When he’s not touring with longtime bandmate Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine goes the solo route with his son/fellow Wilson collaborator Matt Jardine and Debbie Shair (previously from Heart’s band/wife of Wilson musical director Darian Sahanaja), sharing stories with a sumptuous helping of the group’s enduring singles, choice rarities and a sampling of solo material.

It’s a winning format that continues with his “Endless Summer” outing, which is coming to several City Winery locations following a resounding response on the prior “A Postcard From California” Tour.

In a phone conversation with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Chicago Concert Reviews learned all about the joyously loose flow of the show, insight into Jardine-led classics such as “Help Me, Rhonda,” plus promising reunion rumblings as the clock ticks towards The Beach Boys’ 60th anniversary.

What was your impression of performing at City Winery on the “Postcard” Tour a few years back and what can we expect out of your “Endless Summer” show?

Al Jardine: I love Chicago and I love that facility…I’m looking forward to coming back with a few new songs this time. Since we were there, we have to change the songs around a little bit just to keep it interesting, but the stories are pretty much the same. We start off telling stories about how we made the records, how we started out and getting our feet wet in the recording business.

We have a lot of good footage. We’ve added some different video footage [such as] beautiful ocean shots. It will be a panorama of video behind the music. That one picture they’re using of me in the striped shirt is symbolic of that time.

What keeps you going so steadily on the road?

Jardine: Well, Brian and I are strapped for cash and Mike Love’s making all the money so what can I tell you? (laughs). That would be a great name for a tour wouldn’t it? The “Strapped For Cash” Tour.

I hope it’s not true and that you’re kidding.

Jardine: Oh, I am kidding, but it’s funny because Mike has the license, so Brian and I aren’t allowed to use the name. We just go out as ourselves, but we’re doing fine. No problem, it’s just you asked me why we go out and tour. It’s because we can.

Do you ever eye retirement or are you enjoying it so much you never want to stop?

Jardine: It’s more about Brian really. If Brian wants to go out, I think I’ll go out because he’s the progenitor of it all. It’s fun because we can always kibitz around and laugh. We can just kind of be normal for a change and have fun. As long as he’s having fun, it’s good with me, but frankly, the most fun is doing the trio that I’m bringing to Chicago ‘cause then I can just tell stories. I can ramble on until Matthew stops me from rambling. And we have a new musician with us this time. Her name is Debbie Shair and she has a wonderful voice and she’s a great keyboardist…But the trio’s the most fun because I can just start and stop whenever I want.

In Brian’s band, it’s like 11 or 12 of us on stage and we’ve gotta pretty much stick to the script, you know? It’s more of a performance. It’s a great performance and the songs are almost played perfectly, but my band is more loose and I can kind of drift and I like just being able to be casual about it. We don’t have as many musicians, but vocally I think we fill out the thing pretty well. We’re adding a little Hawaiian medley to the show that is real pretty music from our “Smiley Smile” album. It’s some real innocent stuff that’s kinda reminiscent of the [“Endless Summer” Tour] artwork and it all works.

Will you continue recording in solo capacity?

Jardine: Well, I have. I almost began producing some more music, but touring got in the way as usual and things got a little busy, so I’m gonna give it another try very shortly when the weather turns nice…I’ve got some really good stuff, I think anyway. It’s easy to start things, but you’ve gotta be able to finish the stuff. We sometimes put things on the shelf and we don’t go back to them. We’re so busy going forward it’s hard to look back, you know? I was playing some tapes the other day and I was shocked how things had developed but I didn’t finish, so that’s the trick isn’t it?

My high school friend [just] sent me a recording that we did in 1961 when I was a folk singer and it’s the most charming song. I’m playing the upright bass on it that I use in my storytelling trio and I could not believe how good it sounded. I was shocked, so I’ve decided to add it to the show. It’s called “Lonely Islander.” I don’t know why it’s called “Lonely Islander,” but at the time it sounded cool. It’s uplifting and reminds me of [Harry Belafonte] and those kind of Caribbean-based songs. It swings, it really does, and I’m gonna give it a try. I’ve got a Carl Wilson song I’d like to finish too. There’s a couple of songs that we never released that he sang on that I think should be finished.

Another song I’m sure you’re going to play at the show is “Help Me, Rhonda,” which is really quite a classic. What’s the secret to its endurance?

Jardine: Yeah, it really is. It’s an amazing song. It’s got such a great track. We had to record it twice though because the first track wasn’t very good and that ended up on an album called “The Beach Boys Today.” It was an okay track, but it didn’t have any energy, so we took another stab at it on “Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!),” and boy oh boy, the bass playing on that one is pretty good and it’s just a great track. Sometimes you gotta step back and have another crack at it, you know? And I think we really made the single version much better. It went to number one. What can I tell you?

Do any of the songs you play every night get tiresome or do they always feel natural to play?

Jardine: It’s usually nice because by the time you get to “Help Me, Rhonda,” you’re really rolling! It’s one of the last songs in the set, and by then, you’re pretty much warmed up. Usually that’s the pinnacle of the show right there, but “Surfin’ U.S.A.” is a pretty close tie for two and so is “Fun, Fun, Fun.” Those guys are kinda hard to beat. Actually, “Surfin’ U.S.A.” was sounding better last time I did it than I can remember in a long time. In fact, it kind of eclipsed “Rhonda” in energy, so we might have to switch that around and make “Surfin’” the closer. It really kicks.

Can you tell me anything that stands out in your mind about prior performances or visits to Chicago?

Jardine: Yeah, we played McCormick Place before it burned down. [Also] going to Navy Pier and staying at the Ritz Carlton. It doesn’t get much better than that! I haven’t been there in years, but I’d like to go back…That’s such a cool little neighborhood and that Water Tower district. Carl [Wilson] and I used to go to a restaurant there called Bistro 110. It was right across the street from the Water Tower and they had the best food.

What do you miss most about Carl and Dennis [Wilson] as well?

Jardine: Well, how about their voices? And Carl’s songwriting, man. Both of them in retrospect were really great songwriters. You know all the Wilson’s had that “something,” whatever it is, so yeah, they’re both greatly missed.

Any specific plans for going back on the road with Brian?

Jardine: Oh yeah, very specific plans. Japan in May, if this virus doesn’t complicate things…That might have to be held off, but we have plans to go to Europe [in late May and June].

What’s coming to America?

Jardine: We’ve already played every damn hall there is! I don’t know where else to play. There’s nothing left I don’t think. I mean there surely isn’t. We’ve only got so many days in a year. That Mike Love side, he does 160 shows a year. Can you believe that? And that’s kind of competition right there, because there’s only so many buyers for The Beach Boys.

What would it take to get everyone in the group back together?

Jardine: Oh, it will happen. We’ll probably do about 20 or 30 [shows] together next year…That’s the 60th anniversary next year.

Is it really? I remember the 50th anniversary like it was yesterday!

Jardine: I know, me too! It’s hard to believe, but in late 2021, it will be 60 years.

Do you think you’ll all make another record together?

Jardine: No. It’s too much work. We just enjoy going out and performing. To be honest with you, individually yes, but probably not [as a group]. I shouldn’t say that come to think of it because, you know, it’s possible I guess. Yeah, never say “never” right?

Brian’s done some really good stuff. I think I’ve done some pretty good stuff. Mike has probably. I’ve gotta finish my own stuff first. I’m gonna do some hard work in the studio and get it down. I’m looking forward to doing this little folk song. I think it’s going to be fun.

So many in the world have considered The Beach Boys to be the American equivalent to The Beatles and you really are “America’s Band.” How does that weigh on you? What is your perspective being on the inside?

Jardine: It doesn’t weigh at all. I don’t even think about it. You live day to day and you try to maintain what you started and try to finish what you started, back to that again…When you’re living the experience, you basically just enjoy what you’re doing. We love singing, that’s basically it. We’re really singers who just happen to play. We had to learn our instruments basically from scratch, so it’s been a challenge even to play our own music (laughs). It’s always a challenge, but no, I don’t think about the “America’s Band” thing.

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Al Jardine’s performance at City Winery on Mar. 31 is postponed. For additional details, visit AlJardine.com and CityWinery.com/Chicago.