Recap Brian Wilson at Pabst Theater

Mythmaking has always been an integral part of the appeal of Brian Wilson and the group that made him famous, The Beach Boys. Nobody did a better job of creating the ideal of California living than The Beach Boys, and young people all around the globe were seduced by the world that Wilson and his bandmates brought to life in their songs. The fact that Watts was burning the same year “California Girls” was released is beside the point—the vision of the West Coast offered by the group remains a lens through which many Americans still view the Golden State.

And so it goes more than 40 years later, when Wilson can put together a greatest-hits tour that sells out venues like the Pabst Theater. Fans that came Saturday night to hear their favorite Beach Boys songs didn’t leave disappointed: Favorites like “I Get Around,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” got the baby boomer crowd dancing like they were hopped up on Cialis. This was a night for Wilson—and the audience—to look back on a past that they couldn’t hope to ever relive in real life.

That doesn’t mean that Wilson’s performance was inherently flawed in any major way, only that it was strange to watch an immobile (Wilson barely moved from a stool in front of his keyboard), aging performer singing about chasing girls, catching waves, and driving fast cars. Wilson himself seemed disinterested at times, drifting off mid-verse and even occasionally checking his watch. Wilson’s comeback has been a treat to watch, but it is obvious that he is still struggling with issues related to his much-publicized battle with mental illness.

With his history in mind, it is easy to see why Wilson would want to revisit uncomplicated songs such as “Fun, Fun, Fun.” But the highlight of Wilson’s set was a beautiful rendition of “In My Room,” a song that touches upon a darkness that the Beach Boys usually avoided. “Now it’s dark and I’m alone / But I won’t be afraid,” Wilson sang with aching vulnerability. As he repeated the words “In my room” at the end of the song it sounded less like a chorus and more like a prayer.