John North Editor & Publisher

In a somewhat surrealistic scene, the Mike Love/Bruce Johnston-led version of ìAmericaís Bandî played its songs celebrating surfing, cars and girls in a venue far from the California beaches ó on a stage in a stadium nicknamed the Paper Bowl in a small blue-collar Southern mountain town. The Beach Boys performed facing Blue Ridge Paper Co.ís factory as it belched smoke a mile or so away.
Many of the 5,000 or so attendees packed into a grassy area in front of the stage that was set up beyond the end zone at one end of the football field at Pisgah Memorial Stadium. Akin to holy ground, the high schoolís immaculate natural-grass football field was fenced in and kept off-limits, resulting in the overflow crowd sitting in the stands that flanked the field.

In greeting the crowd, a justifiably proud Mayor Pat Smathers said there are three things the people of Canton ìthink they are good at,î including making paper, making and enjoying music and having a good time. He thanked tthe crowd for showing up for the charity benefit.

In another incongruous twist, the classic-rock group was introduced by a Canton country-music radio announcer who noted that his station does not play the groupís music but nonetheless proclaimed, ìLadies and gentlemen, up on your feet! Give them a Canton welcome ó the Beach Boys!î

The crowd was keeping several beach balls airborne ó a tradition during Beach Boys concerts ó as the group began the show with the familiar strains of ìCalifornia Girls.î During one of the final choruses, the audience cheered when Love revised the lyrics to sing, ìI wish they all could be North Carolina girls.î

The band followed with a number of early hits, including ìWhen I Grow Up to Be a Manî and ìI Can Hear Music,î and rocked the attendees with a fiery version of ìWouldnít It Be Nice?î

The lights were dimmed and the pace slowed for ìSurfer Girl,î a romantic classic that appeared to delight the audience.

With no intermission, the group continued its 90-minute performance with such songs as ìYouíre So Good to Me,î ìIn My Room,î ìDonít Worry, Babyî and ìDarliní.î

At that point, Love noted, ìWeíre getting ready to do one of the most patriotic songs ever recorded ... Itís played every night during football season. Itís inspired by people in uniforms ó cheerleader uniforms!î The bandís lead singer then called onto the stage seven cheerleaders from Pisgah and Enka high schools, noting, ìTheyíre going to help us out with this song,î as the band broke into ìBe True to Your School.î As the cheerleaders gyrated in unison to the music, the crowd cheered wildly.
The pace was slowed with ìThe Warmth of the Sunî and the haunting ìGod Only Knows,î which was dedicated to the late Carl Wilson, a founding member of the group.

The band then reeled off in rapid-fire fashion ìWendy,î ìDo It Again,î ìCatch a Wave,î ìHawaii,î ìLittle Honda,î ìLittle Deuce Coupe,î ì409,î ìI Get Around,î ìGood Vibrations,î ìHelp Me, Rhonda,î ìBarbara Annî and ìSurfiní Safari.î

After a rousing rendition of ìSurfiní USA,î the Beach Boys thanked the crowd for its support and left the stage. However, the cheering and standing ovation from the audience prompted the band to return for an encore featuring ìKokomoî and ìFun, Fun, Fun,î with the Pisgah and Enka cheerleaders rejoining them back on stage, dancing merrily to the timeless music.

Despite the contrast between the Appalachian-milltown setting and the West Coast surf-and-sand music, the Beach Boys performed superbly ó and I was impressed that Canton could put on such a smooth-cruising show.
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John North, publisher and editor of the Daily Planet, may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .