Mark Frye not only celebrated the music of the Beach Boys Monday in the Savannah Center but something more important — the wedding of his son, Chase.
Frye and his band, Phil Dirt and the Dozers, played two sold-out shows at Savannah. There were plenty of good vibrations and lots of fun, fun, fun for the newlywed couple, Chase and Alyx Frye.
They were married Saturday on a beach in St. Croix, just the way a surfer boy and girl should be. And his father’s band sang an acapella version of “So In Love,” as the couple walked down a sandy isle in a fitting climax to a musical fairy tale romance.
It all started last week when Chase Frye, 31, Alyx, and members of his family were on a rock and roll cruise with his dad’s band. Chase and Alyx had been dating about a year and announced their engagement on Thursday. Two days later Chase popped the big question and Alyx, accepted. “Why wait?” Chase said. “The time and the place were right and we wanted to be together.”
Daddy Mark Frye calls it, “an impromptu wedding. It was crazy but wonderful. I’m still overwhelmed.”
As the Beach Boys might say: “We could be married/And then we’d be happy.” Wouldn’t that be nice?
Chase is still excited.
“How many chances do you have to get married on a beach in St. Croix,” he said. “Everything just seemed right: Alyx, my family, the cruise, the music and the setting. I figured I’d ask her and I’m thrilled to be married to her.”
Which brings us back to Monday night in the Savannah Center where Phil Dirt and the Dozers performed Beach Boys and surf music. Money raised was donated to the local Shriners.
The night started off with a Beach Boy bang on one the band’s early hits, “Surfin’ Safari.” The band includes Mark Frye on keyboards along with Haden Sayers, guitar; Tony Alfano, guitar/vocals, Steve Cabot, vocals and Tony McClung on drums.
It’s tough to match the harmony and falsetto of the Beach Boys, especially on the slower numbers. But the Dirt crew and singer Steve Cabot held their own on such classics as “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations” “Sloop John B” and “Little Surfer Girl.”
See a clip from the concert at the Villages-News.com Facebook page at the link below:
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The band seemed more at home on the hard rocking numbers about hot rods and big waves. “Little Deuce Coupe” and “Little GTO” burned some musical rubber.
Haden Sayers dominated the stage with Jimi Hendrix meets Dick Dale guitar licks on a series of surf instrumental numbers from “Walk Don’t Run” to “Pipeline.” Sayers earned a deserved standing ovation for his blistering performance.
In addition to the Beach Boys, the band paid tribute to the Four Seasons with a couple of quickies: “Sherry” and “Walk Like A Man.”
The Phil Dirt crew updated the Beach Boy sound with some classic island harmony on “Kokomo.”
Frye and his bandmates closed the show in style with a rocking medley of Beach Boys hits including, “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Surfin’ USA” “Help Me Rhonda” and “All Summer Long.”
The crowd was clapping and singing throughout that last set. “I always liked the Beach Boys,” said Gary Dunwoody. “They make good, clean music and it rocks. The harmony was great tonight.”
This concert was about more than just music. Over the years, Frye’s band has raised over $120,000 for the local Shriners and the Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa.
“Mark is the cornerstone of our fundraising,” said Jerry Vann, president of The Villages Shrine club. “He helps us so much.”
Jeanette Wilson, Mark Frye’s mother-in-law, lives in The Villages. Her late husband, Gene was dedicated to Shriners’ cause of helping sick children
Jeanette Wilson was at the concert to celebrate her grandson’s wedding and enjoy the show.
“This is a great night for our family,” she said.
It was also a cool night for Beach Boys fans.