Founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine is set to tour Australia with the Pet Sounds Band, featuring Brian Wilson’s acclaimed touring musicians.
The forthcoming shows will celebrate the Beach Boys’ greatest hits including “California Girls”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Surfin’ USA”, and “Good Vibrations”.
“I’ve been gathering up the troops – Brian’s excellent band,” Jardine says. “We’re all just dying to get back to work, and we’re going to have some fun.”
After moving to Hawthorne, California, in the mid-1950s, Jardine met Brian, Carl, Dennis Wilson, and Mike Love to form the Beach Boys in 1961. As guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, he sang lead on the No. 1 hits “Help Me, Rhonda” and “Cottonfields” as well as album tracks including “I Know There’s an Answer” and “Peggy Sue”. Jardine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 2001 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.
The upcoming shows will feature other iconic hits like “I Get Around”, “Sloop John B”, and “Fun, Fun, Fun”, alongside deep cuts from the Beach Boys’ 1970s albums. Jardine has even expanded the 58-second “Ding Dang” with new verses, saying, “I hope that doesn’t offend fans, but it really is hilarious.”
The 11-piece Pet Sounds Band is led by Darian Sahanaja of The Wondermints as Music Director, the band features Jardine’s son Matt, who has received rave reviews for his youthful Brian Wilson-like vocals.
Jardine released his first studio album, A Postcard from California, in 2010, which was re-released worldwide by Universal Music in 2022. He recently released a new EP called Islands in the Sun featuring guest appearances by Bruce Johnston, Neil Young, and Flea.
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Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band will play shows in Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth this October and November (see full dates below).
The tour news comes just days after the death of Brian Wilson.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,” his family stated in a social media announcement last week. “Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
The music world mourned Wilson’s passing, including Jardine: “Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I’ll really miss you….still I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight,” he said.
Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band 2025 Australian Tour
Ticket information available via davidroywilliams.com
Thursday, October 23rd
Wrest Point Casino, Hobart, TAS
Saturday, October 25th
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Tuesday, October 28th
QPAC, Brisbane, QLD
Wednesday, October 29th
Hamer Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Friday, October 31st
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW
Sunday, November 2nd
Regal Theatre, Perth, WA
