Beach Boys Concert on Web Hits Snag

Computer-savvy Beach Boys fans around the globe would have been singing fun, fun, fun till daddy took their 56K modems away.

But a plan by Thousand Oaks and an Internet entertainment company to broadcast the group’s Oct. 12 Civic Arts Plaza concert on the World Wide Web may not materialize, according to Theatres Director Tom Mitze.

Thousand Oaks was approached by Virtual Netcasting about airing the concert on the Web through the company’s site--www.lalive.com--something the city has never done before, but which Mitze considered an exciting idea.

Yet because there are legal and contractual issues to be ironed out involving the Beach Boys, Virtual Netcasting and the Civic Arts Plaza’s Board of Governors, the broadcast may not come together in time for the concert, Mitze said.

“The Beach Boys are definitely coming, but the Internet thing has run into a snag,” Mitze said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen this time or not, but it’s definitely something we want to do in the future.”

Gina Fernandez, the publicist for Los Angeles-based Virtual Netcasting, had a more positive outlook. She said the company, which has broadcast dozens of concerts by such diverse performers as Tony Bennett, James Taylor, Ozzy Osbourne and Beck, believes the show will go on--on the Net.

“We’re still actually waiting for an approval,” Fernandez said. “We have high hopes that it will go through. We’re optimistic. We understand the city doesn’t want the Beach Boys to hear that this is going to happen when they haven’t approved it yet.”

The Beach Boys’ 7 p.m. performance has been received so well that the group has added a 3 p.m. matinee, Mitze said. Tickets for both shows were still available Wednesday.

“I think it’s exciting, really cutting-edge and an excellent way to promote the Civic Arts Plaza,” Mitze said of Internet broadcasts. “I’m really new to this, but it sounds great. I hope we can do it, if not with this show, with others.”