For those of you who are weekly readers of The Forney Messenger, you might be thinking, “Themer is slipping; he has already written about this group.” But hold on! I may be one step slower this year, but this is the 2nd time around for this group; they are running much faster than the last time, and they even added more “numbers” to entertain the sell-out crowd at the Jamie Foxx Performing Arts Center in Terrell, Texas.
And to tell the truth, by the end of some shows each year, the early-risers of the group seem to start at least standing at the back of the hall to be 1st to their vehicles in order to have an easy exit from the parking lot. This night, I saw maybe 10 people at the back, and they were still “tapping and clapping and singing along” until the final guitar was strummed!
This singing/performing group, aptly named “SAIL ON,” ran out onto the stage, prepared their instruments, introduced themselves, and announced: “Let’s hit the beach and go back to the surfing era!” Surfin’ U. S. A.—Surfer Girl—Surfin’ Safari—Kokomo—Catch A Wave.
Move on to the CARS: Little Duece Coupe—409—Fun, Fun, Fun—Don’t Worry, Baby—I Get Around!
Before we continue with the show, let’s meet the five musicians/ singers. Wyatt Funderburk: (vocals, bass, songwriting, producing) came from a “musical” family and “fell in love with the Beach Boys” early on. He has his own studio in Nashville and the #1 Beach Boys audio program on the web and has and does tour internationally.
Ben Potter: (drums, percussion) was born in England but raised in India, where he learned to play the drums. Ben moved to Nashville to further his career as a professional musician and fell in love with the “carefree feeling of Beach Boys music.”
Paul Runyon: (vocals, keyboards) quickly developed an affinity for music at an early age in Charleston, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, was a member of several choral ensembles, later toured with Mark Lindsay/”Paul Revere and the Raiders,” and along the way developed a special fondness for the Beach Boys.
Matt Thompson: (vocals/ guitar) came from Indiana and moved to Nashville after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston (where he really became “fixated on the Beach Boys and their harmonies!”) He worked and recorded much as a free-lance composer, arranger, and instrumentalist and is now thrilled to share his fascination with the music of the Beach Boys.
Mike Williamson: (vocals, guitar, keyboards) is known as a multi-instrumentalist and singer of everything from folk to jazz, from Georgia, and known for recordings in media of North America, Japan, and Europe. Mike has also long taught private music lessons and been a composer, arranger, musician, engineer, and producer. He is devoted to the ”Golden Age of Pop” and admires the genius of Brian Wilson.
And the show went on with the audience singing along, clapping, dancing, and reminiscing as the songs and music filled the air: “I Can Hear Music,” “Gotta Dance,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “California Girls,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Wendy,” “Good Vibrations,” and in the back of my mind, probably some I have not named!
As the show continued, I remarked to my wife that my favorite Beach Boys song is “Barbara Ann,” and it appears they are going to sing every “all-time favorite” song except that one. We sang along with a few more songs (“Summer Days and Summer Nights,” “When I Grow Up,” “Sail on, Sailor”…..), and then they announced that the group had enjoyed the evening and hoped to return some day— and began walking off the stage to loud and steady applause.
Just almost off the stage area, Wyatt and the “boys” turned around and began more familiar music and then the words for my favorite: “Went to the dance/Looking for Romance/Saw Barbara Ann/And thought I’d take a chance—Barbara Ann— Ba…Ba…Ba…BaBabaran”……… and I was a young teen-ager in the hot V-8 engine, 4-barrell carb, 4-on-thefloor shift Ford Galaxie 500 and roaring down the main streets of Okeene and Watonga, Oklahoma, with older cousin, Steven, driving—his girlfriend, Barbara, in the front seat as close to him as she could get with a shifter on the floor—and cousin, David, and I in the back seat with the windows wide open and our hair blowing in the wind! And we were a happy quartet of BEACH BOYS imitators!
When SAIL ON comes back to E! Terrell again, don’t miss them; I will save you a seat, and one for your date, too! And…..we will stand up and sing “Barbara Ann” together at the top!
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