“Have Mercy!” John Stamos rejoins The Beach Boys for annual Ravinia summer soiree

Summer is always synonymous with The Beach Boys and the season wouldn’t be complete without at least one incarnation of the group stopping by Ravinia in what’s basically become an annual soiree (pandemic not withstanding).

Though a rumored 60th anniversary reunion has yet to come to fruition, original singer Mike Love and longtime keyboardist/vocalist Bruce Johnston brought their version of the band to the Highland Park hangout, which included frequent collaborator/A-list actor John Stamos as guest guitarist and drummer.

The theme this time around for the “Feel Flows” World Tour (named after the box set of the same name), is centered around the “Sunflower” and “Surf’s Up” sessions, though the two-act evening was also equally weighted with the essentials.

Whether it was The Beach Boys’ own “Do It Again,” “Surfin’ Safari” and “Catch A Wave” or The Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach,” the retooled act was as a dependable as they come, though fellow co-founders Brian Wilson and Al Jardine were sorely missed, (along with the late Carl and Dennis Wilson, who were both regularly saluted).

Nonetheless, the current line-up reverently presented the enduring “Darlin’,” “God Only Knows,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “I Get Around” and literally dozens more, while Love and Johnson made the most of their 80 and 79 years respectively.

Meanwhile, the still hunky Stamos was the show’s secret weapon, naturally leaping off the set of Disney+’s “Big Shot” to the stage and demonstrating serious playing chops that actually predated his fame, alongside some helpful harmonies and his signature take on “Forever” from the days of playing Uncle Jesse on “Full House.”

The smashes kept piling up in the second half, including “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Kokomo” and “Barbara Ann,” alongside the rarities “You’re So Good To Me” (headed by Johnston), “All I Wanna Do,” “It’s About Time” (led by Mike’s son Christian Love) and “Add Some Music To Your Day.”

No matter how momentous, obscure or new, in the case of the quarantine-themed debut of “This Too Shall Pass,” it was “Fun, Fun, Fun” in the sun from start to finish, and for those who may have missed it or want to relive the Ravina experience, there’s another opportunity on Sunday night for nothing but “Good Vibrations.”


For additional information on The Beach Boys, visit TheBeachBoys.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include The Beach Boys (Aug. 22); John Hiatt & The Jerry Douglas Band (Aug. 24); Lake Street Dive (Aug. 26); Train and Vertical Horizon (Aug. 27-28); King Crimson and The Zappa Band (Aug. 29); Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra and Tonic (Sept. 1); Lady A (Sept. 3); The Roots (Sept. 4); John Legend (Sept. 5-6); Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco (Sept. 10); Black Violin and Blind Boys Of Alabama (Sept. 11); Ben Folds (Sept. 18); Max Weinberg’s Jukebox (Sept. 19); Andrew Bird (Sept. 24) and Ms. Lauryn Hill (Sept. 25). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.