Beach Boys return for IU homecoming after 25 years

Charles Manson. John Stamos. The IU Auditorium. By the end of the Oct. 28 homecoming, all will have shared a stage with The Beach Boys -- a band that rock music professor Andy Hollinden argues is the greatest American rock band of all time.\nWhile the band is most famous for surfer pop hits such as "Surfin' U.S.A." and "California Girls," Hollinden said that in the '60s the California quintet had an enormous impact on rock music, in addition to having a fascinating story. \nThe Beach Boys befriended Manson and recorded music with him before eventually testifying at his trial, spent time in India with the Maharishi and even jammed with Stamos, who starred as Uncle Jesse, on "Full House." \nBringing the act back to IU for the first time since their 1981 show in Assembly Hall has been years in the making. Auditorium Director Doug Booher said he has been working the last three to four years to get the Beach Boys at IU for homecoming. He said he would only have them on a weekend because a band with a "breadth of work that massive deserves that kind of atmosphere." \n"It's pretty amazing that they're coming to Bloomington," he said. "It shows they know it's a music lover's community." \nRecent set lists posted on a fan's Web site from September 2006 shows give a look at what to expect from the homecoming show. The shows usually feature more than 30, songs including fan favorites "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn't it be Nice," with an encore of "Kokomo" and "Fun, Fun, Fun."\nHollinden taught a class in the past that spent half a semester dissecting The Beach Boys, which he called one of the most misunderstood bands of all time.\n"A lot of people think they only had songs about surfing, cars and girls," Hollinden said. "They miss the advanced music they made, which put them neck and neck with The Beatles in the '60s."\nIn the early 1960s, the band put out hit after hit, and Hollinden said they were a year ahead of The Beatles in a number of musical aspects. The Beach Boys stopped touring to focus on recording and started their own record label. Hollinden said they were on par musically as well. Their crowning achievement, "Pet Sounds," often cited as one of the best pop albums ever, and Paul McCartney once called "God Only Knows" the best pop song of all time, according to Hollinden. \nEven though he taught a class on The Beach Boys, this will be Hollinden's first time seeing them, and he said he's excited about it. He admitted that while he thinks it will be a great show, it will not be the same act he teaches about. The group is much different now that two of the Wilson brothers are gone and Brian Wilson is no longer performing with them, after a mental breakdown in the '60s.\n"People tend to credit Brian Wilson almost exclusively," he said. "Mike Love has been leading the Beach Boys since the word go, for what, 45 years? He has been slighted by the genius of Brian Wilson. Love co-wrote a lot of those classic songs, and I think it's been a little unfair that people latch onto the Brian Wilson saga." \nBooher said sales have been good for the show, with 1,900 tickets sold as of Thursday afternoon. But there are still some seats left in the balcony and orchestra sections, he said. \nWhen asked about whether he thinks The Beach Boys will play their 1963 hit "Be True to Your School," Booher smiled.\n"Pretty safe bet," he said. "Be true to your school -- it's perfect. I will admit I've used it in a few headlines advertising for the show."\nBesides having a song that is perfect for a homecoming concert, Booher said there is great appeal for all ages to see the legends.\n"One of the cool things we have is to bring those icons for our students and for members of the community to come and remember the historic band at the same time," he said. "What's so amazing is you'll have an 18-year-old sitting next to a 50-year-old professor next to an industry professional next to a little kid with their parent"