Beach Boys futures

The New York Times (gift link) asks “What’s Next for the Beach Boys?”:

Mike Love has been a constant, and sometimes contentious, steward of the band’s performances. Health problems and a recent concert appearance have prompted fans to ask what the future holds.

Sad to say, just more of the same, until they fold the tent.

If one wants to hear Beach Boys music rightly performed, seek out Al Jardine & the Pet Sounds Band. Al, a founding Beach Boy, now eighty-four, is an eminently capable musician, and his group includes his son Matt (hitting the high notes) and several musicians from Brian Wilson’s band (Darian Sahanaja, Debbie Shair, Paul Von Mertens, Bob Lizik, Mike D’Amico). It’s a group with mad skills, instrumentally and vocally, and they’re deep in the catalog. Try “Heroes and Villains.” Or for sheer strangeness, “Solar System.” If I ever have the chance to hear this group in person, I’m there.