Good Vibrations: Al Jardine at City Winery

Member of The Beach Boys and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Al Jardine made a stop at City Winery in Nashville on Wednesday night. The songs, visuals, and overall atmosphere took his audience back to 1961 where it all began.

HANNAH LANEY

There’s nothing quite like experiencing some of the greatest music of all time live. Everyone knows the melodies made by The Beach Boys. Songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Surfin’ U.S.A.”, and “Good Vibrations” have easily become the soundtrack to our lives. These are songs that no doubt have a special memory tied to them, no matter who you are. Growing up, I remember hearing them throughout popular 80’s sitcom Full House. They remind me of my childhood. Even though they were released in the 60’s, the impact is so strong that it has carried across generations.

The night at City Winery was light-hearted and gave a great impression of who this man is who had been involved in the history of the hits we all know and love. Before going into another song, Jardine would give a small backstory on the track, explaining how it came into fruition. One of my favorite stories he told involves The Beach Boys’ 1967 song, “Vegetables”, featured on the album Smiley Smile. Brian Wilson was very into eating healthy at the time and wanted to pay tribute to his nutritional little friends, so came “Vegetables”. Apparently Paul McCartney had come into the studio late one night while they were recording because they had the same producer at the time and ended up making his mark on the record. On the single version you can hear him chewing carrots in the background! Hey, that was the 60’s, man.

The band did a wonderful job of playing favorites from the catalogue. Sharing lead vocal responsibilities was none other than Al’s son, Matt Jardine. His voice sounds surprisingly similar to Brian Wilson’s that there’s hardly any difference at all, it was like Wilson was there himself. The lineup have been playing together for quite awhile and it was evident the work that had been put in. What was most rewarding about witnessing the show was how proud band leader Jardine acted to have been a part of something so extraordinary. I love The Beach Boys and know you probably do, too. If given the chance, go see one of their shows live, you won’t regret or ever forget it.

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