Good vibrations fill the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ this Monday, June 23, 2025 evening as music lovers stream into the Ocean City Music Pier for the first of four 2025 Sounds of Summer concerts by The Beach Boys.
Formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, The Beach Boys’ original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson; their cousin, Mike Love; and their friend, Al Jardine. In 1965, singer/songwriter Bruce Johnston joined the group so that Brian — the group’s main composer, arranger, and producer — could spend more time in the recording studio.
The Beach Boys went on to sell over 100 million records and receive more than 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold record awards. They have been honored at the Grammys with a Lifetime Achievement Award and are also Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Dennis Wilson died in 1983; his brother, Carl Wilson, died in 1998; and Brian Wilson just recently passed away on June 11, but with more than five decades of touring experience on their resume, The Beach Boys — fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston — have gone on to perform more live concerts than any other major rock band in history.
Inside the historic Ocean City Music Pier auditorium, the screen behind the stage comes alive with video highlights of The Beach Boys throughout the decades. Music lovers cheer as the current iteration of The Beach Boys — lead guitarist John Wedemeyer, woodwind player Randy Leago, bassist Keith Hubacher, keyboardist Tim Bonhomme, drummer Jon Bolton, and rhythm guitarists Christian Love and Brian Eichenberger — take the stage along with long-time member Bruce Johnston on keyboards and Beach Boys founding member Mike Love on lead vocals.
Opening tonight’s set with “Do It Again,” Mike Love sings, “Well, I’ve been thinking/‘Bout all the places we’ve surfed and danced,” as heads bop to the tune’s infectious rhythm.
The lyrics to “Surfin’ Safari” appear on screen, and the audience happily joins Love in singing, “Let’s go surfin’ now/Everybody’s learning how/Come on a safari with me.”
The band follows up by performing “Catch a Wave” before cruising into a potent rendition of “Don’t Back Down” which has the crowd cheering and applauding.
Love explains, “The Ramones did our ‘Surfin’ Safari’ years ago so we finally got around to doing their ‘Rockaway Beach.’” Six-part vocal harmonies and Randy Leago’s bari sax playing are featured on this rockin’ Ramones tune before the band dives into “Surfin’ USA” where the crowd claps and sings along as Love leads them in singing the song’s iconic “Everybody’s goin’ surfin’/Surfin’ USA” refrain.
Love announces, “This next one is dedicated to the ladies in attendance,” and invites audience members to wave their phone flashlights back and forth on “Surfer Girl.” Then, Brian Eichenberger sings the high tenor part on a top-notch rendition of “Don’t Worry, Baby” where he impresses with his expressive falsetto voice.
The band shifts into a medley of Beach Boys’ car songs starting with “Little Deuce Coupe” where, despite some apparent vocal limitations, Love, 84, powers through with experience. “409,” “Shut Down,” and “Little Honda” follow before the Boys have music lovers on their feet singing, clapping, and dancing to the group’s 1964 chart topper, “I Get Around” and beach balls bounce through the air.
After Eichenberger handles the high tenor part on the ballad, “In My Room,” Eichenberger and Love alternate singing lead on “When I Grow Up to Be a Man” while Randy Leago plays harmonica.
Eichenberger and Bruce Johnston are the featured vocalists on “Wendy,” before Love asks guitarist John Wedemeyer to help him find his starting pitch on “Be True to Your School.” Once Love finds it, he proceeds to hold it out on the song’s first word, “When…”.
Continuing with “…some loud braggart tries to put me down,” music lovers join in singing on the marching-band-like arrangement which features Wedemeyer adding a lively guitar solo.
Drummer Bolton handles the lead vocal on the rockin’ “Darlin’,” twirling his sticks as he sings with power and style before Love introduces a music video tribute to his late cousin, Brian Wilson, featuring the song, “Brian’s Back.” Together, the band and the audience watch the poignant video filled with photos and clips of Brian and The Beach Boys through the years as Love’s prerecorded voice chants, “They say Brian’s back/But in my heart he’s always been around.” At the end, there’s hardly a dry eye in the house as concertgoers stand and cheer for a prolonged period of time.
Johnston announces, “I think this next song is the best song Mike Love and Brian Wilson ever wrote,” as Eichenberger and the band continue their tribute to Brian Wilson by singing the gorgeous Wilson/Love ballad, “The Warmth of The Sun.”
The crowd cheers and the band provides a tribute to original Beach Boy Carl Wilson by performing Carl’s signature song, “God Only Knows,” with Mike Love’s son, Christian, artfully handling the lead.
Mike Love is featured on an upbeat rendition of “California Girls” where concertgoers sing and clap along before Love exclaims, “I wish they all could be Jersey girls!” Eichenberger’s lead vocal shines on the happy-go-lucky “And Then I Kissed Her,” and the band continues with The Beach Boys’ arrangement of The Mamas and The Papas’ 1965 hit, “California Dreamin,’”where drummer Jon Bolton sings with emotion and Randy Leago renders a soaring saxophone solo.
Music lovers sing along with the band on “Sloop John B” and smile as Eichenberger’s smooth falsetto fills the auditorium on his contemplative interpretation of “Wouldn’t it Be Nice.” Then, Christian Love leads the crowd in singing the “Help me Rhonda/Help, help me Rhonda” refrain of “Help Me Rhonda” on an arrangement which features six band members swaying in line.
Johnston, 82 — the Grammy-winning composer of Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs” — sings lead on “Do You Wanna Dance.”
Then, Bruce, Mike, and the Boys rock the Ocean City Music Pier with a highlight of the show — a live performance of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys’ 1966 musical masterpiece, “Good Vibrations” — which leaves audience members standing on their feet.
On one of the band’s all time best-selling singles, 1988’s “Kokomo,” the audience joins in singing and swinging to the tropical lilt of the music. Then, audience members stand and sing along to an upbeat version of “Barbara Ann” which has Johnston and Love stepping out in style at the front of the stage.
The crowd cheers and Love responds, “Thank you so much!” as the group wraps up with a dynamic encore of The Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
Music lovers are on their feet singing along before reacting with hoots, hollers, and applause as Love, Johnston, and the rest of the musicians come downstage to take a bow and wave to their cheering fans.
As concertgoers exit the Music Pier auditorium, Christian Love greets fans outside on the boardwalk and comments on tonight’s performance, stating, “I love playing this venue — it has a great atmosphere and the beach is right here so I feel like I’m at home.” Acknowledging, “It’s very nostalgic performing all of The Beach Boys’ songs right now and very emotional, too,” Christian further reveals, “My dad is really pushing through, but he’s been amazing.”
Music lovers on the boardwalk also comment on tonight’s Beach Boys’ performance. Explains Jacqueline from Rhode Island, “I’m on vacation with my son, Declan, right now, and I had a great time this evening! It was my first time seeing The Beach Boys and I knew all the music! Also, the tribute to Brian Wilson brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful and touching.”
Cindy from Philadelphia declares, “Tonight’s show was fabulous! The songs brought back so many memories and I knew every word — I didn’t think I’d remember so many. Plus, it was so good to see Mike Love at 84 and Bruce Johnston at 82 still performing.”
Asserts Rafi from Philadelphia, “It was amazing hearing The Beach Boys live! I first saw them when they were on TV on Full House and started listening to their songs and became a fan,” before exclaiming, “They played a lot of hits tonight!”
Jerry from Broomall, PA, recalls, “I first saw The Beach Boys in 1963 when I was about 15. They were great then and, tonight, in this hour-and-a-half show, they didn’t stop — it was unbelievable! I knew all the songs, and the tribute to Brian brought tears to my eyes.” Jill from Bryn Mawr, PA, concurs, noting, “The Beach Boys were beyond belief tonight — every song was a winner! I grew up with The Beach Boys — I’m the biggest Beach Boys fan there is — and they were fabulous this evening! The show was filled with the songs of summer and the tribute to Brian was very touching, as well.”
Lastly, Donna from Erdenheim, PA, contends, “The Beach Boys were fantastic! It was great to relive so many memories and to hear their sound again — they had a lot of energy!” Recalling, “I first saw them in 1979 at The Spectrum and I still enjoy them,” Donna explains, “This was a joint gift from our children who really appreciate their music.” Donna’s son, Billy from Wilmington, DE, agrees, exclaiming, “I thought The Beach Boys were great!” prior to concluding, “How could they not be? They’re the Kings of Summer!”
To learn more about The Beach Boys, please go to thebeachboys.com. For information on great upcoming concerts at Ocean City Music Pier — including Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks on July 7, The Wailers on July 14, Rick Wakeman on July 21, The Let’s Sing Taylor tribute to Taylor Swift on July 28, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees on August 11, The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO and ELO II on August 18, A Bronx Tale starring Chaz Palminteri on August 19, and Mavis Staples on August 25 — please go to ocnj.us
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