By Mike McKenney, Rock At Night New England
Venue: Wof Den @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut-February 9, 2019-Al Jardine delivers a First-Class performance of “A Postcard from California” at The Wolf Den
The warm harmonies of the California surf sound was a welcome relief from the cold New England winter Saturday night in the Wolf Den as Al Jardine, founding member of the legendary band, “ The Beach Boys”, entertained the sold out audience with his solo tour. Along with The Beach Boys, Al is a 1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy recipient.
Al with his son Matt Jardine (vocals, percussion) and Jeff Alan Ross (vocals, keyboards, guitar) mixed some of the most recognizable songs ever written (California Girls, Sloop John B, Help Me Rhonda) with cuts from his solo album “A Post Card From California”.
Early in the show, there was a glitch with the keyboard connection, but that did not deter these seasoned professionals as Jeff Alan Ross just picked up a guitar and continued the set as if they planned it that way all along, and soon the keyboard issue was resolved.
Meanwhile, Al expertly interwove stories compiled from almost 60 years of performing, between songs. Both informative and entertaining, Al’s personality connected with the mostly older audience, as short videos displayed tribute to Al’s long career, among them a thank you from the Late great Glen Campbell for Al’s help during his stint with the Beach Boys, and pictures from “The Monkeys Uncle” brought back memories of the Annette Funicello film that featured the Beach Boys.
The sounds of summer continued with rare treats such as “Luau” sprinkled in with famous iconic hits. The smooth as silk harmonies were punctuated by Matt Jardine (singing the Brian Wilson high notes) showcasing his incredible high register on mega hit “Good Vibrations”.
The knowledgeable crowd, showed their appreciation for harmonic intricacies of “In My Room”, and “God Only Knows”, as well as the quirky “Vegetables”. A outstanding fan favorite was the title cut from Al Jardine’s “A Postcard From California” album that was released in limited edition last year.AL, Matt, and Jeff left the stage to a standing ovation, the crowd satiated after a great night of California style Rock and Roll.
“A Postcard From California” tour is a must see for any fan of the West Coast genre.
SET LIST
Surfin’
Luau
Surfin’ Safari
Surfer Girl
California Girls
Sloop John B
God Only Knows
Good Vibrations
Vegetables
Surf’s Up
California Saga: California
A Postcard From California
In My Room
Surfin’ U.S.A
Help Me, Rhonda
PHOTO GALLERY
Mike McKenney is an award winning professional photographer and current New England Correspondent for Rock At Night magazine.
With his years of experience and passion for Concert Photography, Mike has photographed many of the famous acts in the world today.
Rock Icons such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Dave Matthews, and Fleetwood Mac along with Country artist Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney,and Jason Aldean have all appeared before Mike’s camera.
"My goal is always to present the experience truthfully so fans can feel the energy and emotions the Artists convey. It’s a tremendous honor and responsibility to be allowed to create art while blending my two passions, music and photography”
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Loved reading about Al Jardine and A Postcard From California. Everyone should see this show. Thank you for the fabulous article.