Stamos ready to celebrate
In his first stint as host of “A Capitol Fourth,” John Stamos is guaranteed to have a big presence for an extra reason.
Not only will the “Full House,” “Grandfathered” and “Scream Queens” alum introduce other acts, he’ll also continue a frequent role of his — performing with music’s iconic Beach Boys — as PBS broadcasts the 37th annual edition of the Independence Day celebration Tuesday at 8 p.m. on WGBH, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve hosted quite a few things, but to me, this is the time to host a Fourth of July special about America and our freedom,” Stamos said. “Not to get political, but it’s going to feel great to talk about what that means to us right now, with the way of the world. I think it might have a little more meaning this year. To me, it will.”
Also slated to appear on “A Capitol Fourth” are Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi as “The Blues Brothers,” country music’s Trace Adkins, Motown’s legendary Four Tops, “American Idol” alum Kellie Pickler, gospel singer Yolanda Adams, Broadway’s Laura Osnes (“Bandstand”), latest “The Voice” winner Chris Blue and — starting the 90-minute program with the national anthem — Sofia Carson of the upcoming Disney/ABC TV-movie sequel “Descendants 2.” Jack Everly again will conduct the National Symphony Orchestra.
Just coming off a European tour with the Beach Boys, Stamos isn’t their only addition for “A Capitol Fourth,” since Mark McGrath also will be with them.
“I’d sat in with them here and there, but the first time I really was featured with the band was in 1985, at the Fourth of July concert at the Washington Monument,” Stamos recalled. “We were in Philadelphia that day, and there was a million-and-a-half people there, then we went to D.C. that night and there was another million. That was pretty crazy.”
With the special having its traditional culmination in the “1812 Overture,” cannon fire will accompany that Tchaikovsky classic ... and the program information stresses that will be “live,” possibly addressing last year’s situation, when some viewers noted fireworks from an earlier “A Capitol Fourth” telecast had been edited in, a move prompted by inclement weather in Washington that night.
The Beach Boys also played last year’s National Memorial Day Concert for the same producers — who then included the founder of both events, the late Jerry Colbert — and Stamos (who will be back in Season 3 of Netflix’s “Fuller House”) rea - soned, “W e need tha t type of music, and the sort of feeling that it evokes, now more than ever.
“Decency is at an all-time low and discord is at an all-time high, and we need to be at the concert or turn on the TV on the Fourth of July and hear this music, to escape or to remind us of happier times. I call it ‘heart music,’ because you don’t have to think too much about it ... and thank goodness we have it, to help lead us through.”