Family & Friends Bring Good Vibrations to Brian Wilson Tribute

Although he spent his entire life in Southern California, Brian Wilson never performed at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. But it’s hard not to imagine that the founder, chief songwriter and sonic architect behind The Beach Boys would be even more thrilled by the concert coming to the jewel of a theater on September 27. 

That’s because the concert is a celebration of Wilson’s music performed by a huge swath of his extended family, everyone from his kids Carnie and Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips, their colleague in 1990s hitmakers Wilson Phillips, and their collective kids to his ex-wife and former members of his bands. Among those scheduled to perform are Rob Bonfiglio, Carnie’s husband, and Brian Wilson band guitarist; The Honeys (early 60s girl group comprised of Wilson’s first wife/Carnie & Wendy’s mother Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford and her cousin Ginger Blake); Carnie’s daughter Lola Bonfiglio, 20, who competed on American Idol earlier this year; Wendy’s son Leo Knutson; longtime Wilson percussionist Nelson Bragg; keyboardist Don Randi of The Wrecking Crew, the storied session band on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album. 

The Tribe Band, the L.A.-based collective that plays concerts all around the region in support of nonprofits, serves as the house band, with the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara providing strings and other instrumental arrangements, and special guest appearances by Kenny Loggins, Ken Stacey singers Carly Smithson, Alisan Porter, Santa Barbara-raised Hunter Hawkins, backup singer Rosemary Butler, and many others. 

It’s the first such tribute concert to Wilson outside of the L.A. area since his passing at 82 on June 11. Proceeds will go to provide funds for two local organizations, Adam’s Angels and Surfrider Foundation of Santa Barbara, but the true beneficiaries might be those who see the concert and its once-in-a-lifetime roster coming together to celebrate the spirit, sound, and soul of Wilson’s musical legacy through the Beach Boys’ biggest songs and some deeper cuts, as well as surprises. 

Carnie and Wendy Wilson – who will perform on their own and with family members, as well as with Chynna as part of Wilson Phillips – shared their thoughts on Brian, the Beach Boys, and this special concert in a conference call last week. 

Q. I’m one of the multi-millions who consider Brian one of the all-time great composers and a true mastermind I marvel about every time I hear a Beach Boys song. I read a long-ago interview with Carnie where you said you heard Pet Sounds in your mother’s womb. I have to admit I’m envious. Were you as big a fan? 

Carnie Wilson [CW]. We agree. We’ve always loved the music so much, and we feel very proud that we’ve carried on his legacy for the better part of 40 years. Even though we’ve had our own records and big hits, he’s always been the driving force. We wouldn’t have had anything without the love of harmony, and feeling so connected to our father in that way has always been very special to us. 

I know you had a challenging childhood with what your dad was going through with addiction and other problems. 

CW. He went through a very hard patch, but it was so great that we got to connect once again through music, to reunite as a family and reconnect with him in the ways that we really related to him. Thank God for these years we had together. There was a lot of healing. I’m very grateful for everything that we’ve been through, all the steps, all the healing and the moments that we have had over our lives, the special moments, some of which we got to spend with Dad, and it was beautiful. We’re holding on to those memories, the good stuff.

More than 20 years ago, you actually recorded your cover of “In My Room” with Wilson Phillips with your dad playing piano and singing the bridge on the Dedicated album. What was that like?

CW. We were laughing because when we were in the studio with Daddy recording it, he played the piano really super fast, very sped up. We were laughing because we knew that he was very emotional, and I think he was very blown away being in the studio with all of us. He really loved our music. So it must have been a trip for him to be there, like he wanted to get it over with faster because he was too emotional. 

Wilson Phillips will be singing that as one of our songs in the celebration concert. 

You’ll be with a huge extended family at the show at the Granada. What are you looking forward to? 

CW. I’m really excited about it. It’s really great to have the family coming together and singing. The whole concert is just huge and fabulous. I’m excited about having the orchestra – I love when strings are a part of any Beach Boys music. I think it’s going to add a lot. The cool part about these shows is that there are a lot of moving parts with so many artists so you get to hear different renditions and vibes. We have some amazing singers. Alisan Porter was Wilson Phillips’ vocal coach for The Masked Singer and she’s tremendous. I’m going to take another crack at “Good Vibrations,” and I’m hoping that more people join me for it. My daughter’s going to be singing “The Warmth of the Sun,” one of the most beautiful songs ever written. She’s a stunning singer. I don’t think anyone does it better. 

Anytime we do more than just the surf songs and the car songs, I’m just in absolute heaven. I think overall, though, that the thread, the theme, the honor is all this great music. It’s really a big family affair for us. It’s very special. 

Wendy Wilson [WW]. I’m looking forward to hearing Carly singing her arrangement of “God Only Knows”. 

CW. Oh my God. It’s really impactful. You’ve never heard a version like this before. 

Do you each have a favorite Beach Boys song, both when you were growing and today, that means the most to you? 

WW. “Don’t Worry Baby” was one of my favorites as a kid and it still is. 

CW. “God Only Knows” because of Carl’s vocals, and “Good Vibrations,” which I’ve always been mesmerized by. It just blows my mind in the story behind it and all the work he put into it. I never get sick of hearing it. It’s like experiencing the brilliance for the first time every time I listen to it. 

What would Brian have thought of this concert? 

CW. I think it would definitely take him aback, but he would be so proud, especially of his grandchildren up there. 

WW. I think he would just say, “This is far out.”

When he passed in June, the world lost the great Brian Wilson, but the two of you lost your dad. Is it challenging to be able to be with your grief while there’s been so much attention and tributes?

WW. I felt very comforted by the fact that there were so many people who were moved by him, and that he was able to be recognized in his time. That was amazing. I didn’t like the sensationalizing thing, which is why I turned down going on TV to talk about it. To me he isn’t a public figure. He was my father. But I’m grateful that we were not alone in that so many people felt something when he died.

CW. It’s been more of a challenge for me. I don’t know if it’s because I am too sensitive but it’s been weird. No pun intended, but there’s a vibrational feeling that I get, like I’ve been taking on a lot of grief, and I can’t explain it. I’ve never experienced grief like this, and it is incredibly hard. And I’ve been trying to process it and not numb out. I’m a sober woman and I am feeling my feelings and grief is weird. It comes in waves. Again, no pun intended. I’m trying to turn it into a positive. I knew his impact because you could see it with people over the years, and when you would go to a show, and people would be jumping up and down and singing along with all happiness. I get this feeling of love, spirituality, family music, one big tapestry that’s interwoven together. So while it’s so personal, my own love of music comes from him. So there’s an ache in my heart. It’s sad that he’s gone. But the only word I can think of now is honor. 

Even now there’s not a day that goes by and I’m at the mall or the market, and a stranger comes up to me and doesn’t even say hi. They just go, “I’m so sorry about your dad.” It says how touched they were by him, and it makes my day. It warms my heart.

I have an out-of-left-field question: What was it like to see Love & Mercy, the fiction film about your dad?

WW. I got to see the premiere of that movie, and I sat next to my dad for that, and I was with my kids. I took them and they were young, and there were moments in the theater where you could hear a pin drop. Then I’m sobbing and it’s uncontrollable, and other people were sobbing, and it was a very emotional thing. 

CW. Remember at one moment, though, he blurted out “That didn’t happen!” It was actually kind of comical, because he would say anything on his mind.