For the sizable contingent of music lovers who want to get their Beach Boys concert fix — without actually going to see the current version of the band itself — I am pleased to offer up a great option:
Al Jardine.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who co-founded the Beach Boys with Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson and Mike Love in Hawthorne in 1961, is still slinging tales of surfing, hotrods and other quintessential SoCal subjects in 2025.
And he’s doing so in grand style.
Jardine underscored that point during on Wednesday (Dec. 18), which was the second half of a two-night stand with his Endless Summer Band at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel-by-the-Sea. He played roughly two-dozen Beach Boys classics, complemented by a couple of solo cuts, in about 100 minutes of stage time. The longtime Monterey County resident seemed comfortable and at ease in this homecourt setting, located just a short (but very memorable) drive north from his home in Big Sur.
It was wonderful to see Jardine back on the stage, a place where — in recent decades — he has mostly inhabited as a member of Brian Wilson’s band. That close-knit relationship, especially taken in context with what many view as a very strained one between Wilson and Mike Love, is one of the reasons why some fans might prefer seeing Jardine and company over the current Love-led Beach Boys.
Yes, for many fans, loving Beach Boys music has been at least partly about picking sides ever since Wilson began touring with his solo band regularly in the late ’90s.
I’m not part of that either-or camp, but rather one who takes his “God Only Knows” and “Help Me Rhonda” anyway he can get it.
But I can understand why some from the Brian camp didn’t want to support both, believing that any version of the Beach Boys that doesn’t include its true genius really shouldn’t be called the Beach Boys. That was a solid enough plan until Wilson passed earlier this year, leaving a huge hole that will never be completely filled when it comes to experiencing Beach Boys music live.
Yet, spending the evening with Jardine sure helps.
That’s especially true given the quality of his Endless Summer Band, which is filled with topnotch musicians — many of whom have strong ties to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.
Topping the list is the bandleader’s son and vocalist Matt Jardine, who really makes this whole group possible with his ability to hit all those high parts originally made famous by Brian Wilson (and, to a lesser extent, brother Carl). The other six players are bassist Randell Kirsch and guitarist Rob Bonfiglio (both veterans of Beach Boys tours), keyboardist Debbie Shair, multi-instrumentalist Emeen Zarookian, drummer Jim Laspesa and keyboardist/music director Darian Sahanaja, a longtime Brian Wilson collaborator who may well know more about Beach Boys music than anybody alive.
The concert got off to a strong start with the endlessly catchy “California Girls,” which was quickly followed by the peppy “Do It Again” and “Hawaii” before slipping into beautiful ballad territory with the all-time greats “Surfer Girl” and “Don’t Worry Baby.”
Then came time to rev up “Little Deuce Coup,” but not before Jardine told a story about what it was like working in the studio with the song’s original lead vocalist, Mike Love.
“Mike was always on his own microphone, because he didn’t like the rest of us,” Jardine commented to big laughs from the crowd. “It’s true. We were always kind of making jokes and laughing. And Love said, ‘I want my own mic. I’ll get my part right and I can leave early and you guys can keep working.’
“Brian was always cracking jokes and that would always make us laugh. So, Mike just pissed off and had to have his own microphone.”
Four different singers handled lead vocals on the night, with (by far) the lion’s share rightfully going to the gifted Matt Jardine and dear ol’ dad coming in just behind him. Sahanaja handled a pair of winners — “Darlin’” and “I Can Hear Music” — and Bonfiglio sat in the driver’s seat for “Sail On, Sailor.”
Although the night was all about the Beach Boys classics — “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” etc. — Jardine did steal a moment to highlight his recent solo single “Islands in the Sun.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard it,” he said as an intro to the bright, tropical tune. “But you will now.”
Closing the 18-song main set with the truly transcendent “Good Vibrations,” Jardine and his band then returned for a generous encore that kicked off in highly seasonal manner with a triple shot of “Christmas Day,” “Big Sur Christmas” and “Little Saint Nick.”
They then tossed in a rough-around-the-edges “Ding Dang” — by audience request — before moving to Jardine’s signature Beach Boys offering, “Help Me, Rhonda.” The potent one-two punch of “Surfin’ U.S.A.” into “Fun, Fun, Fun” seemingly served as the grand finale, sending to the musicians to the front of the stage to take their bows.
Yet, the audience members still wanted more — and they cried out for one specific classic that wasn’t originally on the setlist. So, Jardine decided to give the people what they wanted and grabbed his guitar, one more time, for a exuberant show-ending take of “Barbara Ann.”
Al Jardine Setlist:
1. “California Girls”
2. “Do It Again”
3. “Hawaii”
4. “Surfer Girl”
5. “Don’t Worry Baby”
6. “Little Deuce Coupe”
7. “I Get Around”
8. “In My Room”
9. “Islands in the Sun”
10. “You’re So Good to Me”
11. “Darlin’”
12. “California Saga (California)”
13. “Sail On, Sailor”
14. “I Can Hear Music”
15. “God Only Knows”
16. “Sloop John B”
17. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
18. “Good Vibrations”
Encore:
19. “Christmas Day”
20. “Big Sur Christmas”
21. “Little Saint Nick”
22. “Ding Dang”
23. “Help Me, Rhonda”
24. “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
25. “Fun, Fun, Fun”
Encore 2:
26. “Barbara Ann”
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