Beach Boys Legend Dusts Off Deep Cut for the First Time in 49 Years for Hometown Crowd

Al Jardine is throwing it way back. During a recent performance in his home state of Ohio, the Beach Boys’ founding member sang a song he hadn’t in nearly five decades.

The moment happened at the start of Jardine and his Pet Sounds Band’s encore at Robins Theater.

“After about 50 years of not performing it, we had one little rehearsal today,” Jardine told the crowd. “It’s all about coming back to Ohio.”

The song Jardine referenced was “Back Home,” which Brian Wilson and Bob Norberg wrote in 1963.

The Beach Boys tried out several versions of “Back Home” in the years after it was penned, before officially releasing a Wilson-sung recording in 1976.

According to Rolling Stone, the band performed the song at least 41 times between July 1976 and October 1978. After that, however, the song wasn’t played live.

What to Know About the Beach Boys

While The Beach Boys have been touring this year, Mike Love is the only original member in that group.

Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson both died years ago, while Jardine departed the band in ’98. More recently, Brian Wilson died in June 2025, and Bruce Johnston retired earlier this year.

Following a string of reported health issues, Love recently postponed a stretch of The Beach Boys’ tour dates.

“Playing for you is the highlight of our summer every year—especially as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States while saluting the 60th Anniversary of Pet Sounds,” Love wrote in a July statement. “We’ve been having a blast out there, and to keep the good vibrations going strong, we’ll be taking a short break to recharge before getting back on the road in September.”

Every concert scheduled between July 23 and Sept. 3 was postponed. The band is scheduled to get back on the road on Sept. 24, when they restart their tour in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

The bulk of the trek will now conclude on Nov. 13 in Bristol, Virginia. However, The Beach Boys’ show in Enoch, Alberta, Canada, is now scheduled to take place on May 8, 2027.

“Thanks for your love,” he concluded. “We can’t wait to see you back out there for a September to Remember.”

Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images