The Beach Boys came to Cedar Rapids and presented nearly 2 hours of classic rock music. The fans loved it and they were the center piece of the FREEDOM FEST an annual event celebrated by numerous activities surrounding the celebration of the 4th of July. The concert was well received but the local critic stiffed it. The review was somewhere between cruel to unkind. However it was wrapped around with caveats that the band really did do what it was supposed to do and that was to entertain the public.

I sat next to the critic in the 4th row and found a likable Gen Xer who took his profession and craft seriously. When you read some of his other reviews on the internet they are timely and thoughtful.

He not only reviews rock concerts but all of the arts and other related material. He really gushed over GREEN DAY a very popular band that warranted a Grammy for their latest album. Some 9,000 people saw them at the 5 Season Civic Center. At any rate, they are one of the best bands of the 21st center.

When Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson teamed up at the Veteran’s Memorial Ball field, our local critic was gentle with them. Although he called Dylan a “puffy bed head” and Nelson a “bulging belly with flabby arms” both got fairly decent reviews.

In so many words, the 6,000 fans got what they paid for.

The Beach Boys did not get that kind of treatment and within a few days half of the letters to the editor were saying the critic was unfair. I sat next to him all night and watched him and his body language. My guess is that he didn’t like the band before the concert or after, but in the middle, he got caught up in the music and seemed downright happy. It was not a smile of derision, but of joy.

For the 9,500 to 10,000 that showed up that hot humid night, they seemed to be very pleased as many were dancing in the aisle. The blow back to the criticism of America’s band was so numerous and intense that another local columnist of noteworthy fame had to defend our critic.

This is a fellow that you want to sit down and have a beer with. His seriousness and demeanor suggests that he likes his job, he likes his newspaper, and he likes to write. He just didn’t like the band.

Cedar Rapids is a good gig because it is a great filler date. Other big venues surround our pretty city with the likes of Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago. All are very roughly equidistant from C.R. Further, it is a good site with an educated citizenry of top ranked colleges and universities with students that have the discretionary income to go to such an event.

The Beach Boys would have played to a full house the next night in Des Moines. However, it was rained out and will be scheduled for a later time in July. Last year, they were in the area and 20,000 standing room only crowd clapped and sang their songs.

That’s the rub between substance and form. The critic saw Mike& Bruce and the generics. The fans heard the music and forgave them that 2 members had other bands and two could not come back from the grave. Except for one, a good time was had by all.

The concert was really about the songs.