The Beach Boys - 1981-07-04 - Washington DC (FM)

The Beach Boys 

featuring Brian Wilson

1981-07-04

The National Mall

Washington, DC

Q107 FM Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

CD 1:

01. California Girls

02. Sloop John B

03. Do It Again

04. School Days

05. In My Room

06. Surfin' > Surfin' Safari

07. Catch A Wave

08. Surfer Girl

09. Long Tall Texan

10. Lady Lynda

11. God Only Knows

12. Don't Worry Baby

13. Sail On Sailor

14. 409 > Shut Down

CD 2:

01. Little Old Lady From Pasadena > Little Deuce Coupe

02. Help Me Rhonda

03. Be True To Your School

04. Wouldn't It Be Nice

05. Rock And Roll Music

06. I Get Around

07. Surfin' USA

08. Good Vibrations

09. Barbara Ann

10. Back In The USSR

11. Fun Fun Fun

The Beach Boys - 1981-07-04 - Washington DC (FM)

On July 4, 1980,  the Beach Boys played the National Mall in Washington DC, with over 500,000 people gathering on the grounds near the Washington Monument for the concert.  Portions of the show were taped for an HBO special, and much of the concert was broadcast on the radio.  The band returned to DC in both 1981 and 1982 for Independence Day concerts.  However, in April 1983, James G. Watt, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Interior, banned July 4th rock concerts on the Mall. Watt said that the "rock bands" that had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in past years had encouraged drug use and alcoholism and had attracted "the wrong element", who would mug people and families attending any similar events in the future.  After learning, however, that the President and First Lady were both fans of the Beach Boys, Watt apologized and the band returned to the Washington DC on July 4, 1984 for a show that again drew 500,000 fans!   This FM recording captures the Beach Boys on July 4, 1981, 38 years ago today, the 2nd year they played the nation's capitol on Independence Day.