Al Jardine reached deep into the Beach Boys catalog for an unexpected musical homecoming during a recent performance in Ohio.
The Beach Boys co-founder and his Pet Sounds Band were performing at the Robins Theatre in Warren on August 15 when Jardine opened the encore with “Back Home,” a song with roots stretching all the way to the early 1960s.
The selection carried some extra meaning in Ohio, where Jardine was born. It also came with an unusually long history. Brian Wilson and Bob Norberg wrote “Back Home” in 1963, but the song went through multiple incarnations before the Beach Boys officially released a version featuring Wilson on lead vocals in 1976.
The group brought the song to the concert stage during the latter half of the 1970s, but it eventually disappeared from regular live performances. That made Jardine’s decision to bring it back in Warren a genuine rarity for fans who know the less-traveled corners of the Beach Boys songbook.
Jardine acknowledged the lengthy absence before launching into the number, explaining to the audience that the musicians had given it a quick rehearsal earlier that day. The Ohio setting made the resurrection particularly fitting, turning an obscure catalog selection into a nod to Jardine’s own beginnings.
The performance also arrives during a period of considerable change for the surviving members and extended Beach Boys family.
Brian Wilson, whose songwriting and production helped define the group’s sound, died in June 2025. Bruce Johnston retired from touring earlier this year, while Jardine, who left the touring Beach Boys organization in the late 1990s, continues performing with his own band.
Meanwhile, the Beach Boys touring operation featuring fellow original member Mike Love has faced interruptions in 2026. A run of summer concerts was postponed, with the group expected to resume touring in September.
Against that changing backdrop, Jardine’s revival of “Back Home” offered something considerably simpler: an original Beach Boy returning to his home state and reaching into the band’s history for a song that had spent decades gathering dust.
For longtime fans, it was the kind of surprise that proves even after more than 60 years of Beach Boys history, there are still a few forgotten waves left to catch.
