‘Pet Sounds Live,’ a Beach Boys tribute at the Capitol Theatre

It isn’t a tribute band putting on a Beach Boys show; it’s a living rock and roll documentary.

What “it” is, is “Pet Sounds Live” at the Capitol Theatre on Friday at 8 p.m. And yes, there is a live band that will play the entire classic Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” album – but there’s more. Along with the music, there are tons of multimedia tidbits with footage of the original Beach Boys including interviews, band history and, of course, footage of the making of “Pet Sounds.”

It sounded interesting, so I searched out Jason Brewer and Jeff Celentano, the producers who put the show together, and gave them a call. The two aren’t in the live band but have decades of music experience as players, studio musicians, songwriters, talent representatives, packagers of shows and many other music business endeavors.

They’re big music fans, obviously, and particularly huge Beach Boys fans. Though they were born decades after the Beach Boys’ early 1960s heyday, they say by the time they discovered the iconic surf and hot rod band’s music in the ‘80s and ‘90s, they listened to it as much or more than anything popular at the time.

That’s part of the reason they believe and found it to be true that Beach Boys music is timeless and keeps cropping up making new fans in every generation.

Add to that the fact that through the years, they’ve become somewhat a part of the Beach Boys’ extended family. They’ve worked on projects with original and latter-day Beach Boys members, including Celentano playing in original Beach Boy Al Jardine’s band.

They said they’ve been to so many Brian Wilson concerts they’ve lost count. Talking with the two, it’s clear they have good Beach Boys bona fides as fans and otherwise.

But just a brief background for those who need it. The Beach Boys formed in California in 1961 consisting of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. They gained major national popularity with their hit, “Surf City,” in 1963 with many, many hits following including “Good Vibrations.” Brian Wilson, who played bass, became an off-and-on performing member of the group but remained its creative mastermind for decades. The band continues to tour with a varied lineup, as do individual members.

Documentaries abound on the group and Brian Wilson and are worth a look.

“Pet Sounds” was released in 1966, reaching 10 on Billboard charts. Initially, it was more highly regarded in the United Kingdom than here, but that changed through the years. “Pet Sounds” was, in some ways, a solo album for Brian Wilson with the bulk of its writing and recording being done by him while the group was on tour and him in the studio. At first, it caused no little controversy within the group but it did successfully move them away from an image as California surfers – which they never really were – to being a musically groundbreaking band.

Paul McCartney of The Beatles was a fan and said without the inspiration of “Pet Sounds,” there would be no “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album which The Beatles released to much acclaim in 1967. McCartney inducted Brian Wilson into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, saying Wilson’s music brought tears to his eyes, referring mainly to “God Only Knows” off “Pet Sounds.” He has said, “‘Pet Sounds’ blew me out of the water” and “…I figure no one is educated musically ’til they’ve heard that album.”

“The Beach Boys are just in our DNA,” Brewer told me. “We discovered their music and became Beach Boys nerds. We’ve both been involved in tribute bands and involved in music professionally for more than 25 years. We love ‘Pet Sounds’ and for years we approached bands about doing the album, but it just never happened.”

Finally, they said, “Let’s just do it,” but wanted it to be more than a tribute band performance, more of a history of the album and the band with great musicians playing. They came up with the idea of an accompanying documentary/multimedia presentation that takes the place of much of the live band’s talking between songs.

“We put together really great, studio-level musicians, mostly from Nashville,” Brewer said. “They bring the music live then we have the multimedia part with the interviews, photos and other things that basically tell the whole story of ‘Pet Sounds’ from front to back. It really is a living rock and roll documentary.”

The approximately 80-minute show does throw in a handful of non-“Pet Sounds” hits.

“We do have ‘Good Vibrations’ and other hits and best-known songs in addition to all of ‘Pets Sounds,’” Celentano said. “But still, it’s not a tribute band-type show. You won’t see the musicians dressing up in funny beach outfits or the stage lined with surfboards or a hot rod theme. It’s really all about the music and honoring it and the band and shining on the period.”

Celentano, who is originally from South Carolina and said he’s been to Macon many times, said the reaction to the show has been good from old and young, evidence of it being rediscovered again and again and a part of virtually every generation since the Boomers.

“People come out of the woodwork and are intrigued and really enjoy what we’re doing with the show,” he said.

Brewer added to the idea of the Beach Boys’ attraction being multigenerational not only among listeners but musicians.

“A cool thing about the band is the youngest guy is only 21 and when he first came to join up he already knew the whole ‘Pet Sounds’ record because the Beach Boys are his favorite band,” he said.

Again, the show is Friday at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 382 Second St. Ticketing links and information can be found at
capitoltheatremacon.com and the “Pet Sounds Live” site at petsoundslive.com. For a Facebook event page, see Pet Sounds Live – The Beach Boys Album Experience.

Brewer said, “Be sure to get there early so you can watch all the cool vintage multimedia TV commercials and other material from the ‘60s we show before the concert starts.”

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.