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As a frail Love played what could be his final Beach Boys concert, in Nashville on Sunday, Jardine was taking the stage in Cerritos, California, with ex-bandmates Bruce Johnston and David Marks
If the saga of the Beach Boys in the 21st century is ever turned into a book, the events of Oct. 11, 2026, will likely take up an entire chapter. Two concerts took place almost simultaneously — Mike Love‘s touring incarnation of the Beach Boys at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, in Cerritos, California — that were unlike almost any other that the former bandmates (and longtime antagonists) had played throughout their long lives on the road.
The evening began at the Ryman with John Stamos and Brian Love, Mike Love’s son, addressing the audience about Mike’s fragile health, much like they did in Cincinnati the previous night. “One thing about [my dad] is he’s stubborn and he’s steadfast, and he did not want to miss the Ryman,” Brian Love said. “We’re gonna be positive. We’re gonna sing along … We’ve gotta live in the moment.”
“Mike, he insisted on being here,” Stamos added. “He’s done over 7,000 live shows. And tonight’ll be 7,422, I think exactly … We love you, and have the greatest night ever, and God bless you all.”
The curtain then opened to reveal a frail Mike Love seated in a chair at the center of the stage. For the second evening in a row, unlike every Boys Boys concert in history, he handed over all the lead vocal duties to his band members, and contributed just background parts. He hasn’t spelled out the nature of his current health problems, but it’s clear that his weakened state made it hard for him to contribute. “Been going through health challenges,” he told the crowd at one point, “but I had to make it to the Ryman.”
The show, which included guest appearances by Willie Nelson’s longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael on “The Warmth of the Sun” and country duo LoCash on a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music,” ended with traditional closer “Fun, Fun, Fun.” It was followed by a recording of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” on the P.A. An emotional Love managed to get to his feet with help from his bandmates as the curtain closed.
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There are three remaining Beach Boys concerts on the books — Nov. 11 in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 13 in Bristol, Virginia, and one in May 2027, in Enoch, Alberta. In a letter to fans several hours before going onstage, John Stamos alluded to the possibility that the Nashville date may be Love’s last with the band. “I’m not saying tonight is the end,” he wrote. “God, I hope it isn’t. But there’s a part of me that wonders if this could be the last time I get to stand behind Mike, play those songs, watch him work an audience, and feel that indescribable magic that happens when those harmonies fill a room.”
Just around the time the time the curtain was closing at the Ryman, those magical Beach Boys harmonies began filling up the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. This was advertised as a traditional Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band concert, but days earlier Jardine told fans that he’d be joined by original Beach Boys guitarist David Marks and longtime member Bruce Johnston, who left Love’s touring unit in February after six decades of dedicated service. There’s been little love lost between the Love and Jardine camps in recent years, so many Beach Boys fans were surprised to see longtime Love loyalist Johnston agree to share the stage with Jardine for the first time in over a decade.
After opening with a familiar quintet of oldies (“California Girls,” “Do It Again,” “Catch a Wave,” “Hawaii” and “Surfer Girl”), Jardine welcomed Marks to the stage for “Surfin’ Safari,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “I Get Around.” Amazingly, Marks played lead guitar on the original recordings of several of those songs before his 16th birthday.
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Not long after Marks left the stage, Johnston came out for Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance?” and the 1965 Beach Boys deep cut “You’re So Good to Me.” It’s unclear exactly why Johnston left the Beach Boys in February, why he failed to show up for their Hollywood Bowl shows in July after initially pledging to be there, and the state of his relationship with Jardine these past years remains somewhat of a mystery, but it was a huge moment for fans to see them once again together.
After a brief encore, Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band returned for a complete performance of the 1977 oddball Beach Boys LP The Beach Boys Love You, and Marilyn Wilson, Brian Wilson’s first wife, joined them to sing her original vocal parts on “Let’s Put Our Hearts Together.”
If all this wasn’t enough, Jardine kicked off the encore with the 1979 Beach Boys obscurity “It’s a Beautiful Day.” It’s the first time any member of the group has played the song in a concert setting.
To wrap up the evening, Jan and Dean’s Dean Torrence — yet another surprise guest — came out for “Help Me, Rhonda” alongside Johnston and Marks. They were joined by Carnie Wilson for “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” to send everyone home.
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It’s impossible to say where things go from here. It’s possible Mike Love’s health improves and he performs at Epcot Center next month. It’s possible that Love retires and a new touring entity known as the Beach Boys hits the road. It’s possible the band name is legally bestowed to Jardine, and we saw a little preview of what his version of the group might look like in Cerritos.
What we can say for sure is the Beach Boys fans at the Ryman and the Cerritos Center both were witnesses to true music history. It’s a saga that began in 1961, and may not be ending any time soon.