Wilson gives concertgoers something to “˜SMiLE’ about
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 3, 2004 9:00 p.m.
On the night when a deeply divided country clashed at the polls,
a couple thousand Americans packed into a concert hall and got on
their feet to the tune of “Good Vibrations.”
Tuesday night, Brian Wilson’s “SMiLE” tour
came to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The performance was part of a
U.S. tour coinciding with the September release of the album of the
same name, which was newly recorded after its abandonment 37 years
ago.
The entire first half of the show, however, was devoted not to
“SMiLE,” but to Wilson’s celebrated work as
ringleader and mastermind of the Beach Boys many years ago.
Surrounded by a circle of musicians, Wilson began the concert with
a spot-on rendition of “Surfer Girl” ““ the first
song he ever wrote. He then gracefully ran through several more
songs, including “Add Some Music to Your Day” and
“Please Let Me Wonder,” as well as a good-humored
version of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” that incorporated
audience call-and-response with the backing band’s stunning
harmonies.
Wilson then brought out the big guns for the rest of the show,
breaking circle and expanding the band for more up-tempo favorites,
such as “Sloop John B.,” “Dance, Dance,
Dance” and “California Girls.” The emotional
highlight came during his restrained performance of “God Only
Knows,” followed by a two-song tribute of
“Forever” and “Good Timin'” to his
brothers, with whom his relationship has been notoriously
unsteady.
It wasn’t until after intermission that Wilson performed
“SMiLE” in its entirety, backed both by his band and
the Stockholm Strings n’ Horns. Up to this point, the
musicians had been cohesive, polished and in top form, but the
second half of the show undoubtedly took them to another level.
In a breathtaking display of professionalism and creativity, the
collective recreated in a live setting Wilson’s intricate
studio orchestrations that served as an integral part to the
show’s success. Paul Mertens switched off between saxophone,
harmonica, clarinet and vocals when he wasn’t conducting the
strings and horns sections. Even more impressive was the
group’s vocal anchor, Jeffrey Foskett, who was playfully
introduced as the “CEO of Falsetto” because of his
astonishing vocal range.
The group made animal noises during “Barnyard” and
brought out drills, saws and hammers during the
“Workshop” interlude. Wilson’s voice even seemed
to gain strength as the night progressed.
It was evident Wilson and company knew they were good when they
came back on stage with an obviously well-rehearsed five-song
encore of crowd-pleasing songs like “Barbara Ann,”
“Surfin’ USA,” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
Wilson then came back one final time with a touching and heartfelt
second encore of “Love and Mercy.”
Despite the well-documented struggles in his life ““ the
drugs, the fighting in the group, the breakdowns ““ Brian
Wilson’s music carried a joy and sincerity that wiped all
cynicism away. It was, perhaps, the one sane place on election
night.
-Alfred Lee
