CLERMONT — Fifty years ago, the Beach Boys turned rock ‘n’ roll music upside down with one of the first concept albums, “Pet Sounds,” when music changed from something to dance to and became something to listen to.
“The Beatles flipped out,” said Bobby Figueroa, who played with the Beach Boys from 1974 to 1989.
The Beatles went to work immediately on what would be “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” an album Rolling Stone magazine would place at the top of its list of best albums ever. No. 2? “Pet Sounds.”
To celebrate the anniversary, members of the California Surf Inc. — all former band members of the Beach Boys — will bring to the Clermont Performing Arts Center the multi-layered music in “Good Vibrations Christmas Party,” set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We are not using the name ‘Beach Boys’ but we are sanctioned by them,” said Figueroa. “We want to help keep the music alive.”
Originally a band that was wildly successful with its music about the California youth culture — surfing, romance and cars — with a Chuck Berry edge, the Beach Boys, fueled by the fertile imagination of songwriter Brian Wilson, moved toward near psychedelia, with nods to ecology and organic food.
Songs on “Pet Sounds” — uch as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B and “God Only Knows” — include the embellished blanket of sound that included bicycle bells, dog whistles, silverware, plucked piano strings and barking dogs.
The single “Good Vibrations,” also released in 1966, included these complex soundscapes and shot to the top of the charts, making it the Beach Boys’ fourth No. 1 hit. The others are “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Kokomo.”
The concert will not ignore the sounds that made the Beach Boys famous. Christian Love, son of Beach Boy Mike Love, will sing the leads on “409,” “Surfin’ USA” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.”
“I hope we can create a feeling of nostalgia,” said Love, who plays guitar. “We give credit to the music so people can reflect on the way it was in the beginning.”
Other band mates will be guitarist Ed Carter, keyboard player Sterling Smith and guitarist Randall Kirsch.
Tickets are $46.95 to $58.02 and are available at clermontperformingarts.com or by calling 352-394-4800.