Pet Sounds—the iconic Beach Boys album featuring timeless hits like "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows" and "Sloop John B"—was released in May 1966. To celebrate the album's 50th anniversary, Brian Wilson has announced a world tour that will take him and his band from Australia to Japan to Europe to the United States over the course of seven months.
The 55-date tour will begin March 23 in Auckland, New Zealand and end October 14 at the Harrah's Casino in Bijou, California. Along the way, Wilson will play a small handful of festivals, including an April 30 stop at Austin, Texas's Carson Creek Ranch for the psych-oriented Levitation festival, and, a month later, an appearance at Barcelona, Spain's poular Primavera Sound.
Wilson's two performances at Boston's Symphony Hall on June 17 and 18 will feature the Boston Pops Orchestra. South African guitarist and former Beach Boys member Blondie Chaplin will join Wilson for his show at Bossier City, Louisiana's Horsehoe Casino on July 23.
Each date on the tour will feature a beginning-to-end performance of Pet Sounds. It will be the last time Wilson will play the album in its entirety. "It's really been a trip to sit here and think about releasing Pet Sounds 50 years ago," the 73-year-old said. "I love performing this album with my band and look forward to playing it for fans all across the world."
The tour will cap off an exciting two-year period for the songwriter. In 2015, John Cusak and Paul Dano starred in Love & Mercy, a film chronicling the "life, love and genius" of Brian Wilson. The biopic was critically acclaimed, receiving a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Presale for Wilson's 2016 world tour begins January 27, and tickets go on sale officially two days later. More information and a complete list of dates can be found at Wilson's website.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Bort is a staff writer covering culture for Newsweek. Previously, he was a freelance writer and editor, and his ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
