Friday January 16, 1981
Sports Arena, San Diego, CA-with American Spring (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys first show of 1981 was a family affair. American Spring opened the concert and Dean Torrence joined the band for encores of “Barbara Ann” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.” However, Bob Laurence, of the San Diego Union, opined that while the 10,000 in attendance had a blast, there were major problems with the show. He noted that Dennis was “quite disoriented, carrying on with inappropriate clowning, and in ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ bashing the drums with considerably more abandon then the song called for” and was replaced midway through the show by Bobby Figueroa. He also commented that “Too often the harmonies that once flowed through their throats so effortlessly were ragged and strained, particularly and disastrously in a few songs where vocal smoothness was most needed: ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘Little Surfer Girl’ and ‘Sloop John B.'” Jack Williams of the Evening Tribune noted that Brian sat “impassive, bored all but motionless behind a white grand piano and a haze of cigarette smoke…Dennis Wilson, the Beach Boys can go on without you and you too Brian-near comatose state that you’re in onstage-because the music you created endures. It crosses generations. It withstands the years, the trends, the faltering falsettos, the shrinking coastlines and burgeoning waistlines.” The photo was taken the next night at UC Davis.
Saturday January 17, 1981
Rec Hall, University of California, Davis, CA-with American Spring (8:00 PM Show)
A near sell-out crowd attended this show. Duncan Strauss, of the Davis Enterprise, noted, “The group played mostly early hits like “Surfer Girl,” “Help Me Rhonda,” ‘Surfin,’” ”Wouldn’t It Be Nice,’ and ‘Surfin’ USA.’ The strong sense of nostalgia and the infectious rhythms of most of these classics-and the large number of people onstage contributing vocals-helped to obscure the fact that many voices in the band, most noticeably Love’s and Brian Wilson’s, have seriously deteriorated. For their vocal sound, the Beach Boys have always felt more is better. Saturday night, more was essential.” Mick Martin of The Sacramento Union noted that the group sounded good but seldom strayed from the Endless Summer hits. “And that was the only regrettable thing about the show. Several songs from their latest albums, such as ‘Some of Your Love’ (From Keepin’ the Summer Alive) ‘Good Timing’, ‘Sumahama’ (both from LA Light album) and early 70s highlights like Sail on Sailor and Funky Pretty, for example, deserve to be featured, if only as proof of their continuing artistic growth.”
Sunday January 18, 1981
Selland Arena, Fresno, CA-with American Spring (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys performed in Fresno for the first time in seven years (I was not aware of this concert when I wrote my book). A full house was in attendance and David Hale of the Fresno Bee noted that the crowd was excited and appreciative: “There were at least three ovations in the first act alone, with the crowd applauding the opening bars of every favorite and it was the first time I can recall seeing a rock concert for which most of the audience spent the entire second half on its feet. And why not? It was vintage Beach Boys music with a western twang (that fitted the stetsons affected by Love and Carl Wilson) that sounded right off the records…The five (plus a handful of supporting players) seemed ready to play all night (only Brian Wilson, Buddha large, chain-smoking and utterly impassive, seemed unmoved by the general chaos). Until they shut down after about ninety minutes, they reeled off a dizzying collection of hit songs, most of them from the mid-60s, with little patter and a minimum of horseplay.”
Monday January 19, 1981
DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
The group took part in the inaugural festivities for President Reagan. 3,000 young Republicans, including two of Vice President Bush’s sons (one of whom was the future President George W. Bush), paid $40 a piece to see the group play a “concert for youth.” Miss America Susan Powell introduced them after singing an A Cappella version of “America the Beautiful.” In addition to playing the concert, the Beach Boys served as honorary chairmen of the entertainment committee at the Vice President’s reception Monday afternoon at the Smithsonian.
Thursday February 12, 1981
The Summit, Houston, TX-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
The group began a twelve-day tour with Randy Meisner of the Eagles. Former keyboard player Sterling Smith was now in Meisner’s band and the group invited him to play “Lady Lynda” on piano at the shows. Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa and Mike Meros accompanied the group.
Bob Claypool of the Houston Post lambasted the group’s poor performance. He opined that "The Beach Boys have finally crossed the line that separates strong, continuously creative rock groups from the so-so oldies bands, the guys who just don't have anything new to offer anymore...These days the group doesn't even try to do new material, things from their recent albums (unless of course, you count Chuck Berry's ‘School Days’). Nope they just trot out the oldies, the surf music that made them famous in the 60s...Trouble is they can't even do those warhorses the way they used to.”
Friday February 13, 1981
Frank Erwin Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados
The Beach Boys were a big hit at UT. The Cactus Yearbook noted, "The continuous applause begged for song after song and spectators would not let the show close after the Beach Boys rendition of Berry's 'I Get Around' and 'Surfin' Safari.' An encore of 'Good Vibrations,' 'Barbara Ann' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun' promised that the 'sunshine style' of music would never set."
Saturday February 14, 1981
Assembly Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
After canceling concerts in 1976 and 1979, the group returned to Baton Rouge for the first time since 1973. David Foil of the Advocate reported, “The songs are almost impossible to resist. And classics such as ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’…‘Sloop John B,’ ‘Help Me Rhonda’ and ‘Surfer Girl’ left the crowd up and dancing: so did the medley of surfing songs and the even more hardcore medley of car songs (‘Little Deuce Coupe,’ ‘The Little Old Lady From Pasadena.’)."
Sunday February 15, 1981
Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
The set list for this show consisted of: 'California Girls,' 'Sloop John B,' 'Darlin,' 'School Days,' 'In My Room,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Do It Again,' 'Surfer Girl,' 'Surfin,' 'Surfin' Safari,' 'Catch a Wave,' 'Long Tall Texan,' 'I Write the Songs,' 'Lady Lynda,' 'Don't Worry Baby,' '409,' 'Shut Down,' 'Little Deuce Coupe,' 'Help Me Rhonda,' 'Be True To Your School,' 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' 'Rock and Roll Music,' 'I Get Around,' 'Surfin' USA,' 'Good Vibrations,' 'Barbara Ann,' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun.' The Photo was taken the previous day at LSU.
Monday February 16, 1981
Bicentennial Center, Salina, KS-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados
A sell out crowd of 7,600 fans attended this show. Promoter Rich Lindeman paid the group $40,000 to appear. The Salina Journal declared, "Playing all the hits that made the Beach Boys famous during the 1960s, the rock and roll band had the audience on it's feet a large part of the evening." Indeed, fans were so enthusiastic that they literally ‘brought the house down.’ The stomping and applause caused part of the ceiling and lighting fixtures to fall down.
Wednesday February 18, 1981
Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys last appearance at Iowa State in 1972 was one of the most poorly received shows of their career, since they refused to play the oldies the crowd wanted to hear. By 1981, however, things had changed. Bob Steenson of the Iowa State Daily noted, “Most of the concert was devoted to a medley of early BB hits; with very few selections from more recent albums. There were only minor problems with the performance, including occasional mixing problems, feedback squeals and a coughing attack by a morose Brian Wilson during his falsetto solo in ‘Don’t Worry Baby.'"
Thursday February 19, 1981
Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados
8,500 fans turned out for this show and Al put them at ease right away by announcing, “We’ll play all the old stuff. That’s what we’re all here for anyway.” Leland Rucker of the Kansas City Star reported, “The group has given up trying to do anything else, of course. Nobody listened when the Beach Boys tried to say something besides ‘Fun, Fun, Fun.’ Except for ‘Lady Lynda’ from the LA Light album, all the material was pre-1966. The highlight, of course, was the appearance of head Beach Boy Brian Wilson on grand piano. Although he wrote every Beach Boys classic, he managed only a squeaky ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ during the show. Still it was his forceful piano work that held the rest of it together."
Friday February 20, 1981
Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, AR-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
Although the BBs had survived the tumultuous period of 1977-1979, tension within the band continued. A major disagreement centered on the live act. Carl Wilson felt his creativity was being stifled. Pianist Ron Altbach told me, “I always felt that Carl wanted to be a rock and roll guy. He wanted to be able to play rock and roll and be able to improvise. But, playing in the Beach Boys is like playing in an orchestra: you have a part. I mean, he had fun playing the car songs and all that but it wasn’t challenging to him.” Carl was particularly annoyed by the greatest hits only sets. He told Washington Post reporter Geoffrey Himes, “I’d like to see a variety of the later, more artistic stuff. And I think changing the arrangements around now and then is very helpful.” He also was irritated by the unwillingness to rehearse, which he blamed on the band’s belief that no one in the audience cared if they weren’t perfect. Carl commented, "The Beach Boys show puts itself on. All we have to do is show up. We can do a real turkey of a set, and people will come back and say, 'That's the greatest show I've ever seen.'" Carl, however, found himself basically alone in his views. By 1981 his brothers had been all but incapacitated by their addictions and Mike and Al had come to terms with being primarily an oldies act and felt they should give the public what it wanted. The February tour would be Carl's last with the group for over a year.
Saturday February 21, 1981
Gulf Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
TThe BBs made their first appearance in Biloxi. Reviewers Lori Ramsay and Allison Brown of the Biloxi Star Herald seemed unaware of the BBs history. Indeed, they were under the impression that the band had broken up in 1964 and was making a comeback attempt!! They noted, “It is hard to believe the music our mothers and fathers danced to can be so popular with the teenagers today.”
Sunday February 22, 1981
Mabee Center, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
David Averill of the Tulsa World noted that the group’s vocal skills had “deteriorated a bit over the years” and that Brian’s voice was “a shell of what it once was” but still argued that they “put on a whale of a show…Mike Love strutting around the stage in a white suit and white cowboy hat. Dennis Wilson keeping a simple but rock-hard beat on the drums. Carl Wilson showing occasional flashes of the old tenor voice and playing those familiar guitar licks. And most of all there were the lush vocal arrangements and soaring falsetto harmony, just like Brian worked it out back in the early 1960s. Who cares that the trademark falsetto now is provided by some of the four musicians who back the Beach Boys on organ, electric piano, bass and percussion.”
Monday February 23, 1981
Greyhound Arena, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
This concert was a huge disappointment for the student activities committee that organized it. It cost $47,000 to stage and only 1868 tickets were sold, bringing in barely $19,000. However, the people that showed up had a blast. Greg Peretti, of the Portales News-Tribune, reported, "The group played for almost an hour and a half, performing all of their old classics such as ‘Be True To Your School,’ ‘Surfin' USA,’ ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ and ‘Rock and Roll Music’...the crowd, many of whom were toddlers when the Beach Boys started their careers, stomped, clapped and roared their approval with the beginning of each number."
Tuesday February 24, 1981
University Arena, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM-with Randy Meisner and the Silverados (8:00 PM Show)
About 6,000 fans turned out for this show. Kathleen Raphael, of the Santa Fe New Mexican noted, "One surfing hit followed another. The crowd yelled for rock n roll and the Beach Boys sang it...There was even a touch of country. Mike Love, decked out in cowboy hat and emulating a man on a horse, sang the group's version of 'Long Tall Texan.' The Beach Boys promised 26 songs and after an hour and 15 minutes of music with one encore they gave the crowd just that.'
A touching moment at this concert provides evidence of Dennis’ big heart. Sterling Smith recalled, “The Beach Boys were in the middle of their show and the Randy Meisner Band was leaving and Dennis saw that I was waving goodbye and he stopped playing the drums and came over and gave me a big hug and said ‘It was an honor to be on the same stage with you.’ That was nice.”
Sunday April 5, 1981 to Saturday April 25, 1981
Carl Wilson Solo Tour
Carl was unhappy about the decision not to go into the studio in 1980. Mike felt it was far more fun and profitable to tour. In the fall of 1980 Carl recorded a solo LP titled Carl Wilson. He saw it as a challenge to the group to wake up. He told reporter Paul Green, "I was hoping that this album would encourage the guys to get off their butts and really want to make some great records. It’s gotten so the act really hasn’t changed-our in person act-really hasn’t changed in three or four years. It’s time we did something different and maybe this album will be the spark that leads to that.” When the album was released in March 1981 Carl put together a band with ex-brother in law Billy Hinsche and Jerry Schilling’s wife Myrna Smith (formerly of the Sweet Inspirations, who had backed up Elvis in the Vegas years). That April, Carl and his band played a series of nightclub dates. John Daley played lead guitar, Gerald Johnson was on bass and Alan Krigger played drums.
Those that attended hoping to hear their favorite Beach Boys tunes were in for a disappointment. They were treated to an uncompromising set that included only one old song, "Long Promised Road." Carl was excited to do something different, but many critics expressed reservations. Lynn Van Matre of the Chicago Tribune noted, "The accent understandably is on new material. Most of it, unfortunately, is more or less a washout. The songs, with lyrics by Smith and melodies by Wilson, aren't awful by any means...but most are pedestrian and totally unmemorable. So is Wilson's stage presence, which works fine as a part of the Beach Boys but comes off as woefully lackluster for someone fronting a band…With tickets going for $10.50, one expects a bit more."
The full list of dates was: Park West, Chicago (April 5-two shows at 730 and 11 PM) Center Stage, Detroit (April 6) The Agora, Cleveland (April 7-with local band The Generators-During day Carl appeared on local TV show “Afternoon Exchange”), El Mocambo Club, Toronto (April 8-two shows at 7 and 11 PM) Paradise Club, Boston (April 10), My Fathers Place, Roslyn, Long Island NY (April 11-two shows at 8:30 and Midnight) Emerald City, Cherry Hill, NJ (April 12) Bottom Line, NY (13-two shows at 830 and 1130 simulcast on WNEW Radio) Carl solo on the Tomorrow Show-late night on NBC TV-He performed songs from the album with his band, including “Heaven” and the single “Hold Me” and was interviewed by host Tom Snyder. (April 14) The Bayou, DC (April 15-two shows-with Bob Duncan Band as opening act), The Agora Ballroom, Atlanta (April 16), The Poets Club, Memphis (April 17-two shows), The Agora, Dallas (April 19-Midnight show), The Agora Ballroom, Houston (April 20-with The Sirens-one show at 9 PM), The Roxy, LA (April 23-two shows-Dennis attended in a tux, Brian was also there, along with Mike and Bruce and the Rovell sisters) Old Waldorf, San Francisco (April 25-Two shows). The photos come from Carl's appearance at the Bottom Line in NYC (by Bobby Crabb) and his show at the Roxy in LA on April 23 (by Ed Roach).
Friday May 1 and Saturday May 2, 1981
Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, PA (Two shows on Friday at 7:00 and 11:00 PM and on Saturday at 8:00 and 10:00 PM)
These four shows marked the first concerts without Carl, who had just completed his first solo tour. The Beach Boys assumed he would be back for these dates but he decided to take a longer leave from the group. To make up for his absence, Ed Carter moved over to guitar and newcomer Ernie Knapp was added on bass. Knapp recalled, "I was from west LA and I knew their long-time bass player and (backup) drummer, Ed Carter and Mike Kowalski. Whenever Ed and Mike were off the road with The Beach Boys, we’d get together and write songs and do-little gigs together around LA. I started getting tied in with The Beach Boys through them and by playing first with a group called ‘American Spring’. Then (in 1980) Carl Wilson decided to do a solo album and take a year off and tour on his own. And so, my friend Ed saw that coming up, and... sat me down at his house and said, “Ernie, here’s the bass parts for the show.” And I had my little cassette running and he played every single song, the bass parts for it. I’d kind of tap my food to keep the time going and he’d hum the vocals just to cue it through the progressions. It was incredible! He gave me all the bass parts for the whole show, straight from Brian Wilson, to him, to me. I went home and I practiced them aand got them down. And then I was really disappointment because Ed said, “Well, Carl, canceled his thing so it’s not happening.” So, you know, that was that and I kind of forgot about it. And then, like six months later, I got home one day and there’s a message on my machine saying, “Ernie, if you can be in New York in three days you got the gig." And then they had a guy deliver a live tape of a whole show, exactly as they did it, a show they had done just a couple of weeks before. I practiced with that for like for 24 hours straight and got on a plane and the next day just walked in. We did a sound check, did like three songs just to kind of get together, and then started doing shows!!"
Bobby Figueroa on drums and Mike Meros on keyboards rounded out the band. Bobby Figueroa recalled the period sadly: “I felt a tremendous loss when Carl left because he was the trail boss. He was the one who kept everyone together on the road and at the shows. So, it was up to us to maintain that and I just felt like there was big piece missing. It wasn’t the same.”
Sunday May 3, 1981
Stanley Theater, Pittsburgh, PA (Two shows at 8:00 and 10:00 PM)
The group enjoyed playing the intimate Stanley Theater. Mike commented to the audience, "Isn't it nice to be in a place like this, where you can actually hear and see?" The degree of Brian's involvement in the band continued to attract press attention. Cameron Cohick of the Fort Lauderdale News noted that after producing 15 Big Ones and Love You, Brian's involvement in the studio had declined and that he had seemed less interested in participating in the live shows. Dean Torrence had noted in July 1980 that "We really feel for Brian in his present situation, where he is not being listened to." He agreed that Brian didn't seem to be doing as much as he could with the Beach Boys. "That's the point. It's because Bruce Johnston thinks Brian's a numbskull and I think Bruce Johnston's a numbskull to think that." However, in early 1981 Mike argued things had changed. "As a matter of fact, Brian has written a lot of songs in the last several months and we're planning an album project for them called Brothers, Cousins and Friends. And he's singing a lot more onstage, he's leading usually on five or six songs. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Good Vibrations,' 'Don't Worry Baby' and 'Sloop John B.'"
With Carl absent, Brian was indeed called upon to sing more, though many critics felt that his hoarse, cracked voice (exacerbated by his chain smoking cigarettes) was a far cry from his 1960s peak. The band tried to encourage him. As he was singing “God Only Knows,” Mike interrupted to ask the crowd, "Can he sing or what?" Bill Stieg of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that the group "didn't do a single song post 1966 and the sellout crowd loved every minute. From the opening 'California Girls' to the triple encore of 'Good Vibrations,' 'Barbara Ann' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' the theater was one big happy summertime party." The photo was taken at Valley Forge on May 1.
Monday May 4, 1981
Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA
The photo was taken two days later in Fort Meyers.
Wednesday May 6, 1981
Lee County Civic Center, Fort Myers, FL
In their first Fort Myers appearance, the group played for 7,300 people. Amy Youngblood of the News Press commented that sound problems marred the concert. "The Beach Boys sounded like they had rehearsed for 20 years for Wednesday's show but the sound technicians must have been recruited from Tibetan monasteries. Brian Wilson threw his hands up in disgust and stalked off halfway through one song because no sound was coming from his keyboard. The four-part harmony in Don't Worry Baby came out in three parts-either a mic conked out or a technician did. But the energy that consumed the Beach Boys radiated out and enveloped the audience in such a powerful grip that people looked shocked to see the Arena instead of Malibu Beach at the end." Apparently, Mike invited audience members to join the band at a nightclub called Urban Cowboy later that night. Mike was absent but Bruce, Ed Carter, Ernie Knapp and Bobby Figueroa showed up and played with the bar band-Shotgun Willie for a while. The photo was taken the next day at Lakeland.
Thursday May 7, 1981
Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL (8:00 PM Show)
Kelly Scott of the Tampa Bay Times was impressed with the Beach Boys' Lakeland concert and argued that recent reviews that suggested that 'Brian looked lobotomized on stage' and 'they don't care anymore' were wrong. Though she admitted that 'the singing was at times spotty and the vaunted harmonies sometimes were not harmonious', she still felt that 'when the switch was on and the harmonies blended with a dreamy, viscous quality, there could be no greater complement to a pop song....Brian Wilson is a vital part of the show. And although he and the others are getting older, no one in the teeming Lakeland audience would say after the bopping 1 hour and 15 minute show that the Beach Boys don't care. The show was delivered with verve, genuine good feeling and fine vocal and instrumental musicianship. With Carl Wilson absent, one of the nice surprises was Brian Wilson stepping in to sing lead on songs that included God Only Knows, Wouldn't It Be Nice and Sloop John B. ...Thursday, Brian was a massive but impassive figure parked at his piano, his bearded, deeply lined face pasty colored and clammy. Wearing a sloppy white shirt, royal blue warmup pants and running shoes, he came onstage smoking a cigarette his voice doesn't need. His delivery was painfully rough and flat at first and he struggled in spots of all the songs he sang. But he valiantly climbed up to falsetto ranges in the achingly sweet Don't Worry Baby and he carried off the encore of Good Vibrations in good voice. For longtime followers, seeing the group's troubled pop genius taking such an active role in the live show was remarkable."
