Brian Wilson
on a Summer Night in Boston
By Mike Jackman
U
nder a warm and breezy night sky in Boston, Brian Wilson, the founder and musical
genius behind The Beach Boys, officially
kicked off summer for the 5,000 attendees
at The Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on July 2.
Having been fortunate enough to see Brian Wilson and his spectacular band many times since
2004, I was still awestruck and just as excited as
I was my first time. Beginning the show with the
frequently played “Our Prayer” the song was a majestic and otherworldly choral delight that filled the
amphitheater with bliss and promise of what lay
ahead for the evening.
Wasting no time, Wilson and fellow founding
Beach Boy, Al Jardine launched into “Heroes and
Villains,” a song which was written on a piano in
a sandbox in 1966. This song immediately drew
the crowd in with its familiar, whimsical, and offbeat style. The harpsichord and harmonizing really
stand out on this gem from the seminal Beach Boys
masterpiece Pet Sounds. Listening to the arrangement of this first song I was reminded how much of
the music The Beach Boys recorded in the 60’s was
way ahead of its time, making them classic.
Within seconds of the beginning of the orchestral
prelude to “California Girls” the venue went nuts
and rose to their collective feet singing along with
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uncontrollable smiles and all the happy fe