  Brian Wilson. (MICHAEL PEAKE/QMI AGENCY) |
TORONTO - Brian Wilson, notoriously afflicted by mental illness and then drugs over a large period of his life, is difficult to categorize as a live performer.
His childlike statements and physical gestures, coupled with him barely touching his keyboard and the need for a teleprompter, it’s hard to sometimes believe that the 68-year-old is responsible for some of the best early pop songs ever written and recorded courtesy of his ‘60s quintessential California band The Beach Boys.
For example, he had the audience at Massey Hall on Saturday night sing Row Your Boat with him during the third song of the evening.
But there is something thoroughly sweet and charming about his genuine desire to please an audience as he more than demonstrated over the course of two hours and 20 minutes before a surprisingly small crowd that filled about three-quarters of the venue.
“Toronto you are the best - we love you,” said Wilson who earlier in the week was presented with the inaugural North by Northeast lifetime achievement award.
Ostensibly touring in support of his 2010 effort Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, the singer-songwriter-keyboardist - who turns 69 on Monday - spent the first half of his 43-song show delving into The Beach Boys lengthy back catalogue. He had help from a youthful and energetic nine-piece band, all of one who provided those gorgeous harmonies as well as five string players from Toronto.
And the good news is that he can still sing the majority of the Beach Boys classics -with guitarist Jeffrey Foskett and keyboardist Darian Sahanaja sometimes taking over on lead vocals - even if he was hit and miss with the Gershwin material which dominated the second half of the show.
When Wilson finally strapped on a guitar for Barbara Ann, just as the concert was coming to a close, the audience practically went bananas.
Opening the night with Do It Again, it would take about a half-dozen songs for Wilson and his band to really gel and it occurred with what he explained was the first song he ever wrote, Surfer Girl.
Foskett was also excellent on Then I Kissed Her and Don’t Worry Baby and the momentum continued as Wilson took over on lead vocals again on Please Let Me Wonder, I Get Around, Add Some Music To Your Day, Sail On Sailor, California Girls, Sloop John B, God Only Knows (this one produced a standing ovation), and Good Vibrations.
The entire band also performed Pet Sounds’ title track instrumental.
By the 20 minute intermission, Wilson and his musicians had performed a staggering 23 songs and it could have all ended right then and there.
Especially since the second half of the show was much more challenging.
I could have done without the Gershwin reinterpretations and instead welcomed more Beach Boys material when it finally came again at the very end like Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Surfin’ USA, Fun Fun Fun, and All Summer Long along with Chuck Berry’s Johnny B Goode, but what are you going to do?
One musical genius covers another, you need to pay your respect and give it a fair shake.
I appreciated the vocal harmonies of Rhapsody in Blue - apparently Wilson heard the song when he was only two and it had a huge effect on him. Wilson did justice to Summertime and They Can’t Take That Away From Me but the majority of songs saw him struggling vocally even if the arrangements were interesting enough.
The cool part, of course, was when Wilson explained that George Gershwin had performed on the very same stage at Massey Hall back in 1934.
SET LIST:
Do It Again
Catch A Wave
Row Your Boat
Dance, Dance, Dance
Girl Don’t Tell Me
Salt Lake City
Surfer Girl
Then I Kissed Her
Please Let Me Wonder
Don’t Worry Baby
I Get Around
Add Some Music To Your Day
Do You Wanna Dance
The Little Girl I Once Knew
Darlin’
Sail On Sailor
California Girls
Pet Sounds
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Sloop John B
God Only Knows
Heroes & Villains
Good Vibrations
INTERMISSION
Rhapsody In Blue (intro)
The Like In I Love you
Summertime
I Loves You, Porgy
I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’
It Ain’t Necessarily So
‘S Wonderful
They Can’t Take That Away From Me
Love Is Here To Stay
I Got A Crush On You
I Got Rhythm
Someone To Watch Over Me
Nothing But Love
Rhapsody In Blue (reprise)
ENCORE:
Johnny B Goode
Help Me Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin’ Usa
Fun Fun Fun
SECOND ENCORE
All Summer Long
