Concert review: Brian Wilson returns to Atlanta with pristine classics

Or maybe he just didn’t want to be on that Beach Boys tour at all.

Whatever the reason, it was a much more loose and jovial Wilson who visited the Fox Theatre Friday night with his army of nine outstanding musicians as well as original Beach Boy Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin, the singer-guitarist whose history with the Beach Boys extends to his brief membership in the band in the ‘70s.

Wilson’s longtime touring band – with the exception of Jardine’s son, Matt, taking over the upper range vocals so expertly delivered by the irreplaceable Jeffrey Foskett for many years – is an airtight unit that delivers these well-worn chestnuts with precision and verve.

Every complicated note of “Heroes and Villains” was impeccably recreated, every harmony on “I Get Around” immaculate.

Wilson’s voice hasn’t resembled its youthful form in the decade and a half since he returned to touring regularly, so it’s wasn’t a surprise that he frequently shared vocal duties with Al Jardine (“Little Deuce Coupe”) and one of his ace keyboardists, Darian Sahanaja (“This Whole World”).

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

The elder Jardine, clad in a natty white suite, also supplied his distinctive vocals to “California Saga: California” and blended perfectly with the band for the hauntingly gorgeous “In My Room.”

The addition of Chaplin was interesting, as he brought an edgier – but not necessarily better – tone to the songs. His ragged vocals marred “Wild Honey,” but he did unleash some sizzling guitar on the track. He also produced a spirited vibe whenever he was on stage, bopping around and banging his tambourine like a wacky version of Lou Reed.

In addition to myriad staples from the Beach Boys’ and Wilson’s trove, the generous set list also included a smattering of tunes from Wilson’s new album, “Pier Pressure.”

“The Right Time” demonstrated that Wilson still knows his way around a melody, while “Runaway Dancer” almost edged into – gasp! – disco territory. But the pulsing song extracted the most animated response from Wilson, who clapped, gestured and bobbed behind his piano.

Wilson did, however, find the tender spot in his voice to present the song he says is the best he’s ever written – no argument here – “God Only Knows” in all of its layered brilliance.

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

The multi-generational crowd – which filled about half of the Fox – alternately danced and listened quietly throughout the nearly two-hour show. But the rollicking encore that kicked off with “All Summer Long” ensured that there would be no sitting for the remainder of the show.

Giddy sing-alongs accompanied the frivolous-but-fun Beach Boys' classics "Help Me, Rhonda," "Barbara Ann," "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Fun, Fun, Fun" before Wilson closed the show with "Love and Mercy," the 1988 piano ballad that is the signature song of his new biopic of the same name ( check out our recent interview about the film ).

Few living pop-rock stars are deserving of the term musical genius, but with Wilson, there is little argument that many of his compositions catapult him to the top of the list.

Opening for Wilson was the humble Rodriguez, the folk singer from Detroit who was thrust into the spotlight in 2012 after the release of the stunning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” (if you haven’t seen it , don’t deny yourself the opportunity to learn about this man’s extraordinary story any longer).

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Though he needed some assistance getting on and off the stage, Rodriguez, who turns 73 next month, was an understated marvel during his 40-minute set.

Accompanied only by his guitar, the soft-spoken man in black treated the crowd to his “This is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues,” “You’d Like to Admit It” and “Sugar Man,” the song that gave the documentary its name.

The combination of his sweet voice and sumptuous melding of folk and Spanish guitar injected covers of “I Only Have Eyes for You” and “La Bamba” with extra verve, and his decision to also recast the Sinatra favorite “Nice ‘N’ Easy” and the “My Fair Lady” classic “On the Street Where You Live” indicated his deep love of all styles of music.

The reverence extended by the crowd was also noticeable. Most seemed appreciative to be in the presence of this great mystery man with an arsenal of musical gems.

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Set list from Atlanta: