The Beach Boys have dropped every concert on their September calendar without offering an explanation. These gigs were meant to be the group’s return to touring after they scrapped summer dates to allow 85-year-old frontman Mike Love to “recharge.”. Instead, the band pulled all four shows on Wednesday, September 23rd — one day ahead of where the tour was scheduled to resume.
Today, Rolling Stone noted a scheduling issue. The ticket page for tonight’s return in West Springfield now displays an error, showing a September 25th performance in Quakertown, Pennsylvania as canceled because of “circumstances beyond the control of the Univest Performance Center.”. The Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina used identical wording to explain the cancellation of both shows on September 27th, adding that there is “no date for rescheduling.”.
The band has not answered questions from fans who purchased tickets for upcoming shows. The Beach Boys’ next concert is set for October 9th at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Illinois. This year, they have played over 40 shows on their Pet Sounds 60th anniversary tour, though Love’s health has been a matter of worry.
Love’s Health History
Love fell ill, and the Beach Boys canceled their June dates as a result. An unspecified illness kept him from performing, and a Slate review of his May 30th show in New Brunswick, New Jersey described him as looking “sallow and enfeebled; legs stiff, arms flat by his side,” with “his once resonant tenor was reduced to a whisper, all warbled, strange, and barely there.”.
The tour resumed on June 14th and carried on until their most recent show on July 18th, yet Love’s vocal problems kept up throughout. Then, in late July, The Beach Boys declared they would call off their shows from July 23rd to September 3rd.
“We can’t wait to see you back out there for a September to Remember,” Love wrote in a statement at the time.
The September Pull
Wednesday saw four scheduled shows scrapped entirely rather than restarted following Love’s hiatus. Fans now hold tickets for concerts that have been called off, with the band canceling the events instead of picking up where they left off.
Both venues pointed to the same cause when explaining their cancellations. The Univest Performance Center gave “circumstances beyond the control of the Univest Performance Center” as the reason for the September 25th event being called off. The Alabama Theatre followed suit, using the same wording to describe why the September 27th performances were canceled, and added that there is “no date for rescheduling.”.
No reason was given for the event’s cancellation at either location. Neither site proposed a replacement date.
What Happens Next
There has been no explanation given for the cancellation of the September 23rd concerts. Only one date remains on the calendar: October 9th in Bloomington, Illinois. Whether Love can take part in that performance has yet to be stated by the band.
| Venue | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| West Springfield | September 23rd | Canceled |
| Quakertown, PA | September 25th | Canceled |
| North Myrtle Beach, SC | September 27th | Canceled |
| Bloomington, IL | October 9th | Scheduled |
Dates still to come are tightly packed. Following the stop in Bloomington, the group moves on to Cincinnati on October 10th, then Nashville on October 11th, followed by a run through November and a single show in Alberta in May.
The Pattern of Cancellations
It is plain to see that when Love’s health declines, the band cancels its shows, followed by assurances of a comeback that do not always come true.
Love’s June withdrawal happened because he was dealing with an unspecified illness. His July absence followed from continuing vocal problems. The September pull, however, was not explained.
The Fan Position
September ticket holders have not yet been given a new date to attend. The only confirmed rearrangement sits in Bloomington on October 9th.
The band has yet to confirm whether Love’s July pledge of a September to Remember still stands.
The Bottom Line
There is no new date and no explanation from The Beach Boys. It is a difficult situation for a group whose present stretch relies on a lead singer who has repeatedly skipped performances.
That quick tug raises concern. The band has not given a date for Love’s return, and the message for now stays plain.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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