Beach Boys split across two stages as Mike Love plays seated in Nashville
Two versions of the Beach Boys played almost 2,000 miles apart on Oct. 11, 2026, and the night in Nashville came with a farewell note.
Mike Love's touring band played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, while founding member Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band played the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in Cerritos, California, according to Rolling Stone.
The Nashville date was the second night back after a break. The group had played Cincinnati on Oct. 10, its first public concert in three months while Love dealt with unspecified health issues.
At the Ryman, actor John Stamos and Love's son Brian Love spoke to the crowd about Love's fragile health. Stamos told the audience the show was Love's 7,422nd live performance.
Love stayed seated all night. He performed from a chair at centre stage, handed lead vocals to his bandmates and sang background parts only. It was the second evening in a row he had done so. He told the crowd he had been going through health challenges but had to make it to the Ryman.
Hours before the show, Stamos had written in a letter that the Nashville concert could possibly be Love's last performance with the band. Three dates remained on the books after that night: Nov. 11 in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 13 in Bristol, Virginia, and May 2027 in Enoch, Alberta.
The Nashville set included guests from outside the band's usual circle. Mickey Raphael, Willie Nelson's longtime harmonica player, joined for 'The Warmth of the Sun'. Country duo LoCash joined for a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music'. The night closed with 'Fun, Fun, Fun', followed by a recording of Queen's 'We Are the Champions' played over the venue sound system.
For fans, this means the choice of show mattered more than usual. Love fronts the official touring line-up that carries the Beach Boys name on the road, while Jardine tours separately with his own band.
In Cerritos, Jardine was joined by original Beach Boys guitarist David Marks and longtime member Bruce Johnston. Johnston had left Love's touring unit in February after six decades. The Cerritos show was the first time Johnston and Jardine had shared a stage in more than a decade.
Jardine opened with 'California Girls', 'Do It Again', 'Catch a Wave', 'Hawaii' and 'Surfer Girl'.
The group began as a garage band formed in a Los Angeles suburb and later told its story in a book covering 60 years of history. The Ryman date had been listed for 7:30 p.m.
