Our exclusive interviews on A Capital Fourth continues with the multi-talented Mark McGrath. He will be performing with The Beach Boys with host John Stamos on the song “Do It Again”
So, is this your first time performing at a Capital Fourth?
Mark McGrath: It’s my first time performing, having the pleasure to perform here. It’s something else; it’s breathtaking. It’s hard for me to find words and articulate what it means to me. Watching Capital Fourth on PBS all these years growing up; watching The Beach Boys. I’m actually performing with The Beach Boys.
(excitedly) I know!
I was so nervous during sound check. I didn’t know what to do. These guys are such legends in my eyes. I’ve known John a long time–John Stamos–so he’s talked me off the ledge a little bit. But it’s truly amazing. Watching it on TV, you feel proud to be American, but when you’re here, it’s something special. There’s a tangible quality of being here on the Capital Fourth. It’s an honor.
Yes, it is. Especially since you’re performing with The America’s Band, you’re with John Stamos, you’re doing “Do It Again”. Your heart must be racing. I wish I could take your place and you could do this and I could be onstage with The Beach Boys.
Well, listen, you’ve got enough personality. I bet you’re not far away from that. But I’ve been fakin’ it for years, believe me. But like I said, growing up in Newport Beach, CA, The Beach Boys were the soundtrack to my life, and still are today. And to have the chance to be onstage with them, it’s breathtaking. And the Capitol building’s behind us, you’re looking over the Mall. I wish I could articulate to the viewers how much this means to me. It’s the highlight of my music career, it truly is.
Absolutely. I’ve got to ask, what’s your favorite Beach Boy song?
Well, there’s so many. “I’d do it again” right now is right up there, because I got to do a duet with Mike on that one. But “God Only Knows” speaks to me on a spiritual and religious level. There’s something to that song that transposes one to the ethereal, if you will and it’s very celestial. So “God Only Knows” I’m going to go with. But ask me in five minutes, it’ll be a different Beach Boys song.
Thanks Mark for the interview! We’ll have more from A Capitol Fourth, stay tuned!
About The Author
Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter
I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!
My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.
Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.
As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.
All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.
