LIHUE — Mike Love, lead singer of The Beach Boys, is amazed songs performed 50 years ago are popular today. “A couple years ago, I met a 10-year-old girl at a concert, and I asked her what her favorite song
LIHUE — Mike Love, lead singer of The Beach Boys, is amazed songs performed 50 years ago are popular today.
“A couple years ago, I met a 10-year-old girl at a concert, and I asked her what her favorite song was. She said ‘409,’ which was released in 1962, so 40 years before she was born,” he said. “It’s miraculous these songs still resonate with kids, teens, adults and grandparents.”
Originally from Hawthorne, Calif., The Beach Boys have been a global phenomenon since 1961. The group continues to have the most Billboard Top 40 chart hits, 36 total. Those songs include: “Good Vibrations,” “Kokomo,” “Wouldn’t it be Nice” and “Surfing U.S.A.”
Additionally, their album, “Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys” has achieved triple-Platinum sales status.
“There are so many great songs, it comes down to what you’re in the mood for,” Love said. “We have rock songs, and we’ve also done ballads, so it depends on what you’re looking for.”
In their heyday, The Beach Boys were different from other famous rock stars because their songs focused on the aspects of life others ignored, he said.
“Our songs accentuated the positive aspects of life — cars, surfing and ‘being true to your school,’” he said. “We focused on the All-American experience — going to a football game, or having a crush on someone. A lot of our songs focus on growing up, so anybody can relate to it, even if they were landlocked. But who wouldn’t want to go on a ‘Surfing Safari.’”
Love admits he’s not the best surfer.
“We’re not good surfers, but we sing about it great,” he said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of their album, “Pet Sounds,” which was released in 1966. To honor that, The Beach Boys will be touring the country, singing songs from the album, “Wouldn’t it be Nice” and “God Only Knows.”
A stop includes Lihue, where The Beach Boys will be performing 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Kauai Marriott Resort.
General admission tickets are priced at $65 and $89 with a limited number of Golden Circle tickets at $125 each. They go on sale today at Big Kmart, Pono Market, Kauai Music and Sound, Hanalei Surf, Progressive Expressions, and online via ticketweb.com.
This is the first time the group is performing on Kauai. But Love, who owned property on Haena, has been to the Garden Isle several times.
“Kauai is the most beautiful island. From Waimea Canyon to Haena, it’s gorgeous,” he said.
