‘GOOD VIBRATIONS’—Legendary musician Brian Wilson performs at The Canyon in Agoura Hills. The former Beach Boy played there last Thursday. JANN HENDRY Acorn Newspapers “Is this place called Agoura?” Brian Wilson deadpanned at the outset of his 90-minute set last Thursday night at The Canyon, some 15 miles inland from his beloved California beach.

Fronting 11 musicians that Paul McCartney has called “the best touring band in the world,” Wilson entertained a packed house by playing nearly every song he became famous for as the creative force behind the legendary Beach Boys.

The workmanlike set of more than three dozen Beach Boys classics satisfied the enthusiastic Canyon crowd but was somewhat disappointing when one takes into account Wilson’s future recording plans.

He recently signed with Disney Records and announced that for his first project he will work with the estates of George and Ira Gershwin on “completing” musical fragments left behind after George Gershwin’s premature death in 1937. Following this will be a “Brian-ized” collection of Disney classics.

Wilson also played a highly anticipated acoustic set at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday.

None of these ambitious plans was evident last week as Wilson presented a virtual karaoke act of his back catalog of hits.

Wilson has never been comfortable performing live. He famously suffered a nervous breakdown in 1964 and stopped touring with the Beach Boys. In the past 10 years Wilson has returned to the road, and, although he is clearly awkward on stage, his mere presence serves to endorse the joyous, effervescent songs he created: the most acclaimed collection assembled by any American rock ’n’ roll band.

Fortunately, Wilson has surrounded himself with a superb band consisting of top-notch rock musicians and vocalists who have learned Wilson’s patented multipart vocal harmonies. Wilson generally handled the lead vocal duties that used to be assigned to Mike Love, with Jeff Foskett singing Wilson’s falsetto vocals and playing scintillating lead guitar.

With two drummers, three guitarists and two additional keyboards (other than his own), Wilson was mostly drowned out by the band, which has the power of an arena rock act. Still, Wilson held his own vocally and was clearly enjoying himself, although for most of the show, he sat stiffly at his keyboard, reading lyrics off a computer monitor.

With his frightening history of mental illness and drug abuse, it’s a wonder Wilson is still alive much less performing; he is the last survivor of the three Wilson brothers who started the Beach Boys nearly 50 years ago. At 67, he looks trim and fit, sporting a Hawaiian shirt, running pants and sneakers.

He remained seated throughout most of the show, nervously tapping the side of his head and making awkward hand gestures during the songs, smiling only twice: during “Add Some Music to Your Day” and “Good Vibrations” (complete with theremin). He rose only to strap on an electric bass to play while singing “Barbara Ann” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” during an extended encore set.

Still, it was great to hear Wilson perform such iconic hits as “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Help Me, Rhonda” and “Sloop John B,” songs that helped define the surf sound the Beach Boys pioneered in the 1960s. To his credit, he also added some recent songs, such as “Desert Drive” from 2004’s “Gettin’ In Over My Head.”

Wilson’s genius is all about his glorious harmonies, and he included chillingly beautiful versions of “Heroes and Villains,” “Surfer Girl” and “In My Room,” letting the band handle the more intricate vocal parts. At times, though, one wishes that the volume of the music could have been reduced so that the crowd could revel in the lush harmonies.

In summing up what was basically just another nostalgia act, a Seinfeldian catchphrase comes to mind: “Not that there’s anything wrong with that!”

May Daddy never take the TBird away.