The headlining act at the inaugural concert in a couple of weeks time will be…The Beach Boys. Not the real Beach Boys, of course. Once Brian Wilson left, they were just a shell. With his brothers, Carl and Dennis, both having died, Alan Jardine no longer being with the band, and the band having broken up in 1988 that leaves just Wilson cousin Mike Love and some other guys who are decidedly not Beach Boys touring under the name of “The Beach Boys.” (Love’s biggest contribution to The Beach Boys was “Kokomo.” Now let us never speak of it again.) I’ll be at the inauguration, but I think I’ll skip the lead entertainment.
We’ve got two dozen world-famous bands here in Virginia, and the faux Beach Boys are headlining the “Promise of Virginia” inaugural concert. That promise is, what, outsourcing? How depressing.
Mike Love is evil. Mike Love is the reason why we had to wait 37 years to hear Smile. Mike Love didn’t want to make Pet Sounds. Mike Love can take his beard and cap and shove them where the sun don’t shine. Mike Love is NOT the Beach Boys.
Mike Love did one worthwhile thing and that was to write the hook for Good Vibrations. Following that, he should have retired to the middle of the Gobi desert.
Beach Boys? Wow. That’ll keep down the crowds. I assume that KC and the Sunshine Band with Special Guest Star Cindy Lauper was booked?
Where’s James Watt when you need him? Heh.
How do you get tickets?
Yay, you got tickets! Congrats!
Tickets to the inaugural carryings-on are easy — it’s the inaugural ball that’s the challenge. The Sorensen Institute is having a reception there, and I get to tag along with my wife. :)
Do you know if any of SWVA’s music, being bluegrass/country, will be represented during the inaugural festivities? Ralph Stanley is one of the biggest acts in bluegrass today, lives in Dickenson County, and is a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. So is Roy Clark, the former co-host of Hee-Haw, but he will be out of the country on inauguration day.
You know, my wife and I had this very conversation over dinner, with Ralph Stanley being one of the artists that we named. Lord, I hope they’re included in this.
I wonder why Dave Matthews Band didn’t play — they’re all hard-core Democrats, too. (I assume they’re not playing. If the faux Beach Boys are headlining above DMB, somebody on the transition team deserves to get canned.) They’re not touring now, and they’re supposed to be going back into the studio nowish, so they should all be in town.
There are lots of fantastically talented musicians in Virginia. I hope they’ll be showcased at the inauguration.
Nothing against the Beach Boys, mind you, but it seems to me that DMB and Ralph Stanley would both have been more reasonable choices. Do the Beach Boys have some kind of VA connection?
(By the way, I never was big on the DMB until I heard Dave Matthews do “Long Black Veil” with Emmylou Harris on a Johnny Cash tribute show. He’s a great performer.
At least John Stamos won’t be there!
Could we make it an all Virginia rock band concert? Have DMB, Pat McGee Band, and Carbonleaf show up and play a set.
Let’s not forget John McCutcheon. He should be there performing “Commonwealth”, a song he wrote to celebrate Virginia.
I was hoping for REO Speedwagon or Air Supply.
I just wonder which ball is which…there are two, right? One in Richmond and one in Williamsburg. What’s the difference? Other than the actual place.
I heard there were THREE balls. Two in Richmond. One in Williamsburg. I’m very confused.
Kaine was given a selection of headline bands and chose the Beach Boys. Ok, maybe this is showing my age, but I kind of see why Kaine may have choses this group. First of all, back in the 80’s, the Reagan administration’s Secretary of the Interior (James Watt) decided, at the last minute, to cancel the booking of the Beach Boys, who had played free concerts on the Mall several years previously. Apparently, Watt felt that the Beach Boys attracted the wrong sort and felt things would be far more dignified if the entertainment was switched to Vegas lounge singer Wayne Newton. As it turned out, Nancy Reagan ended up making her first political break with Republican policies–going public that, in fact, she was a Beach Boys fan. Combined with public furor, Watt let the Beach Boys play.
So, there’s a more than a little symbolism behind any political choice for the Beach Boys. I don’t know if that was on Kaine’s mind (although I imagine no far right winger would EVER choose them). Most likely–Tim probably just likes their songs. They are fun, breezy–and good in concert (I took my nephew to see them a year ago at Wolftrap). So, it’s his taste, not yours–it’s his concert! Remember, Waldo, when you are middle aged and Governor, the young bucks will wonder why you chose such tired old bands!
There will be Bluegrass, too. Remember, at the get-go, Kaine requested that the group “No Speed Limit” perform–that’s probably at least one of the “Virginia talent” promised. We can only hope that more “Virginia talent” joins in (maybe somebody in Richmond is practicing his harmonica skills–check out the video here–http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/racetorichmond/2005/08/jammin_with_kai.html)!
Balls–there will be three, one in Williamsburg, two in Richmond. From what I understand, there may be tickets still available at the Young Professionals Ball–I don’t know. Actually, I have heard conflicting information that there may be tickets available to all the balls (save the Abington pre-ball). Definitely sold out–bleacher seats for the parade and the first lady’s brunch.
While Mary sheds some light on Kaine’s choice, I’m afraid she’s missed Waldo’s point. That is, this band that’s playing, although they have the legal right to the name of The Beach Boys, are NOT The Beach Boys.
No Brian Wilson. No Carl Wilson. No Dennis Wilson. No Al Jardine. Not even Bruce Johnston. It’s just Mike Love and his anonymous bunch of touring musicians who will be playing music made famous by The Beach Boys.
I love The Beach Boys. Waldo loves The Beach Boys. Tim Kaine loves The Beach Boys. These guys are not The Beach Boys (contractually, they are… artistically, they’re not). Now, if he wanted to get Brian Wilson to perform, that’d be another story…
Hello Waldo,
As a Nancies member (PurpleFishHead), I was wondering the same thing. I hope they are resting so they can make some quality music. However, after “Stand Up” my hopes are not high. It has it’s moments, but is nothing compared to the “Big Three” Let’s hope Dave writes better lyrics he and Carter actually gets to play.
Any Brian Wilson song, however you feel about Mike Love’s ability or right to play it, is better than the atonal meanderings of Dave Matthews – native Virginian or not.
I’d have to disagree.