Review & Photos by Joe Schaeffer
It was another fantastic night of Vintage Rock in Irvine. Performing together were Chicago and founding Beach Boy members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine with one-time member Blondie Chaplin.
Wilson, with Jardine, Chaplin and his band gave the audience a non-stop set of Beach Boy classics. Opening with “California Girls,” they moved onto the big ones like “I Get Around,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Don’t Worry Baby” and the beachy ballad “Surfer Girl.”.
Flanking Wilson on stage were Jardine and his son Matt Jardine. Matt shared the Beach Boy trademark high notes with keyboardist Darian Sahanaja. The younger Jardine generally took Brian Wilson’s old parts, while Sahanaja handled the parts originally sung by Carl Wilson.
The group journeyed through a wide array of Beach Boys songs, and really them over with the universally known “Sail On, Sailor,” with Chaplin on the lead vocal as he originally was on the 1972 recording. Another show highlight was “Wouldn’t it Be Nice.” Wilson sang a stirring version of “God Only Knows” that received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Chaplin brought an increased level of energy to the band. He also laid down a fantastic guitar solo during “Long Promised Road.” After a round of band introductions they reeled off more of the Beach Boys’ biggest hits — “Good Vibrations,” “Help Me Rhonda,” sung by Jardine, and “Surfin’ USA.” For a finale, the entire band gathered around Wilson’s piano to provide backing vocals while he sang his biggest solo hit, “Love and Mercy.”
At roughly 8:45pm Chicago took the stage to commence their career spanning set of songs. The current lineup features founding members Robert Lamm on keyboards, along with Lee Loughnane and James Pankow anchoring the horn section. They are joined by touring band members Eric Gaines (bass), Loren Gold (keyboards), Tony Obrohta (guitar), Wally Reyes, Jr (drums), Ray Hermann (saxophone), Brett Simmons, Ray Yslas (percussion), and lead vocalist Neil Donnell.
Performing in front of a screen featuring mostly colorful, slightly psychedelic images, the band opened with material that gave each member the spotlight. “Introduction” and “Questions 67 And 68” showcased the Chicago sound right from the start. Donell displayed his fantastic vocal range on “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long” and the 1976 ballad “If You Leave Me Now.”
A new song, “If This is Goodbye” gave the crowd a small taste of the band’s upcoming release, Chicago XXXVIII: Born For This Moment. The 80s was fully covered with the inclusion of the power ballads “Hard Habit To Break,” “You’re My Inspiration” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry.”
The highlight of the evening was the rocking version of the Spencer Davis Group hit, “I’m A Man.” It contains a brilliant percussion showcase for Reyes and Yslas, whom, at one point, traded places seamlessly without pause, then back again. Gaines also provided a stellar bass groove. The encore of “Free” and “25 Or 6 To 4” brought the evening to a close. In short, Chicago is a sustainable classic rock group, having fun, and delivering a concert that covers all 55 years of excellence.
And the FivePoint Amphitheatre, now in its fourth year of operations, is where Chicago and Brian Wilson’s collective legacies for a full house of music fans.
Brian Wilson Photo Gallery
Chicago Photo Gallery
