The “Beach Boys” at the Dolby
Adele covering Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” Jose Feliciano’s rendition of the Doors’ “Light My Fire.” — Yes to both.
That said … I get super cringy when singers try to out-barbra Barbra or umm, trump the Beatles. With exceptions: Rufus Wainwright’s “Across the Universe.” Delish. But why bother remaking the iconic unless you can come at it with a compelling and fresh approach.
Which is why The Beach Boys All Star Tribute at the Dolby, (for which I was lucky enough to score tix), was such an up-lifting, awe inspiring event.
To be honest I expected the stage would be inundated with mainstream ratings-bate. But to my delight it featured past and future Indes and legends such as Mumford and Sons, St. Vincent, Fall Out Boy, Lady A, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Little Big Town to name a few, as they say.
The criteria in featuring the artists must have been that they really had to be able to sing! On Pitch. Which eliminated a great many ‘pop-stars.’ I won’t name names. Of course, there’s always live-feed auto-tune but I highly doubt it needed to be implemented with this line-up. To boot, all were able to channel Beach Boys harmonies with adroit precision and step out of their comfort zones with ease.
Charlie Puth took on “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - and you’re back there … you and your first ever crush — the one you swore you’d marry someday. (Whatever happened to him?) You were 12 and your curfew was 9:30. You ran up the steps and slammed your bedroom door in defiance of the ruling but thankfully you were ‘there’… in a place where you could sigh and cry and tell your troubles. Or … you were going to college and leaving him for what seemed like would be forever. And he’d say “Don’t Worry Baby, everything’s gonna be alright” — the same comforting words (more than 50 years later) from the mouths of Michael (as Doobie as ever) McDonald and Take 6. You know the playlist. It was so innocent.
Beck and Jim James (My Morning Jacket) covered “Good Vibrations.” Check out the false start. Hey … this is TV. Shit happens.
Rivers Cuomo fronted “California Girls” ala Weezer. The full My Morning Jacket gave us a genre-bending “I Get Around.” Foster The (“Pumped Up Kicks”) People treated us to “Do It Again,” — a title that doesn’t necessarily bring the song to mind (did someone say Steely Dan?) but then you hear it and you’re like … oh yeah. I know this!
What absolutely brought the house down for me was LeAnn Rimes telling us about how “Caroline” broke her heart. It just about broke mine. Why was I so surprised to be moved? That’s what ‘artists’ are supposed to do. I wish it happened more often. (Btw, why does someone who sounds so amazing also get to look so fricking HOT? It’s not fair. 😡
With all due respect to Brandi Carlile — whose voice (we can all agree) is insane — she just didn’t do it for me like LeAnn. Something about the yodel-in-every-song, the slowed-down vibrato and the predictable money note with extra reverb feels a little formula-for-applause. I know she’s America’s darling right now (and will be for a long while for good reason) but it’s my Blog and that’s how I feel. Go team LeAnn.
That said, we were trying to guess what song would close the show and who would perform it. It was “God Only Knows,” eloquently realized by Brandi herself and John Legend. Perfection. Truth.
Down below the stage, aside from the seat fillers, was a star-studded audience which included Hanson — Isaac, Taylor and Zac. Remember them? They came onto the scene in 1997 with long blonde mains and peach fuzz. Now they have haircuts and mustaches. Their A&R Steve Greenberg asked me to write with them but I was too full of myself back then. l Thought, “What? Get in the room with 3 babies? No thank you,” and passed. Months later “MMMBop” was in non-stop rotation on MTV. I was beside myself. On the upside, I was in the room with Meredith at the time writing “Bitch.” So that decision didn’t turn out so bad.
Follow your path. Your bliss. Sometimes it makes sense in retrospect.
Isaac, Taylor and Zac. Still Cute!
The Beach Boys themselves, or should I say The (remaining) Beach Men were seated above stage right in a box. They waved intermittently. Even Brian! And at the end of each song the featured artist or band faced them and saluted, bowed, curtsied or put their hands to their hearts. As well they should…
I personally never caught a wave, but as per tribute presenter John Stamos: The Beach Boys were “a part of our DNA.” You didn’t have to surf to get them. Some of my favorite artists and bands re-interpreting some of my favorite songs from the soundtrack of my youth was a song-junkie’s dream and super special night I’ll always remember.
The tribute will be broadcast on CBS/Paramount+ scheduled (mysteriously) for “later this year.” But whenever that may be Ima gonna watch it again.
With my pals Tracy and Gena Gershon ❤️
*****
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