WILLIAMSBURG – If a band has been around for more than a half-century, it tends to rock a variety of labels along the way. Up-and-coming. In-style. Out-of-style. Dinosaur. Retro-cool. Institution.
And if its members are lucky and talented enough: Legendary.
Next weekend, two legendary bands will join a young Icelandic-Chinese artist as headliners of the 2024 Williamsburg Live festival. The Beach Boys and Tower of Power will play Friday and Saturday nights, respectively, while recent Grammy-winner Laufey will take the stage Sunday.
The Beach Boys, an American rock institution, and Tower of Power, a dynamic funk and soul group, have each toured for more than 50 years. Laufey, just 25, is a singer, songwriter and record producer who fuses jazz and pop music and has built a large social media following.
“If you just don’t go away, one benefit is you get a chance to play with many different acts,” Emilio Castillo, 73, a founding member of Tower of Power, said in a recent phone interview. “We’re still on the road 200 days a year, stronger than ever. My feeling is, ‘Bop ’til you drop.’”
Williamsburg Live, hosted annually by the Virginia Arts Festival, is held on the lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. The festival is known for attracting major national acts and drawing fans of all ages. Past performers have included Norah Jones, Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris, Keb’ Mo’ and Kenny Loggins.
“We strive to have something for everyone, and this year’s lineup is extremely diverse,” said Jon Martin, event director and a Williamsburg resident for 30-plus years. “We’re blending new and familiar music in an effort to make the festival even bigger and better.”
The Beach Boys began as a family affair in 1961, made up of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson and their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Known for its rich harmonies and celebration of a laid-back California lifestyle, the band had its first of numerous national hits with “Surfin’ U.S.A.” in 1963.
All five original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Dennis and Carl Wilson have now died and Brian Wilson is suffering from a neurocognitive disorder, but Love, 83, and Jardine, 81, still perform.
In Williamsburg, lead singer Love will appear with longtime Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston, 81, as part of the band’s Endless Summer Gold tour. (Actor and musician John Stamos, a regular collaborator as one of 60-plus artists featured in the group’s changing lineup, will not).
In a May interview with USA Today, Love shared that he had turned to transcendental meditation to keep himself strong during his tiring travels. “Even now, my biggest responsibility is to get the rest and relaxation to have the energy to do a great show,” he said.
Castillo first turned to music at 14, when he and his brother were caught shoplifting three T-shirts from a store in their native California. His father told the boys to find something constructive to do if they ever wanted to come out of their room that summer.
“The Beatles had come out, so I said, ‘I want to make music,’” Castillo recalled. “And I thought the saxophone players were the coolest guys, so that’s what I did. And here I am still doing it.”
Tower of Power formed in 1968, with Castillo playing tenor saxophone and singing some vocals. Hits have included “So Very Hard to Go,” “What is Hip?” and “You’re Still a Young Man.” The band also has backed high-profile artists such as Elton John, Otis Redding, the Grateful Dead, Aerosmith and Bonnie Raitt.
The group’s current lineup features a powerful horn section, drums and a new lead vocalist, Jordan John, who is 37. “Expect a high-energy show and some deep funk, along with plenty of audience participation,” Castillo said.
Laufey (“LAY-vay”), whose full name is Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. She performed as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at 15 and was a finalist on “ĺsland (Iceland) Got Talent” and a semi-finalist on “The Voice ĺsland.”
A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Laufey released her debut album, “Everything I Know About Love” in 2022. Her 2023 follow-up “Bewitched” won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Grammy awards.
“As a musician, my goal is to bring jazz and classical music to my generation through a more accessible road,” she said on her website. She also has created The Laufey Book Club to encourage reading among her followers, known as “Lauvers.”
“It was just a phenomenal feather in our programming cap to have her choose to come here, when she’s not making many American stops,” Martin said. “She brings in a whole other demographic as well. We’re looking forward to a great weekend of music.”
Want to go?
When: June 21-23. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with food trucks and craft beer and wine available for sale; performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, 326 W. Francis St.
Lineup: The Beach Boys (Friday); Tower of Power, featuring TAUK (Saturday); Laufey, featuring Grace Enger (Sunday — SOLD OUT, although tickets remain available on third-party sites)
Tickets: From $25 for lawn general admission to $35-$200 for tent seating.
Parking: Available free at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center, 101 Visitor Center Drive, with bus transportation to the venue.
Information: Visit vafest.org, call 757-282-2822 or go to the Virginia Arts Festival box office, 440 Bank St. in Norfolk. Tickets are also available for purchase and will call in Williamsburg at the Campus Shop at the corner of Duke of Gloucester and Henry streets. The hours are this Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and June 21, 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Alison Johnson, ajohnsondp@yahoo.com
