowd. Robins complimented, “the dynamism of an already excellent group too interested in growth to rust on their golden discs for long.” J.N. Agnew of the Ohio State Lantern concurred, “that there’s not much to find fault with from a group that’s been on the road for over 11 years…Bad notes here and there, missed cues, equipment failure, flaws in their performance, yes. But rather like the flaws in a fine piece of leather-only adding to the quality. Personally, more material from the Holland album would have suited me. But it’s a toss-up. ‘Help Me Rhonda,’ ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice,’ and all the other oldies sure sounded good again.”
Tuesday April 10, 1973
Carmichael Auditorium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
The Beach Boys appearance in North Carolina was marred by a poor sound system. In a letter to the editor of The Daily Tar Heel, fan Greg Loudy noted that sound problems ruined the two opening songs (Help Me Rhonda and Funky Pretty). He noted that, "The vocals were frequently imbalanced-some louder and clearer than others. Dennis Wilson had to signal several times to the sound crew to turn up or down the volume of his microphone. During one song he was forced to share microphones with Mike Love. Irritating squeals of feedback pierced through the music in many songs. No doubt the eleven musicians on stage realized that the performance was dragging, for by the end of the second set they had stirred a disappointed audience to intense, throbbing hysteria. Blondie Chaplin's outstanding lead guitar and vocals on Wild Honey, Sail On Sailor and Leaving This Town were among the highlights of the night. Carl Wilson proved that he is still 100% Beach Boys with his tender singing on Caroline No and Darling not to mention his surf-sound guitar on Surfing USA, Johnny B. Goode and I Get Around. Mike Love's stage antics were a constant source of entertainment, especially his Mick Jagger impersonation during Jumping Jack Flash."
Wednesday April 11, 1973
Omni, Atlanta, GA-with Mother’s Finest and Bruce Springsteen (8:00 PM Show)
This was a benefit concert to raise money for muscular dystrophy.
Thursday April 12, 1973
Florida Gym, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (8:00 PM Show)
E. A. Gorman of the Independent Florida Alligator reported that when an equipment failure temporarily disabled the amplifiers “the crowd continued their life beating claps and lyrics to ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ the second encore song. This continued non-stop for fifteen minutes” even after the power was restored. Al Jardine called the student participation “Incredible.” The photo is from 1973 but may not be from this show.
Friday April 13, 1973
Memorial Coliseum, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL-with Focus (8:00 PM Show)
This concert was delayed by almost three hours, for reasons unknown, and plagued by sound difficulties, thus creating some ‘bad vibes” that the group struggled to overcome. Crimson White reporter Courtney Haden noted, “If you happen to see the Beach Boys’ sound engineer, you might ask him where [the great show] went, but you’d better ask him loudly, cuz that dude is deaf as a post. Only a total maladroit could have butchered a sound mix as consistently and as awfully as their sound man succeeded in doing. Raw, ugly, screeching filled the Coliseum, thanks to the blissful incompetence of the Beach Boys’ audio stooge, and the resulting bad vibrations and excitations were hardly alleviated by the delightful contempt of certain of the Boys. It was a real treat having you, too, Dennis.” Haden noted that the “amiable cabbage-headed” Beach Boys gave a fair performance, though they didn’t fully recreate the joy of their early music. “But who the hell can judge their performance with any clarity? What little rock there was, was ground to fine pumice through the dedicated stupidity of that anonymous sound mixer.” Ed Roach recalls that he videotaped part of this and the next night’s shows, though most of the footage was lost when Carl Wilson’s house was burglarized.
Saturday April 14, 1973
Pirates World Arena, Dania, FL (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys were scheduled to play two shows at Pirate’s World, a once popular amusement park that declined in popularity due to the opening of Disney World. However, their equipment truck was delayed in Alabama and as a result they did not take the stage till 10:35 PM. Jim Esposito of The Miami Herald noted, “All things taken into consideration, it was a fairly good concert, stretching until just around midnight when the group finally had to say goodbye. You couldn’t really expect the Beach Boys harmonies to come across too well with Pirate’s World acoustics but most of the audience seemed to be more than satisfied with a reasonable facsimile.” The photo by Ed Roach may not be from this show but is probably from this tour.
Wednesday April 18, 1973
Las Vegas High School Auditorium, Las Vegas, NV
I was not aware of this show when I wrote my book.
Thursday April 19, 1973
Winterland, San Francisco, CA-with Jesse Colin Young and Barbara Mauritz (8:00 PM Show)
Proving that two years of hard work was showing results, the group’s second appearance at this venue was attended by a near capacity crowd. Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “During the 100-minute performance they concentrated on material recorded since Pet Sounds, though they opened with ‘Help Me Rhonda’ and threw in ‘Surfin’ USA,’ politely dropping the ‘round Frisco bay’ line. They also dusted off ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ for the encore.”
Friday April 20, 1973
Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA-with Mason Profitt and Jesse Colin Young (8:00 PM Show)
This sold-out concert was originally scheduled for March 16 but postponed until this date. The hometown appearance brought out the entire Wilson clan. Fan Rob Shepherd recalled, “Audree Wilson arrived early, sat in the balcony and chatted with several fans, including me. Murry Wilson arrived just before the concert, as did Brian, with one of the Rovell sisters (I believe Diane). Several rock stars came to pay tribute to Brian, including Dewey Bunnell of America and Danny Hutton (of Three Dog Night). Just by luck, I watched the concert surrounded by all the Wilsons, including several of the grandchildren. At one point Murry complained to Brian (in the wrong ear!) that the Beach Boys weren't playing the songs in the right order. Still Murry was surprisingly jovial and seemed to enjoy the concert.” Chip Rachlin recalled, “Murry Wilson was there and it was the only time I ever saw him. I met Brian for the first time at the Palladium show. Brian was dressed, despite the 80 or 90 degree heat, in a cashmere, navy blue overcoat.”
Although Brian didn't perform, his friend Danny Hutton cajoled him onstage for the encore. But, according to Carl, “They were just messing around. I think what he was really doing was checking the audience out. He wanted to come out and see what all the fuss was about.” The brief cameo was Brian’s last appearance onstage until July 1976. Bruce Johnston was also on hand and came out for the encore (pictured). The show was recorded for possible use on the Beach Boys In Concert album and the tapes still exist in the Beach Boys vault. In addition, a photographer was on hand and took numerous pictures, some of which were eventually used for the LP’s cover and inner gatefold.
Steve Rosen of Sounds declared, “The impact that the band had on the audience Friday night was as great as this concert-goer has ever seen. The screaming and shouting between numbers, the nonstop foot tapping and dancing, near hysterical greetings for each song, all combined to place this performance (easily) in the top five of the year.” Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times raved that it was “a thrilling, roof rattling concert…Their formula is unbeatable-heavy beat, silly lyrics and good harmony…Among the hits they played were ‘I Get Around,’ ‘Fun, Fun, Fun,’ ‘Surfin’ USA,’ ‘Help Me Rhonda’ and ‘California Girls.’”
Saturday April 21, 1973
Music Hall, Houston, TX–with the Doobie Brothers (8:00 PM Show)
A day after their hometown show the group traveled to Texas for two concerts with the Doobie Brothers. John Wilson of the Chronicle noted, “These Beach Boys were no longer the clean-cut kids who surfed all-day and never had pimples. These Beach Boys have lived a little and seen that there were hard times, and in fact had some. Their music, which sounds slightly over-produced on record, comes off beautifully in person. This was despite the trouble they had with the sound system in the early part of the show.”
Sunday April 22, 1973
Bronco Bowl, Dallas, TX-with the Doobie Brothers
The photo is from this tour but probably not this show.
Wednesday April 25, 1973
Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, AZ (7:30 PM Show)
The Beach Boys attracted a capacity crowd for their first Phoenix appearance in a year and a half. Judi Bruemmer of the Scottsdale Daily Progress noted that most of the crowd was eager to hear the oldies and “consequently, the last 30 minutes were the most effective. The audience and the Beach Boys finally let loose. ‘Good Vibrations’ brought the crowd to their feet, clapping, dancing and singing along. The audience boogied through ‘California Girls,’ ‘I Get Around’ and a rendition of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’ Everyone seemed to enjoy the journey back into the golden era of surfing music, even if only for a few hours.”
Thursday April 26, 1973
Fieldhouse, Regis College, Denver, CO-with Steeleye Span (8:00 PM Show)
This concert was another sell-out. David Youngstrom of the Denver Post declared that the old songs such as “I Get Around” were “as much fun now as they were eight years ago. The group has also produced some of the richest, most fulfilling music in rock. ‘Sail on Sailor’, ‘Heroes and Villains’ and of course ‘Good Vibrations’ were all in the show, proving that the Beach Boys know, perhaps better than anyone else in rock, how to make good music.” The photo shows Dennis with the touring band.
Friday April 27, 1973
Kiel Opera House, St Louis, MO
Saturday April 28, 1973:
Allen Field House, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (8:30 PM Show)
Tim Bradley of the University Daily Kansan dubbed the show a success due to “the unbridled brilliance of the band in its many good moments…Newcomer Blondie Chaplin more than proved his worth with his fine vocal and tasty guitar work and Carl Wilson’s rendering of ‘Caroline No’ was genuinely touching and unashamedly vulnerable. Mike Love’s stage antics far belied his Gandhi-garbed appearance on numbers like ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ and ‘California Girls’ and a tumultuous (but sincere) ovation followed the second set. The audience left assured that the Beach Boys are well into their second heyday.”
Sunday April 29, 1973
: City Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE (7:00 PM Show)
This concert attracted a small but eager crowd of 2,610. However, a long delay due to technical problems led to tension. Shouts of ‘Just Sing” sprung up around the hall while the Beach Boys took time tuning up their instruments and the heckling continued throughout the show. According to James Bresette of the Omaha World Herald, “Dennis Wilson and Love responded in kind and adopted sloppy, couldn’t care less stage demeanor that didn’t help matters. But as the hits, garbled though they were, kept coming, much of the crowd was won over, until the whole house stood and clapped for ‘Good Vibrations,’ which closed the regular program. The audience called the group back after that for another round of hits, including ‘California Girls’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun.’”
Bresette suggested that the band was past their prime and were at fault for the tension at the gig by refusing to play their hits right away but some irate fans wrote impassioned letters to the Omaha World Herald expressing sharp disagreement with him. They noted, "For James Bresette's information, the Beach Boys creativity didn't stop with Good Vibrations. Three fine albums, heavily laden with critical praise, have appeared in the last two years. As for the infantile audience, if they aren't literate enough to keep up with contemporary rock music, including the Beach Boys, they had no business attending the concert, much less display their immaturity in such a boorish manner. The Beach Boys had every right to display their anger, yet they still responded by playing what the audience was screaming for, despite the lack of appreciation."
Sunday May 6, 1973
Farleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ (7:30 PM Show)
The group flew to New York from LA to play two weeks of east coast dates. Robert Kenyatta Crippen replaced Richard Didymus Washington as extra percussionist. The Beach Boys played in a large tent set up on the Teaneck campus grounds to a sold-out crowd. Rick Atkinson of the Hackensack Record's well-thought-out review illustrated that the group was 'damned if they do and damned if they don't' as his main complaint was that they did not play enough of their new music, which was often the opposite view of the college audiences the Beach Boys encountered in this period. He commented, "For the most part, the Beach Boys did a fairly enjoyable show. It was based almost entirely around their hit records from the old surfer numbers right up until the era that included hits like Sloop John B and Heroes and Villains. They did only a scattering of numbers from more recent albums, which was somewhat of a disappointment to their faithful fans. The problem with the Beach Boys is that they have become much too complacent. They know that they are going to get a tremendous reaction when they do the old numbers, so they don't have to conform to any kind of musical standards to get their applause. This has caused at least a minor deterioration in their performances."
Monday May 7, 1973
Colden Auditorium, Queens College, Queens, NY (Two shows at 7:00 and 10:00 PM)
These two concerts were both sellouts. At each concert the Beach Boys performed for an hour and forty-five minutes with a fifteen-minute intermission. Beth Glaubman of The Phoenix noted, “The music was too loud. Carl Wilson was off tune in ‘Surf’s Up’ and Blondie Chaplin seemed to screech through ‘Wild Honey’ but it didn’t matter. The Beach Boys were on the Colden stage last night and enchanted an audience just because they are who they are and represent what they represent… With the third song ‘Do It Again’ the audience en masse jumped to its feet and remained that way intermittently throughout the concert, bopping, dancing, gyrating, stomping to everything from ‘Surfin’ USA’ to ‘Good Vibrations.’” David Rosenbloom of Newsbeat commented that “Funky Pretty” and many of the other songs the group performed, “sounded much fuller than on their respective albums…‘Sail on Sailor’ and ‘Sloop John B’ kept the concert at its already blazing pace. The group kept the crowd active by playing ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and then ‘Wild Honey’ which contained great guitar by Blondie Chaplin. Dennis Wilson, then told the crowd that they better sing along with this one because ‘this is what it is all about.’ That was his plea to the audience to have ‘Good Vibrations’ which closed the second set…the concert ended with an energetic version of ‘Jumping Jack Flash.’”
Wednesday May 9, 1973
Gym, Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY (8:30 PM Show)
The Beach Boys flew to Rochester on May 8 and spent the night in Batavia. About 1,000 students turned out for the show at the local Community College. The group arrived forty-five minutes late, but the Sur Esprit declared the show “phenomenal…During the first set, both audience and the Beach Boys were a bit laid back, but the second set hit like an explosion. Within minutes, the crowd was on its feet to dance, to sing, to laugh, to clap…I’ve never been a Beach Boys fanatic myself, but after seeing them-I’m almost converted. They did some cuts off Holland (their latest album), which went over well, as did assorted oldies and middle-agers. But the very highest point of the evening was their encore ‘Jumping Jack Flash’-pure dynamite.”
Friday May 11, 1973
Farrell Hall Gym, State University Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi, Delhi, NY (8:00 PM)
The group spent the night of May 10 in Binghamton and drove to Delhi on May 11 for this show then returned to Binghamton for a second night.
Saturday May 12, 1973
Gym, SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, NY (Two shows at 8:00 and 10:30 PM)
The Beach Boys were scheduled to play one free afternoon concert outdoors. However, bad weather conspired to force the promoters to move indoors to the gym and postpone the show until 8:00 PM. As the gym only held 3,300 people, promoters announced that only students from the campus could have tickets. This created a very tense situation, since people from as far away as Pittsburgh were coming and would have to be turned away. Luckily, their road manager informed the school that they were willing to play two shows that night. The group graciously performed both gigs for the original agreed on price of $12,500.
Sunday May 13, 1973
Wadsworth Field House, Colby College, Waterville, ME (Two shows at 7:00 and 9:30 PM)
The group flew to Boston and then drove to Waterville, where they gave an exciting performance for a small college audience. L. Phil Gagne III of the Lewiston Evening Journal declared, “The response to the second set was a constant standing ovation. Of course, the urge to dance and jump into the music was augmented when the Beach Boys performed their out now hit ‘Sail on Sailor.’ 'Sloop John B’ was another rousing number, followed by ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice.’…The Beach Boys finished ‘Good Vibrations’ and went off stage only to return for more. Surprise, surprise, the group did requests and ‘California Girls’ another one of their great songs of the late fifties and early sixties. A couple of other numbers and the group’s performance was complete-a truly tremendous performance indeed."
Monday May 14, 1973
Massachusetts State College, Framingham, MA
The photo was taken at Binghamton on May 12
Thursday May 17, 1973
Fort Meade, Laurel, MD
The group spent a few days in Boston before flying to Baltimore on May 16. They drove to Laurel, where they spent the night. The concert took place on the U.S. Army base. The photo is probably from a Boston show two days later.
Friday May 18, 1973
Dillon Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (Two shows at 8:00 and 11:00 PM)
The group planned to play only one show, but a second was added due to high demand.
Saturday May 19, 1973
Roberts Center, Boston College, Boston, MA (Two shows at 7:00 and 10:30 PM)
This was the group's third appearance at Boston College. Ty Davis of the Providence Evening Bulletin enjoyed the show but noted that there were "too many lead singers with nothing to do when another is singing. Dennis Wilson usually retires to the background and sits quietly when he is not needed but (Mike) Love usually tries to upstage the singer with elaborate gestures and grimaces. Except when the Boys do a selection of greasy oldies, Love sings very little these days and so knocks about the stage a lot. In spite of the fact that their shows are proficient and fun and roll right along, it just seems a bit sloppy to have various members sitting on their thumbs until their turn to sing comes along."
Sunday May 20, 1973
Convocation Center, Ohio University, Athens, OH-with Argent (8:00 PM Show)
This was the last show of a string of March-May dates and it attracted over 7000 fans. Robert P Tkacz and Tom Barker of the Ohio University Post noted, “Music from the Beach Boys Holland album pleased the crowd but it was the music from the 60s that released them from the present and propelled them back to the summer sun of the 60s…Starting with ‘Surfin’ USA,’ dedicated by Dennis to those who had attempted ‘the art of surfing, all my brothers,’ each oldie doubled and redoubled the force of that wave they began riding in 1962.”
Interviewed afterwards, Dennis remarked that he wasn’t surprised by the strong response the 60s music received because “Today there’s nothing to relate to” but he admitted that for him and Carl the excitement of performing the oldies was gone, “It’s just music.”
Sunday August 12, 1973
Nippert Stadium, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH-with Jonathan Edwards (7:30 PM Show)
The June 4, 1973 death of Murray Wilson was quite traumatic for the Wilsons and the band took a long hiatus. Neither Brian, nor Dennis, could handle attending their father’s funeral. Brian nervously told reporters from Record World that his father’s death made him “feel a lot more ambitious…I’m gonna try a little harder now…It’s making a man outta me. Makes me want to produce a little more.” In truth, the passing of Murry had the exact opposite effect on Brian. He lost all interest in recording and retreated to his room where he slid downward into depression and addiction. The Beach Boys were resigned to soldiering on without him.
It was decided that a live concert LP displaying the band’s much-improved chops would be a natural to promote while touring. At first Carl and the others compiled a single album, using recordings from their November 1972 concerts at Carnegie Hall and Passaic, New Jersey for a proposed release in early 1973. But Warner/Reprise was once again less than thrilled with the submitted album, probably due to Carl’s choice of including only a few oldies in the set. Brian agreed with the label. In June 1973 he told Robert Nash and Mike Sigman of Record World that when the band played him the live tapes from the November ‘72 shows he told them not to release it because “I just didn’t think it was that good.” The group went back to the drawing board and decided to record a selection of summer ‘73 shows for what would become the Beach Boys In Concert LP. This time instead of proposing a single album, Carl compiled a double LP, thus satisfying the record label’s desire for oldies while still allowing space for more recent material.
When they returned to the road, Ed Carter (bass), Billy Hinsche (guitar/keyboards), Robert Kenyatta (percussion, saxophone and flute), Carli Munoz (piano) and Dennis Dragon (extra percussion) accompanied them. In addition, the Wilsons invited their mother Audree on tour, who was introduced from the stage at a number of shows. Also traveling with them was Rick Nelson, who had replaced Jon Parks as tour manager. Nelson had served as west coast regional coordinator for the Student’s International Meditation Society. He was introduced to Mike and Al in 1972 and as Nelson recalled, “We became friends. Mike later asked me if I would like to come to work for the Beach Boys.” Nelson started out as a touring sound engineer in the summer of 1972, assisting Steve Moffitt at the gigs. He recalled, “Steve Love recognized that I was educated and responsible, and was instrumental in having me become the tour manager and tour accountant. I instituted several revolutionary, at the time, procedures for auditing the Box Office at each performance, insuring that the band was properly compensated.”
The group also brought engineer Steve Moffitt with them to record a number of shows for the eventual Beach Boys In Concert album, including this Cincinnati concert. Linda Ronstadt was advertised but she canceled her summer tour and Jonathan Edwards opened instead. Rick Flynn of the Journal News commented, “The PA system wasn’t completely adjusted and feedback glared out at times…However, the Beach Boys still reigned as the kings of surf music-a style that no other group has been able to duplicate since its origin…Mike Love’s vocals on ‘Surfin’ USA’ and…‘Sunny California’ were great, while Carl Wilson continued to reach his usual spectrum of high notes in as clear of voice as humanly possible…Dennis, who began as ‘Denny on the drums’ back in 1962, was up front as vocalist and MC on this tour, after an accident involving a plate glass window severed some nerves in his hand and made drum playing a painful chore.” The photo is probably from April 1973
Tuesday August 14th to Thursday August 16th, 1973
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
The Beach Boys recorded the opening show and an AFM contract was filled out for the performances of “Sloop John B”, “The Trader”, “Sail on Sailor”, and “Help Me Rhonda.” Ultimately nothing from this night appeared on the Beach Boys In Concert album. Jack Hafferkamp of the Chicago Daily News suggested that the opening concert was “a miserable performance.” He argued that “the older Boys-Mike Love, Carl and Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine-sort of schlep around, trying to harmonize, occasionally making use of their instruments but mostly engaging in self-indulgent between-number patter. Mike Love is so mellow, he’s barely in the room. Yet surprisingly enough, the audience was willing to put up with all that and even to tolerate the Beach Boys latest music, which is terribly mediocre. What they wanted was the old stuff, the acknowledged Beach Boys classics like Surfin USA, California Girls and Good Vibrations.”
Friday August 17, 1973
Tiger Stadium, Massillon, OH (Canceled)
This concert was canceled for reasons unknown.
Saturday August 18, 1973
Mosque, Richmond, VA-with Jonathan Edwards (8:00 PM Show)
Dave Noechel of the Richmond Times Dispatch felt that, “The concert suffered from lack of momentum. There was so much tuning up and changing of instruments that the group never really got any pacing. The sets, however, mixed with old and new material, which made for a nice variety and showed just how far the Beach Boys have come. Their songs are much more solid now. The addition of Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar has helped the group. Chaplin easily has the best solo voice of the group. His best numbers and the group’s best were ‘Sail on Sailor’ and ‘Leaving This Town’, both off their latest album that’s easily the best they’ve done. Al Jardine has sort of slipped into the background but he still sounds good on the old numbers. His best lead parts were on ‘You Still Believe in Me’ and ‘Heroes and Villains.’ The older numbers came off fairly well, except for the ones on which Brian Wilson had sung lead.” The versions of “Heroes and Villains” and “Caroline No” performed at this show were included on the Beach Boys In Concert LP.
Sunday August 19, 1973
Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY-with Jonathan Edwards (8:00 PM Show)
The set list consisted of “Sail on Sailor”, “Long Promised Road”, “Sloop John B”, “The Trader”, “Leaving This Town”, “California Girls”, “Marcella”, “Funky Pretty”, “You Still Believe In Me”, “Caroline No”, “We Got Love”, “California Saga”, “River Song” (This Dennis song which appeared on his 1977 solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, was performed at a number of shows on the tour), “Wild Honey”, “Surfer Girl”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Surfin’ USA”, “Good Vibrations”, “I Get Around”, “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Jumping Jack Flash.” This night’s performances of “Sloop John B”, “Leaving This Town”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “We Got Love” and “California Girls” were included on the Beach Boys in Concert LP.
Monday August 20, 1973
Schaefer Stadium, Foxboro, MA-with Loggins & Messina and Jonathan Edwards (8:00 PM Show)
Over 35,000 people attended this concert at an open-air venue near Boston. Although several songs from this concert were recorded for possible inclusion on the Beach Boys in Concert LP, none of them were included on the released album. It may have been due to the muted audience reaction. The group underwhelmed the crowd, which had already sat through performances by Jonathan Edwards and Loggins and Messina. Stephen Williams, of the Boston Globe, commented, “The group sounded raw and at times competitive, and the programmed selections they are playing during this tour are obviously the songs they want to play, and not always what their audience wants to hear. There was only an occasional concession to the oldies ‘Surfer Girl’, ‘Sloop John B,’ ‘California Girls.’ The group did a number of their softly pretty ballads but it was evident that a crowd like Mondays wanted loudness before intimacy.”
Thursday August 23, 1973
Danbury Prison, Danbury, CT
As far can be determined, this was the last prison concert the Beach Boys played in the 1970s. The photo may be from the Boston show
Friday August 24, 1973
Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT-with Jonathan Edwards and Poco
Approximately 14,000 people attended this show, which was recorded. As usual on this tour, Jack Rieley came out first and introduced the group and announced that they would play their oldies at the end. The group came on stage at 9:30 PM and played until after midnight. Recorded evidence suggests that both band and audience were in a celebratory mood. In what was a usual routine on this tour, Dennis introduced Audree Wilson, who was seated at the side of the stage, with this tribute: “She’s the person responsible for the Beach Boys. She’s my mother.” Carl then implored the audience to give a 'big hand' for 'my mom. She's a really great mom.' Dennis added 'If it wasn't for sex, we wouldn't be here!' Henry McNulty of the Hartford Courant singled out two new songs performed this night for special praise, “’River Song,’ by Dennis Wilson, and ‘We Got Love,’ by Ricky Fataar, are both full, rich numbers making full use of the group’s multi-part harmonies.” The photo was taken at Boston College on May 19.
Saturday August 25, 1973
Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ-with Poco and Stanky Brown (7:30 PM)
Sunday August 26, 1973
Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA-with Jonathan Edwards
The band played before a small crowd of 3,700. According to Teresa Taylor of the Times Herald, fans greeted more recent material with “polite patience…rushing forward to the stage only when a golden oldie was mixed in. But the rock n’ roll they came to hear was played during the encore and the dancing mob brought them back for a second time. They were still the Beach Boys of ten years ago, as if music hadn’t undergone any changes in the past decade.” Joseph Philipps of the Virginian Pilot noted that the Beach Boys performed Dennis’s new “River Song,” which would ultimately appear on his 1977 solo album, and the Pet Sounds classic “You Still Believe in Me,” (mistakenly called Still Believe in You in the review) with Al taking Brian’s original lead.
Monday August 27, 1973
SPAC, Saratoga, NY (8:00 PM Show)
The group performed to over 13,000 people who mostly were there to hear the oldies. According to Bill Dantini of The Amsterdam Recorder, “It wasn’t until they performed ‘Sloop John B’-an oldie- that the crowd became genuinely excited. In a sense, this was the story of the evening. The new songs were received half-heartedly throughout the concert, while the ‘oldies’ frequently brought the crowd to its feet. Songs like ‘California Girls’, ‘Surfer Girl’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and ‘Surfin’ USA’ all ended in standing ovations.”
Thursday August 30, 1973
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD (7:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys show at the Merriweather Post Pavilion included a rare performance of a new Dennis’s tune, “The River Song” that would ultimately appear on his 1977 solo album Pacific Ocean Blue. The Evening Sun noted that the new songs ‘drew enthusiastic applause but the oldies drew pandemonium.’ Mike told David Lightman that “I enjoy doing the old ones. But if we were only to do old things, we’d get tired. We try to keep a balanced repertoire.” The show was marred by the aggressive behavior of venue officials, who were eager to prevent a riot from breaking out. Mike was forced to halt the show during Barbara Ann to lecture them. He commented from the stage “We didn’t come here to watch a bunch of ushers flex their muscles!”, which got a roar from the crowd. The Beach Boys then carried on, ending the night with Jumping Jack Flash.
Friday August 31, 1973
Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (8:00 PM Show)
The performances of “You Still Believe in Me”, “Funky Pretty” and “Surfin’ USA” from this show were included on the Beach Boys in Concert album. According to Pete Bishop of The Pittsburgh Press, the recording marred the show since it contributed to long delays between songs. Despite the technical problems, however, the second half got the crowd on their feet and by the time they played “Surfer Girl” there were “big cheers that didn’t stop through ‘We Got Love’…fast, boogying ‘Darlin’ (it should have been recorded this way) and ‘Help Me Rhonda’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and a ‘Surfin’ USA’ like you wouldn’t have believed. The Beach Boys trotted off to a howling standing ovation and returned for an encore of ‘I Get Around’ played harder and ‘Good Vibrations’ their most sophisticated hit… ‘Barbara Ann’ and ‘Fun Fun Fun’ played as never before…and as a nightcap-if you can believe it-the Beach Boys doing that nasty classic, ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ while the whole place was jumping right along with them.”
Saturday September 1, 1973
Century Theatre, Buffalo, NY (Two shows at 7:00 and 10:00 PM)
The group included a performance of “Darlin” from one of these shows on the Beach Boys in Concert LP. According to Joe Wilhelm of the Courier Express, the Beach Boys attracted a receptive audience that cheered the oldies but also “responded almost as equally to a hard driving rock delivery of ‘We Got Love’, which they perform for the first time on this tour; to several funky offerings; and to some movingly romantic folk blues interpretations…If you went there expecting a night of repetitious surfing harmony…you would have been disappointed. Instead, you would have found a talented outfit, up to date, but never out of tune.”
Sunday September 2, 1973
Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Canada-with Myles and Lenny (8:00 PM Show)
This concert got off to a less than promising start when scheduled opener Michael Tarry stormed out of the building after an argument. Violinist Lenny Solomon, who also fronted a band with Myles Cohen, offered his services and called his partner, who raced to the theater to save the day. Of course, the audience was really there to see the Beach Boys. According to Bruce Kirkland of the Toronto Star, the group gave an “electrifying concert” that “climaxed…with two encores, the second one a rendering of their old ‘Fun Fun Fun,’ which exploded into a frenzied version of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumping Jack Flash.’”
Monday September 3, 1973
Pine Knob Music Theater, Clarkston, MI (7:30 PM Show)
Recordings of “Sail on Sailor”, “Trader” and “Surfer Girl” taped at this show were included on the Beach Boys in Concert LP.
Sunday October 28, 1973
Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
This show was filmed by Dennis’s good friend Ed Roach for use in the promotion of the Beach Boys in Concert LP. Some of the footage can be seen in the Endless Harmony documentary from 1998. A reviewer from UCSB Daily Nexus compared to the BBs performance to a recent appearance by Sly Stone and noted, “For about the same admission price as Sly, the Beach Boys played three hours of music uninterrupted, with only one intermission and no horrible filler band. While I personally prefer Sly’s music to that of the Beach Boys, Sly is not even in the same league when it comes to audience sensitivity. The Beach Boys sang, danced and generally seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the audience, particularly singer Mike Love. Their songs included the best of what is old and what is new. From Surfin USA to Holland, they realized what everyone had come for and then gave it to them. While I sat there in the sun romanticizing my teenage years for Surfer Girl or tapping along to Fun, Fun, Fun, I rediscovered the recently lost knowledge of what a concert is supposed to be: fun.”
Friday November 2, 1973
Paramount Northwest Theater, Seattle, WA-with Billy Joel
The Beach Boys began a series of dates with Billy Hinsche, Carli Munoz and Robert Kenyatta Crippen on Congas. Drummer Ed Tuduri and bassist Putter Smith (who may be most famous for playing Mr. Kidd in the 1971 Sean Connery Bond film Diamonds are Forever) joined the band until March 1974. Smith got the dig due to his friendship with Carli Munoz. He recalled, “I was never into that kind of music (but) Carli Munoz is a very exceptional person. It was great to be on the road with Carli and Blondie (Chaplin) and Ricky Fataar. Dennis and Carl were both decent human beings. Carl was the most intelligent level headed guy. Dennis was a little wild but I liked him. But Dennis was sort of clueless. The other guys were very full of themselves."
A young Billy Joel opened this show with his three-piece band. He’d impressed Chip Rachlin, who agreed to represent him and pushed the Beach Boys to allow Joel to open for them. Joel received a strong audience response. Saxophonist Richie Cannata, who was then in Joel’s band, recalled that Carl Wilson took an interest in the group and was often in the wings to watch them “religiously…he kind of always showed up. He was the only one (from the Beach Boys) that really showed up.” The photo of Dennis was taken on October 28 in Santa Barbara.
Saturday November 3, 1973
Paramount Northwest Theater, Portland, OR-with Billy Joel (8:00 PM Show)
A capacity crowd of 3,000 attended this show. John Wendeborn of The Oregonian reported, “The theater virtually rocked from the rafters when the group began one of those tunes…They do play contemporary rock and managed to get a lot of their recent works out, showing not only a reversal of that pretty, harmonic, choral sound but also a tendency to get involved in some tasteful and sparklingly arranged tunes…There is a lot of talent in the band and they proved it with exciting sounds.” The photo is 1973 but may not be this gig.
Sunday November 4, 1973
War Memorial Gym, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC-with Billy Joel (8:00 PM show)
Lance Ware of The Ubyssey reported that the Beach Boys worked the crowd up to such a fever pitch that when they left the stage after “Good Vibrations,” one had to “imagine the Beatles walking off stage, waving goodbye a few years ago. Listen to 6,000 stamping, cheering, happy people lighting matches and asking for more! More! More!” After a break, the group returned to the stage for high energy performances of “I Get Around, “Barbara Ann” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” and then left the stage to a massive standing ovation that continued till they reemerged to play one more tune. According to Ware, “This was an encore to remember. ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ with Mike dressed in purple belted silk jacket and bells, big sun on his chest and a wide brimmed hat dancing, a perfect Mick Jagger, miming him and jumping while three guitars, three keyboard men and three drummers played one of the finest rock and roll songs I’ve ever seen.”
Wednesday November 7, 1973
Myrum Memorial Fieldhouse, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN (8:00 PM Show)
The group flew to Minneapolis and then drove to St. Peter to play this small college. Tim Colburn and J. L. Fleer of The Gustavian Weekly complained that excellent performances of “The Trader”, “Leaving This Town” and “Long Promised Road” received only a tepid response, while the encore performances of “Barbara Ann”, “I Get Around”, “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Jumping Jack Flash” were applauded with orgasmic enthusiasm. “The indiscriminate pandemonium which resulted from these selections gave these reviewers the distinct impression that the Beach Boys could have collectively taken a shit on stage and still have bowed to a thunderous standing ovation.”
Thursday November 8, 1973
Quincy College, Quincy, IL (8:00 PM Show)
The Gyrfalcon Yearbook noted that the “largest concert of the year was by the Beach Boys, who earned the well-deserved respect of the audience throughout their harmonies.”
Friday November 9, 1973
William L. White Auditorium, Emporia, KS (8:00 PM Show)
Kansas State Teachers College sponsored this concert. The Emporia State University Yearbook noted that the concert was ‘a night of smashing nostalgia. The trip back to the past was highlighted by an electrifying light show and such reminiscent numbers as Barbara Ann and Surfer Girl. Their new style of harmony was not nearly as effective and crowd shaking as when they broke into their rock n roll songs of the past. The crowd was so enthused, they were called back three times, with everyone requesting their favorite.”
Saturday November 10, 1973
Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln, NE (7:30 PM Show)
The photo of Dennis was taken the previous day in Kansas
Sunday November 11, 1973
Music Hall, Oklahoma City, OK (8:00 PM Show)
Following this show, the group visited Jim Guercio’s Caribou Ranch in Colorado. While there, Dennis, Carl and Al contributed backing vocals to Chicago’s future hit single “Wishing You Were Here.”
Wednesday November 14, 1973
Denver Coliseum, Denver, CO-with the Steve Miller Band and Eric Anderson (8:00 PM Show)
Ed Roach filmed part of this show to create a commercial for the Beach Boys In Concert LP. David Youngstrom of the Denver Post reported, “As you might expect, Holland was represented by no fewer than four songs and the evening was finished by a hard punching version of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’ Dennis Wilson is not Mick Jagger but he was more than adequate. While there were a few flaws in the show (a sloppy beginning to ‘Help Me Rhonda’ and a weak flute solo on ‘Caroline, No’), those are the kind of thing a critic mentions only to assert his own unbiased objectivity (see I wasn’t just dancing all the time!) If you missed this show, too bad for you and maybe next time.”
Thursday November 15, 1973
Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, AZ-with Danny O’Keefe (Two shows at 7:30 and 11:00 PM)
The Beach Boys easily sold out the tiny 2,700-seat venue. Reviewer Hardy Price of the Arizona Republic commented that it “was not a great wave of nostalgia that generated all the excitement in Celebrity Theater, but the genuine spontaneous reaction to one of the better performing rock and roll bands around. There’s no question in anyone’s mind that the Beach Boys have a lock on harmony and now that the group includes a eleven (remember when they were only five) talented musicians, the end result is a tightly packed hour and a half of good time rock and roll.”
Friday November 16, 1973
Convention Center, Anaheim, CA-with Three Man Army
Chris Charlesworth of Melody Maker noted in a blog that “It was a fabulous concert, just a great big fun-filled party, all swept along by an arena-sized sell-out crowd that danced in the aisles and sang along to every word – and there’s nothing closer to Beach Boys nirvana than hearing REAL California girls, like thousands of ’em, singing along to ‘California Girls’: countdown… ‘I couldn’t wait to get back in the states’, ignition… ‘back to the cutest girls in the world’, lift-off... ‘I wish they all could be…’, and the whole sodding place simply exploded into song. Magic!”
Saturday November 17 and Sunday November 18, 1973
Winterland, San Francisco, CA-with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and Three Man Army
Ed Roach again filmed a portion of one of these concerts. Adam Block of New Musical Express bluntly wrote that the Beach Boys’ performance “stank…Blondie Chaplin, normally a fine player, was barely functional…Dennis Wilson’s main function was to look pretty, and lean at odd moments, plugging one ear, closed-eyed, into the microphone as he rubbed his crotch up and down the pole and produced ill matched harmonies. Even Carl Wilson and Al Jardine were having trouble filling their vocals.” A fan who attended recalled that he personally witnessed Carl and Al wrestling with “a crying and screaming” Blondie to get him to go onstage. This drama undoubtedly contributed to his exit from the group in December. Interviewed the next day, Carl blamed the bad performance on colds band members had all caught. He candidly admitted, “Our voices were really shot. Blondie was a bit wasted, I noticed. It was one of the few times I’ve ever really felt trapped by the older numbers. I’m beginning to get tired of them.”
Tuesday November 20, 1973
North Gym, California State University at Chico, Chico, CA-with Three Man Army
About 3,000 fans attended this concert. The CSUC Wildcat gushed, “the Beach Boys created a charged atmosphere filled with cheering and rock-n-rolling from stage front to bleacher tops…everyone dug it… One of the best gigs to come to town in a long time.”
Wednesday November 21, 1973
Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA-with Three Man Army (7:30 PM Show)
After an eight-year absence, the group returned to Sacramento. John Hurst of the Sacramento Bee reported, “While balloons floated, lights flashed and the bobbing crowd on the main floor stood for a better look, the BBs ripped through a total of songs-mostly familiar hits from early bubblegum to latter day powerhouse. Twice they left the carpeted stage but returned for encores after two minutes each time, of uninterrupted cheering from the multitude. They then finished with a romping ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ that included a visual climax of dancing lights-from mirrored spheres spinning high overhead and from a backdrop of colored lights on the stage.”
Friday November 30, 1973
Assembly Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA-with Billy Joel (8:00 PM Show)
Billy Joel opened this show and proved a hard act to follow. Jim Whittum of the Baton Rouge Advocate argued that he stole the spotlight from the group who “seemed to warm the half-filled Assembly Center only when they launched into their 1960s songs…The lack of acceptance of any current songs of the group was at least partially the fault of the band itself, for they wandered aimlessly about the stage at times and only infrequently were able to manage a cohesiveness of music and lyric.”
Saturday December 1, 1973
Auditorium North Hall, Memphis, TN-with Billy Joel (8:00 PM Show)
Sunday December 2, 1973
Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN-with Billy Joel (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys were originally scheduled to perform in Knoxville but the venue was changed to Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Over 6,000 rowdy fans attended this concert. According to the Nashville Tennessean, there were frequent shouts of “Play the oldies!” After the show, Mike was philosophical about the crowd reaction. He admitted that it was true “that the old stuff is liked more here than in some parts of the country” but argued that “the skill is not to try to live the past down, but to try to overshadow it. What we want people to know is that we’re still alive now, and we’re still working and progressing.”
Monday December 3, 1973
Kiel Auditorium, St Louis, MO-with Billy Joel (7:30 PM Show)
Mimi Avins of the Post-Dispatch noted, “The mostly under-20 audience was too young to remember when the Beach Boys became popular in the early 1960s. Yet the songs of that era-Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Surfin USA, Help Me Rhonda and California Girls-were what brought the crowd to its feet…The group’s new work has never matched the early songs. Their interesting new songs are usually more sophisticated versions of the original style, such as Good Vibrations. Caroline No, which Carl Wilson did with a flute accompaniment, is a pretty recent ballad that is not as lachrymose as the old Surfer Girl slow songs. Dennis Wilson, Blondie Chaplin, Alan Jardine, Carl Wilson, Ricky Fataar and Michael Love and their five backup men ended the evening with a full-tilt version of the Rolling Stones’ Jumpin Jack Flash, but only after they had given the crowd all the nostalgia it had paid for.” The photo may not be from this show but is from this tour.
Wednesday December 5, 1973
Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI-with New Riders of the Purple Sage (8:00 PM Show)
About 4,000 fans attended this show. Michael Vena of the Wisconsin State Journal was unimpressed by the Beach Boys “bored, almost lackadaisical” performance and wrote that their new songs sounded like their old songs “which is what everyone wanted to hear.” Robert LaBrasca of the Capital Times was also disappointed, but not for the same reason. He argued that the group’s performance “was more nostalgic and less experimental than last years. They did ‘California Girls’, ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’, ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘Help Me Rhonda’ and ‘Surfin’ USA’, which Dennis Wilson introduced, saying, ‘Well, it paid the rent.’ There were a few newer things, but with far less instrumental interplay than they used last year.”
Thursday December 6, 1973
Lantz Gym, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL (8:00 PM Show)
This show was completely sold out and promoters had to create a special S.R.O. section to squeeze more people in. The Eastern News reported that “at times more than half of the crowd was on their feet dancing, clapping, and dancing in the aisles…Old standards like ‘Sloop John B’ and ‘California Girls’ were played in a perfection of sound and balance that one only hears on a disc.” Jennifer Clark of The Warbler noted, “Singers Love and Carl Wilson, both dressed in flashy outfits…made a particularly big hit with the audience when they asked the ushers in red T-shirts…to stop trying to restrict audience members from getting close to the stage area…The conga players added newer dimensions to the sound, so that every number was not in keeping with the same musical patterns. Also, Richard Fataar, who played flute in several of the numbers and did an exceptionally fine excerpt on the organ in one portion of the concert, added to the contrast that the Beach Boys had in all of the numbers that they played.”
Friday December 7, 1973
Public Hall, Cleveland, OH-with Linda Ronstadt and the Electric Light Orchestra (7:30 PM Show)
Prior to this concert, the Beach Boys and Linda Ronstadt made a promo appearance at radio station WMMS.
Saturday December 8, 1973
Music Hall, Boston, MA-with Dalton and Dubarri
In his review of the concert in the Boston Globe, Gary Lindquist noted that the Beach Boys “have always been a harmonizing vocal group with instrumentation as a background, but through the years they have lost their ability to reach vocal highs, as was evident in ‘Help Me Rhonda.’ Instrumentally, however, they have grown more intricate and sincere…the applause was minimal for the new material, but when the Boys broke into an oldie, the entire audience rose from their seats as one unity.” The photo was taken in Madison on December 5
Sunday December 9, 1973
Keaney Gym, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI-with Dalton and Dubarri
Monday December 10, 1973
UNH Field House, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH-with Henry Gross (8:00 PM Show)
Tuesday December 11, 1973
The Dome, CW Post College, Brookville, NY-with Henry Gross (8:00 PM Show)
The group’s fourth appearance at CW Post was a sellout. W. Sachs Gore of the Post Pioneer noted that their repertoire had not altered much from their previous appearance in April but gave this performance the edge because “the sound was fuller. With two drummers, also an extra percussionist, three guitars, piano, synthesizer, and bass going on at the same time it is bound to sound full.”
Despite attempts by the band’s PR people to keep them away, two student reporters from managed to grab comments from the group after the show. Dennis, dressed in a grey suit and bowtie, was asked what influenced his increasing use of orchestration on his songs. He responded, “Wagner.” When the reporters inquired what he listened to, he replied, “I like Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, but I’m really not into the blues.” The interview might have continued longer, but when they asked Dennis for the real story of how he hurt his hand, he replied curtly, “I cut it in two. Merry Christmas,” and then he abruptly walked away. The reporters correctly surmised that his inability to drum had affected him more than he let on. They also managed to talk to Carl who told them, erroneously as it turned out, the band was “planning to release Smile in a more or less original form, within the coming year.” To the inevitable question of how Brian was, Carl answered, “Brian is Brian, you know? He’s working on a lot of new ideas. Aside from that he’s still recovering from the effects of the car accident he was involved in last summer.”
Wednesday December 12, 1973
DAR Constitution Hall, Washington DC (8:30 PM Show)
The Beach Boys performed before a capacity crowd of 3,700. Richard Harrington of the Washington Star praised the group for playing “all its music with an infectious enthusiasm that is matched by a solid professional delivery. There was certainly no energy crisis on the part of either the band or the audience…With a brace of lead singers…and with thoughtful arrangements, there was no way this group was going to deliver a bad show.” However, while Harrington saw a band on top of its game, Tom Zito, of the Washington Post, saw a band in crisis. He noted that, in the midst of all the revelry, “a tell-tale sign lingered, Dennis Wilson…stayed stage left most of the night, dressed in a dark three-piece suit and tie, singing halfheartedly into a microphone, looking bored, bored, bored…The music may have sounded fresh and novel to a new audience whose older brothers and sisters grew up on the Beach Boys, but 12 years on the stage with the same act has to become a drag. And it’s starting to show.”
Thursday December 13, 1973
Newark State College, Union, NJ, with Henry Gross (Two shows at 7:00 and 10:00 PM)
Friday December 14, 1973
Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, with Dalton & Dubarri (8:00 PM Show)
Jo Jo Gunne was supposed to open this show but Dalton & Dubarri replaced them. Over 16,000 fans attended this concert. Dennis, decked out in a full three-piece suit blue pinstripe suit and tie, sang an impromptu “Forever” (rarely in the set after 1972), with a ten-piece children’s maraca group. Clarke DeLeon noted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, “They tried leaving the first time after finishing Good Vibrations but they were roared back as if they had just swiped the pot in a poker game. They only made matters worse when they tried a quick exit following an encore of Barbara Ann and I Get Around. After a 10-minute ovation that threatened to burn down the building because of the sparklers, fire crackers and thousands of matches that were lit to emphasize the matter, they came back and capped off the show with “Little St. Nick” and a tender ballad called Jumpin Jack Flash, which brought all but the comatose to their feet!”
Saturday December 15, 1973
Springfield Municipal Auditorium, Springfield, MA (Two shows at 7:00 and 11:00 PM)
The Meriden Journal noted that “The Beach Boys made the scene at the Springfield Auditorium and completely captivated their youthful audience. The weather outside was frigid but inside the atmosphere was aglow with the happy California sound of one of America’s premier groups, the Beach Boys. The gig started with the group attempting to modernize their golden sound and it proved not to be their bag. Then to the happy strains of ‘California Dreamer’ the concert turned into a rare musical happening. En masse the audience was transported back to the golden days of the sixties where the Beach Boys reigned supreme. Hit after hit, highlighted by such songs as Surfer Girl, Surfin USA, Barbara Ann and T-Bird (Fun, Fun, Fun) filled the acoustically perfect hall.”
The photo is from December 13
Sunday December 16, 1973
Walsh Auditorium, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ-with Henry Gross
The ’74 Seton Hall Yearbook gushed, “The group rocked the auditorium, exhibiting the majestic stage presence that is theirs alone. Carl Wilson, at the piano, sang several of their most popular ballads, including ‘Let the Wind Blow’ and ‘Caroline, No.’ Michael Love led the ‘oldies but moldies’ such as ‘Surfin’ USA’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun,’ while Alan Jardine and Dennis Wilson provided the vocals on such favorites as ‘Surfer Girl.’ Several selections from their newest album, the Beach Boys In Concert, were included. The crowd enjoyed ‘Sail On Sailor’ and ‘Heroes and Villains.’ Blondie Chaplin was featured on ‘Leaving This Town.’ The group answered the clamor for an encore with a rendition of their seasonal hit, ‘Little Saint Nick.’”
Tuesday December 18, 1973
Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY-with Henry Gross
The photo is probably not from this show. A fan who attended noted, "The Beach Boys gave a pretty good concert, starting with “Happy Birthday” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and then going through all their hits: “California Girl,” “Surfer Girl,” “Surfing U.S.A.,” “I Get Around,” etc., ending with “Fun Fun Fun.”
Wednesday December 19, 1973
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY-with Linda Ronstadt (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys first appearance at the rebuilt Madison Garden brought out a large and boisterous crowd. The party atmosphere all but drowned out opening act Linda Ronstadt. Fred Kirby of Variety reported, “The Beach Boys roused the throng with newer material, but especially with such oldies as ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, ‘Darlin’, ‘Surfer Girl’, ‘Help Me Rhonda’, ‘Surfin USA’ and ‘Sloop John B’…The vocal blends were exceptional, a key for the old rock and roll clicks as well as the newer stuff.”
Adding to the nostalgia was the surprise appearance of Bruce Johnston, who came out for ‘Good Vibrations’ and remained for their encores. However, backstage the mood was less then celebratory. This was the night a backstage confrontation between Steve Love and Blondie Chaplin led to the Blondie’s permanent departure after almost two years as a Beach Boy. According to photographer and Beach Boys confidant Ed Roach, “When they were on their way to New York they got word that Blondie’s father had died and Blondie was inconsolable and after the show he told them he had to go back to South Africa. Steve Love told him, ‘Fuck You. You have to come back to Los Angeles.’ Now this was after the whole band had stopped working for a while after (Murry) had died. So, they had a big fight and Blondie left.” In a March 1974 interview with Sounds, Mike remained coy about the reasons Blondie had left, but noted “he’d been unhappy for some time” before his departure. Carl commented in 1974 that Blondie was “into a different type of music. Even though he helped compose a lot of the music on the Holland album, his style was much different than the rest of the group.” Unfortunately for Blondie, he left just as the group was catching a huge popularity wave that would take them back to the absolute top of the music industry.
Saturday December 29, 1973
Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA
A capacity crowd filled the Swing Auditorium for the group’s first show at the venue since 1963. Despite the sudden absence of Blondie Chaplin, Steve Cooper of the Sun-Telegram called the concert “near flawless” and singled out Carl for special praise noting that he “was superb throughout the night and deserved the appreciative response for his solo on ‘Caroline No.’ Bathed in a light blue spotlight, he tamed a rocking audience with his fragile love song.”
Sunday December 30, 1973
Sports Arena, San Diego, CA-with Joe Walsh and Barnstorm (7:30 PM)
A crowd of over 12,784 attended this show. The group did not take the stage until 11:30 PM because the plane carrying their equipment was late arriving from L.A. Carol Olten of the San Diego Union noted when they finally appeared “the Beach Boys in concert Sunday performed exactly the tunes everyone came to hear-‘California Girls’, ‘Surf’s Up’, ‘Good Vibrations’, etc…Their performance lasted until almost 1 a.m. with practically every song bringing rounds upon rounds of applause.” Joe Walsh joined the band for the encore. Helen Weiss of the Evening Tribune noted that he "was as colorful as the suits of Mike Love and Dennis Wilson, Beach Boys vocalists. Love, decked out in a hot pink satin suit with a large yellow sun, poked fun at the audience with his microphone stand during Help Me Rhonda, while Dennis flashed around in a bright green suit decorated with pink embroidery and mirrors."
Monday December 31, 1973
Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA-with Joe Walsh and Barnstorm (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys returned to Long Beach for a festive New Year’s Eve show. Ed Roach was on hand to film part of it for posterity. The last show of the year was a moment to take a deep breath and reflect on the long journey the group had already taken. Mike commented, “We played Long Beach 12 years ago and got paid $60, and I thought wow that’s a lot of money and I don’t even have to work. Today we’ve increased our income over 1000 percent per concert.” The group took the stage at 11:00 PM and played for two and a half hours, with Joe Walsh joining them on guitar for part of the show. They opened with ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice,’ bringing the crowd to its feet and, according to Terri Ray of the East LA College Campus News, “this is the way everybody stayed for the rest of the evening.” The band was in a celebratory mood, with Mike decked out in a pink satin suit and Dennis armed for the night with a champagne bottle in his hands. There was even an unexpected stage invasion when “at midnight, a voluptuous young lady flung herself onto Carl Wilson with a pure, uninhibited desire to make love to him, but at that time everybody was flinging themselves on everybody else.”