The Beach Boys: Concert Abstinence is Not the Answer

By Christian Lipski

It seems odd now, considering my current obsession with music, that my first concert would be a band I didn’t know very well. I wasn’t very heavily into music In 1983 when my mom asked if I’d like to go see the Beach Boys at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. I will say that as a kid I really took to the surf/car songs I heard on K-Tel TV commercials, and my first LP was Jan & Dean (a re-release, in case you think I am 75 years old), but it never really became a habit. As a result, my reaction was a mild assent.

The GSAC in H, NJ (!) is an outdoor amphitheater, and the weather was mild as we sat in our seats on the terrace. The opening act was the Chapin brother who had not already died. (Further research reveals this to be Tom Chapin). He sang his brother’s songs, including “Cat’s In The Cradle”.

The information at The Beach Boys Setlist Archive doesn’t list a show in New Jersey in 1983, but I will guess that there are dates missing, since I’m sure that the Beach Boys played more than 19 shows that year. I’d also like to believe that it was 1983 because that was the last year that all of the Wilson brothers performed together: Brian, Dennis (who died later that year) and Carl (who died in 1998). In any case, I didn’t know any of them at the time.

My mother and the rest of the audience clapped and sang along, and I joined in on the hits that I knew, like “Fun Fun Fun” and “Barbara Ann.” At this time in the Beach Boys’ touring history this was the majority of the set, so I didn’t feel left out. I don’t remember being bored at all during the show, which means that it was well-paced and entertaining.

I went to a Beach Boys concert
and all I got out of it
was this t-shirt.
Really. That’s all.

That’s it—the concert eventually ended, and I bought a t-shirt. I feel a little sad that my first concert wasn’t a very huge event for me. I’ve seen pictures of Dennis Wilson wearing a shirt from that tour, and that makes me feel a little more connected. I actually wish that it had happened later, after I had really developed a passion for music or individual groups. In 1983 the only bands that I was really into were Devo and the Rolling Stones, and even if they had been touring, there was no way I was going to get my parents to either of their shows. So I settled for a band that I didn’t know very well, although I did end up developing a real love for them later.

I suppose the message that I want to leave you all with is this: don’t rush to go to a concert. Take your time and really get to know a band first. You’ll know when it’s the right time, and that will make it more special.