Report from the Front Line
The Beach Boys Landmark Ceremony
On Friday May 20, 2005 an all-day event commemorating
the unveiling of The Beach Boys Official State Landmark
was held in Hawthorne, California USA
I was there and took some photos - Kurt Benbenek (Beach Boys fan)
I arrived at approximately 9:45 AM and found convenient parking at the Green Line
train station right between Hawthorne Municipal Airport and the 105 Freeway
Upon arrival at the event site, I found a good spot to place my fold-up camping chair.
Since it was early, there weren't many people around. I started snapping photos and
just happened to take a picture of a guy I would meet later while walking back to
my car...Tom from Houston. When I took the picture above, I hadn't met Tom yet!
This is the view I had all day. The chairs were for the VIPs.
In the morning, sound guys were doing soundchecks and stuff.
There were many security guards around. This guard was making
sure no one stole weeds or ants from the vacant dirt lot behind him.
This dude was in a cherry picker, many feet off the ground...taking video of the event
Soon after I settled-in, I saw Beach Boy Al Jardine walking around and mingling
with the early morning Beach Boys fans...he's a very small fellow...I didn't
bother to get his autograph or shake his hand...I wasn't that interested in him
Al Jardine protects his face from the blinding glare of the hot California sun and talks to fans about
his plans to audition for the upcoming season of Fox TV's new show "American Idol Seniors"
A well-prepared event attendee enjoys his mint copy of the official program guide.
Sunglasses and shorts were the "uniform of the day" for most male event attendees
and this fashion shark was right on target with his choice of clothing and sneakers.
Two security guards make sure airplanes from the nearby airport don't accidentally taxi into the event.
They're also watching out for stray cats or hamsters that might attack important people in the area.
The Beach Boys State Landmark covered up...with a guard in front of it, so no one messes with it.
From this angle, the covered-up monument looks a bit like a brick throne for some sort of giant beast.
Two older Beach Boys fans...I think they were wearing blond wigs, but I could be wrong.
They were hanging out behind the metal barrier, then somehow got let in to the VIP section.
A lot of people were being waved into the VIP section by their
friends and by security guards who seemed to have "connections"
Yeah, I think she was wearing a wig...
Here she is clutching her bottled water and looking for
a way to get into the VIP section...nice shell purse!
A devoted Beach Boys fan makes an emergency call to Wal-Mart
and orders more sunscreen, sunglasses and bottled water
for over-heated Beach Boy fans who didn't come prepared.
No, this isn't the popular Pamela Anderson or the infamous Paris Hilton...
It's another older Beach Boys fan with a severe tan, multiple ear piercings,
sun visor, sunglasses and skimpy top...she's obviously ready for summer
and she's also ready to totally ROCK the monument unveiling ceremony!
For the most part, it seemed like everyone in attendance was from the
Hawthorne area - - I heard a lot of people talking about having "gone to
school with The Beach Boys" or having "known the Wilson Family"
The muscle man Beach Boys fan above was
obviously very proud of his sculpted physique
- and he had great reflect-o sunglasses, too!
This harmless-looking guy sitting nearby couldn't stop talking. He seemed
to know absolutely everything about The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson...
...he even appeared to know deep, psychological details about the band
and intimate, secret gossip about their innermost, complicated lives!
He talked constantly and quite loudly thoughout the entire morning.
Fortunately, I wasn't sitting directly next to him or
I probably would have thrown my camera at him
or asked some capable Beach Boys fans
to rough him up a little so he'd shut up.
This sweet, older Beach Boys fan gets my vote for best dressed woman of the day.
I'm sure she'd probably seen The Beach Boys "back in the day"...nice bracelets.
It seemed like EVERYBODY was wearing bracelets.
This senior Beach Boys fan may have lost his teeth while surfing in the old days
or perhaps he busted his teeth while trying to open a beer bottle with his mouth (??)
This is The Mayor of Hawthorne (Larry Guidi) talking to folks in the crowd
and joking about the fact that the city of Hawthorne had very little to
do with the planning of the event..."it was all out of our hands!"
Suddenly, Beach Boy Brian Wilson appeared and suddenly (without much fanfare)
the new Official State Beach Boys Landmark Monument was finally unveiled...
That's Brian Wilson and Beach Boy David Marks posing in front of the landmark.
This shot was taken from about 100 feet away, through the glare
of the hot, dream-like California sun and hallucinatory-heat.
This Beach Boys (and Angels) fan seemed to be super-proud of his old
Hawthorne High School yearbook...he obviously went to school with
The Beach Boys - - it looks like Brian Wilson even signed his yearbook!
The Yearbook Guy proudly displays his yearbook for a willing photographer,
while a nearby woman flips up her sunglasses to get a better,
clearer view of the special possession.
However, if I were this guy, I wouldn't be so quick to flash my
prized yearbook around in the bright sun...yearbooks DO fade!
Also, some mean Beach Boys fan might steal the
yearbook and sell it for good money on eBAY...
The Yearbook Guy kindly allows the photographer to get a closer photo (or two) of his yearbook.
The Yearbook Guy appears to be making an important point about the yearbook,
while the photographer dutifully writes down all the intricate details for posterity
Two older Beach Boys fans discuss the political ramifications of the offical program guide,
while the man in the red shirt ponders the impact that Pet Sounds had on The Beatles
By mid-day, the crowd had swelled to almost uncontrollable and dangerous proportions!
The actual event was about to begin...a kind of magic (Beach Boy magic!) could be felt in the air
Two Hawthorne police officers discuss the harmonic structure of "Good Vibrations"
and also talk about which donut shop they're gonna stop at on the way back to the station
From out of nowhere, the Hawthorne High School band began wheeling out
many, many xylophones and various types of other musical instruments.
As a preamble to the actual event, the high school band performed
some weird xylophone compositions, which featured a bunch of kids
playing cymbals and drums....the xylophonists were great!
There were about 8 xylophonists...or more!
Next up was the Hawthorne High vocal choir...they seemed to be inspired
by the magic of the event...however, they performed a few Beach Boys hits
in an out-of-tune and screechy manner...oh well...it was 90 degrees out
and they were all wearing uncomfortable, hot black cotton shirts
which quite possibly impinged on their vocal chords
and made for a mediocre performance.
Then Beach Boy Al Jardine came onstage to some applause and
told us he wasn't going to plug his new children's book...then he proceeded
to plug his new children's book and sing along to some music from the
new book (a wimpy version of "Sloop John B." with altered lyrics)
Then Al Jardine said a few "thank yous" and left the stage.
After him (or before him?) a band called In Bloom performed.
In Bloom is comprised of sons of Beach Boys Carl and Dennis Wilson
and In Bloom was really, very bad...they performed really scary,
awful reggae music (remember that crummy band Big Mountain who had a hit with
a cover version of "Baby I Love Your Way"? - In Bloom were worse then them!)
In Bloom played some of the worst music I've ever heard...and I am not kidding!
I didn't bother to take pictures of In Bloom, because they were really bad.
Did I mention that they were really, really bad?...oh, ok...
Then Brian Wilson was introduced. Most of his current touring band came
onstage with him. Brian said a few words and a few quick "thank yous"
Brian Wilson and his band played two songs... the first number was "Surfer Girl"
And then they played "In My Room" (right on the site where the old Wilson house used to be!)
The appearance of Brian Wilson and his band was easily the high point of the day
Brian Wilson....musical genius....the dumb angel...riding on a big wave
of success and critical approval...Brian Wilson performing in his old home town
of Hawthorne, California...in the bright, hot Southern California sun!
This was like seeing The Beatles performing at The Cavern in Liverpool
- or like seeing Dylan playing songs for Woody Guthrie in his hospital room...
- or like seeing Elvis laying down his early tracks at Sun Studios in Memphis!!
- or like being in the audience when Sinead O'Connor ripped up the Pope's photo
- or like seeing Phil Ochs play in Lincoln Park during the Chicago riots of 1968!!
- or like seeing Jimi Hendrix set fire to and smash his guitar at Monterey!!
- or like seeing the Spice Girls debut "Wannabe" on Top of the Pops in 1996
- or like seeing Elton John or Alice Cooper guest star on The Muppets Show!!!
Brian Wilson singing in Hawthorne by the 105 Freeway...wow!
What could be better? - - NOTHING!
Right after Brian Wilson and his band finished,
more "thank yous" were said and the event was over
The crowd broke up and began to disperse...sunburnt and happy!
On the way back to my car I saw the Channel 7 news van
And I caught a glimpse of The Kola 99.9 radio promo van!
And I saw a big white limousine that seemed VERY out of place in suburban Hawthorne
And I saw this guy in a brown suit who seemed very nervous
photos copyright © 2005 Kurt Benbenek / HPS
Houseplant Picture Studio