Beach Boys will perform on NCC stage

The Beach Boys will perform at NCC on Oct, 15 and 16. | File Photo

Updated: January 23, 2012 3:56AM

The legendary group The Beach Boys will perform two shows at Naperville’s North Central College in advance of the band’s “new” album, SMiLE.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Beach Boys will play North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall at 8 p.m. Oct. 15 and 6 p.m. Oct. 16. Shortly after that, The Beach Boys’ “new” album, “SMiLE,” which was recorded 44 years ago, will finally be released Nov. 1.

The album is available as a two-CD edition and an expanded box set, and for the hardcore fans, a collector’s edition with a Beach Boys surfboard. Original members Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love have worked with engineers on updating the Beach Boys’ original session masters. This goes along with the recently released compilations “Sounds of Summer” and “The Warmth of the Sun.”

The Beach Boys formed in 1961 California, and experienced a number of his songs such as “Surfin’ USA,” “I Get Around” and the Grammy-nominated “Good Vibrations.” The band released one of music’s most influential albums ever, “Pet Sounds,” in 1967.

Now 70, Mike Love is the only remaining original member in the band. He credits daily meditation to keeping his stress level down and his energy up, and still sings lead vocals in the original key.

As this is the band’s 50th anniversary, there’s a lot of conversation about doing a 50th anniversary tour with the three surviving original members.

“There’s a lot of energy around it, but there’s nothing formulated yet,” he said. “There’s a good chance but nothing to announce at the moment. There’s still discovery going on to see if there’s a demand and where there’s a demand and how much of a demand. I think everyone’s pretty much positively disposed to do such a thing.”

The Beach Boys have remained popular and relevant in pop culture, even 50 years later.

“We had so many hits in the ‘60s, that’s the foundation of our success,” he said. “And those songs relate to a mature adult or a senior nostalgically; but for a lot of kids, the themes are relevant.

“I have a 15-year-old daughter and several years ago, she came home from school saying, ‘Hey Dad, my fourth grade class’s favorite song is ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice.’ That’s on our ‘Pet Sounds’ album, which came out in 1966.

“But it was also on the soundtrack of ‘50 First Dates;’ and more recently, it was in ‘It’s Complicated.’ I went to go see it and right there in the middle of the film comes ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice,’” he said.

“I think that particular song totally relates to a young person who has a crush on another young person. We look at it nostalgically, but it’s more relevant to that time of your life for a lot of people.”

Successive generations have come to discover the music of the Beach Boys and other groups that have become looked at as the founding fathers of rock ‘n’ roll.

“It’s pretty cool to see whole entire families … come to a Beach Boys show and enjoy it,” he said. “I think the older fans like the Beach Boys music because it has some nice melodies and harmonies, and the subject matter is kind of unique.

“We’re singing about our cars. We still do those songs today as kind of a cars medley.”

They’ll start with the surfing songs — “Surfin’,” “Surfin’ Safari,” “Surfin’ USA” — and will also perform the “car” songs and the more esoteric “Pet Sounds” music.

“We’ve been identified with surfing and the beach and cars our entire career,” he said. “We chose to accentuate the positive, at least in our creative efforts.

“People ask us if we ever get tired of doing these songs, and I have to say that first of all, as a musician, you like to do music. And second of all, the music we do is interesting and challenging enough to keep you mentally engaged. ”

Don’t expect to hear songs from “SMiLE” — it technically hasn’t been released yet. Love is excited for fans to hear the new material, though.

“There are some fascinating tracks, some really interesting music,” he said. “There’s everything from bizarre to beautiful.”

Love said it wasn’t released 44 years ago because Brian Wilson’s reaction to LSD caused him to withdraw from that project.

“It’s been in the vault for many years, and finally Capital Records is (releasing it) so people will hear what was going on back in 1967,” he said.

“I think some people will think it’s the greatest thing they’ve ever heard, and some will think it’s weird. At the time, Brian was at his height, musically speaking.”

Overall, Naperville audiences should expect a big range of sounds and songs, he said.

“Everything from our first song, ‘Surfin’,’ to our biggest hit, ‘Kokomo.’ That surpassed ‘Good Vibrations,’ which was No. 1 in 1966,” he said.

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