The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert in a Mountain View parking lot Monday night, drawing at least 700 people to an event that most attendees heard about only by word of mouth.

Surf rock began pumping out onto Mountain View Drive about 8 p.m., drawing in passers-by who crowded along a perimeter fence at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge for a view of the famed band. Impromptu gatherings behind rundown buildings gave way to dancing as the band played its 1960s hits like "I Get Around," "California Girls" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."

Their set lasted more than an hour and a half.

The unadvertised performance was sponsored by the bowling alley, which is under new ownership and booked the band for its customers and others, said manager Kelly Anderson. Matt Bobich recently bought the business, formerly Park Lanes, and is renovating it, trying to revamp its image, he said.

"It's about people seeing what we're doing to the place, because it's been so run down for so long," Anderson said. "It's been 40 years that this place has belonged to somebody and now somebody else has taken over, and we're going to clean it up."

The show came on the heels of the Sunday gigs at the State Fair that brought the band to town this summer. General admission there was $35. Because the free Monday performance would conflict with the fair, organizers couldn't advertise it, Anderson said.

Two of the Beach Boys are original members: singer Mike Love and keyboardist/vocalist Bruce Johnston, who joined the band after it formed but was included when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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