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Beach Boys fans got just the Christmas present they were hoping for over the weekend.
And it was delivered by merry ol’ Brian Wilson, who performed “The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album” in front of a highly appreciative crowd on Dec. 22 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.
Of course, it’s always great to hear this pop music mastermind in concert. But it was the chance to experience this classic 1964 holiday offering — being performed live in its entirety for the first time ever on this tour — that truly made this such a can’t-miss show.
The Santa Rosa show was the only Northern California date on the itinerary, which translated to some fans having to make quite a lengthy drive. But, without a doubt, the concert proved worth the effort.
Wilson and company — which included fellow former Beach Boys Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin — opened the show, like the “Christmas Album” itself, with the memorable “Little Saint Nick,” one of the best yuletide offerings of the last 60 years.
Yes! The Beach Boys Christmas Album … Live! Little Saint Nick @BrianWilsonLive pic.twitter.com/oaTuGjyif2
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
The group, as always, sounded superb, offering up those signature vocal harmonies and clean, concise pop musicianship, as Wilson and the other 11 musicians continued through the first half of the “Christmas Album.” Highlights included Chaplin and Jardine sharing vocals on Beach Boys original “Merry Christmas, Baby” and a fun, jazzy arrangement of the traditional “Frosty the Snowman.”
“That concludes Side One of the record,” announced Jardine, who did most of the talking between songs. “We are going to flip it over.”
The Man With All the Toys @BrianWilsonLive pic.twitter.com/KrbKnr8crH
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
That led directly to what was arguably the best holiday offering of the night, “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” a carol from the 1850s that served as a beautiful showcase for the band’s vocal harmonies.
They’d mix up the track listing a bit on the second side, but, eventually, fans would get to hear all of the Side Two numbers, including the cool take on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” and the Chaplin-sung, reggae-flavored “Blue Christmas.”
Al Jardine on lead vocals "Christmas Day" @BrianWilsonLive pic.twitter.com/J1z9W0Afna
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
Pretty much all of the vocal highlights came courtesy of Chaplin, Jardine and the other supporting cast members. Wilson struggled a bit at the microphone, but not enough to really put a damper on the evening.
Following “Blue Christmas,” the group touched on Wilson’s own seasonal solo album, 2005’s “What I Really Want for Christmas,” performing “On Christmas Day” and the Wilson-Jimmy Webb co-written “Christmasey.”
Nice arrangement on Frosty the snowman @BrianWilsonLive pic.twitter.com/GeIIEf7PLm
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
Then came another real treat as Jardine crooned through “Winter Symphony,” a heady, intricate composition from the famous unreleased Beach Boys’ holiday outing from the late ’70s, “Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys.” He’d stay at the microphone for “Christmas Time Is Here Again,” another rarity that shares the same origin as the last. (Both of those tunes can be found on the 1998 compilation “Ultimate Christmas.”)
Christmasey from @BrianWilsonLive solo Christmas album pic.twitter.com/VGOxoC4SlS
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
Then it was time for Chaplin, who showed his versatility by handling both the moving ballad “O Holy Night” — another nominee for best holiday offering of the night — and the Chuck Berry rocker ” Run Rudolph Run” with great success.
That put an end to the holiday offerings, at least for the moment, so the group changed tracks and started rolling out the hits. What followed were some of the very best songs in popular music history. We’re talking about such classics as “Good Vibrations,” “Sloop John B,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “God Only Knows.”
Blondie Chsplin doing super version of the beautiful O Holy Night at @BrianWilsonLive show. pic.twitter.com/E49qs0xvc2
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
The band ended the show back where it started, returning to “The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album” for a nice rendition of “White Christmas” and then all the musicians grouped around Wilson at the piano for the sentimental send-off “Auld lang syne.”
My favorite Beach Boys song … pic.twitter.com/XTzsIzFTfU
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
Set list:
“Little Saint Nick”
“The Man With All the Toys”
“Santa’s Beard”
“Merry Christmas, Baby”
“Christmas Day”
“Frosty the Snowman”
“We Three Kings of Orient Are”
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Blue Christmas”
The finale of Brian Wilson Beach boys Christmas album live pic.twitter.com/Gv5cKqlS2f
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 23, 2018
“Christmasey”
“On Christmas Day”
“Winter Symphony”
“Christmas Time Is Here Again”
“O Holy Night”
“Run Rudolph Run”
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
“Sloop John B”
“God Only Knows”
“Darlin'”
“Sail On, Sailor”
“Good Vibrations”
“Help Me, Rhonda”
“Barbara Ann”
“Surfin’ U.S.A.”
“Fun, Fun, Fun”
“White Christmas”
“Auld lang syne”
