Al Jardine Says Watching Mike Love Perform Is “Just Not Right”

Mike Love has returned to the stage with the Beach Boys after several months of canceled and postponed dates, performing seated at shows in Cincinnati and at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The sight of him there has drawn a blunt response from his longtime bandmate Al Jardine.

Speaking to Rolling Stone after watching footage of the performances, Jardine said the image was difficult to take. “It’s shocking and I was really depressed,” he said. “I had to really shake myself out of it just to get on stage. Just the optics of it were just awful and I’m speechless.”

Jardine said he hopes Love does not keep performing in his current condition. “That’s just not right, that I can see,” he said. “Obviously, he’s a total pro. He wants to be on stage, but he just doesn’t know how not to do it. He doesn’t know what else to do, so I think he’s trapped.”

Love, 85, has not publicly disclosed a diagnosis. John Stamos recently said the singer is facing serious health challenges and has continued performing despite doctors and loved ones encouraging him to focus on his health. The Beach Boys canceled shows over the summer and again in September before Love’s return in Cincinnati, where he was helped onstage and remained seated while other members handled most of his usual lead vocals.

On the night Love played the Ryman, Jardine was roughly 2,000 miles away in Cerritos, California, performing with former Beach Boys Bruce Johnston and David Marks, joined by guests including Marilyn Wilson and Dean Torrence. It was Jardine’s first appearance with Johnston in more than a decade.