Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Beach Boys Are Better Than Ever!

The 5 Beach Boys gather for "Add Some Music To Your Day" with Foskett in the shadows
Brian, David, Mike, Al
Thanks for the pass, Foskett!
Johnston, Foskett, Love, Jardine in 1984
    If you went to college I'm pretty sure you remember your first week on campus.  Whether orientation week was an endless parade of parties or diligent preparation for upcoming classes (yeah, right!), it was all new.  For most of us it was our first time living on our own, with choices to be made, both bad and good.
    One of the best choices I ever made happened on Sept. 26, 1974, a Thursday night at UC Santa Barbara.  I was a seventeen year-old freshman having the time of my life and looking forward to the Jackson Browne & Honk concert the following night.  Then a girl named Gina said a band was playing in front of a dorm so I followed her on my bike until I heard the unmistakable sounds of The Beatles' "Day Tripper."  In '74 college kids were not nostalgic about the 60s, we lived through them if only through the eyes of our older siblings.  Most local bands, like the ones I played with in high school, favored current Allman Brothers guitar rock over the complex vocal harmonies of the Fab Four.
    When the band known as The Reverie Rhythm Rockers finally took a break I was waiting for them with tons of questions. How did they get so good? Did they love The Beatles as much as I did? The guitarist with the big smile and perfect falsetto introduced himself as Jeffrey Foskett and I think we talked rock trivia between every break they took!
    It was the start of a long and fruitful friendship.  On Jan. 31, 1979, my band Norman Allan's first gig was opening for  Foskett's band the Death Eggz.  Foskett had to loan me a bass so I could make the gig! By then the New Wave/Punk invasion had convinced every cover band to write their own songs.  My band had a couple good ones, Foskett and partner Randall Kirsch had so many they got serious and changed their name to The Pranks, the perfect non-serious name.
    Then one day Foskett was asked to join the Beach Boys and invited me to a few shows where I took photos, some of which I sold to the band.  I still have my laminated photo pass and many cherished memories from those days in the early 80s.
    Why am I telling you this?  Because I just saw Jeffrey Foskett perform with The Beach Boys on their 50th Anniversary Tour and he kicked ass.  While everyone is excited to see the surviving members of "the boys" back on stage together, make no mistake.   Foskett is the 6th Beach Boy, whose duties include singing those famous high falsettos and handling the intros at the start of the show.  On stage Al Jardine called Foskett the "hardest working man in show business."  He was the reason I was at the show on May 26th 2012 at Fantasy Springs Casino outside of Palm Springs.
    For the casual fan it was a night of fun, fun fun.  For a hardcore fan like me with personal connections it was a night I saw my whole life flash before me.  From Jeff's wonderful spotlight on "Don't Worry Baby" which always reminds me of my three sisters, to the encore of "Kokomo" which takes me back to working as a DJ in Santa Barbara.  The tributes to Dennis and Carl Wilson had me near tears, since I got to spend time with both of them in the early 80s.  Their brother weighed 300 pounds when I first met him back then.  Now Brian Wilson is belting out classics like "Sail On Sailor" right in front of me and sounding damn good.  Who would've believed he'd outlive his younger brothers?
    This is the Beach Boys concert every fan wanted, not just the hits, but choice "album cuts" like "This Whole World" and the gorgeous "All This Is That."  Mike Love has never sounded better on the surfing and car songs, and kills on "Be True To Your School."  Jardine gets his obvious turn on "Help Me Rhonda" but also the surprise "Cottonfields."  David Marks plays the original guitar riffs with just the right touch of distortion.  The only thing missing was Bruce Johnston singing "Disney Girls," a song performed earlier in the tour.  The band is powered by drummer John Cowsill (I jammed with him and his dear departed brother Barry many times back in the 80s) and 8 other talented musicians.  They are tight, the harmonies are spot on, and they keep the songs coming at break neck speed.
    The Beach Boys played 44 songs that night, or 44 memories for me.  Almost as many years as I've known Jeffrey Foskett.  Even if you've never met a Beach Boy, you know The Beach Boys.  You need to see this tour because it may never happen again.
    The Beach Boys sing "All This Is That:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG8Vz9EZQvY
  

       
   

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