I can already smell the kettle corn, I can taste the Pier Burgers and my little dog is already ramped up and ready to go find the dropped churros, French fries and ice cream as this year’s Twilight Concert Series at Santa Monica Pier starts up anew on Thursday. I’ve been watching for a week as crews were putting together the bandstand on the pier.
One of the best traditions of the summer season is this concert series. For more than 20 years I’ve been heading to the boardwalk on Thursday nights to enjoy a free concert, meet up with friends, make some new ones and revel in the warm beach breezes. Over the years I’ve hung out in bars on the pier, camped out below with the thousands who picnic on the beach and danced my butt off as the crowd rocked out.
This year’s lineup starts with soul music as Mayer Hawthorne and Alina Baraz kick off the season. There’s BØRNS and Porches for the indie night next week. My favorite night this year I think will be on July 21 as the Psychedelic Furs play with Day Wave — that will be a time-traveling trip for me back to my college days and long before life as a divorce lawyer. I was so hopeful then ...
If you’re a fan of reggae, July 28 is your night with Protoje and the Indiggnation along with Raging Fyah. I’m betting this is the night that should not be followed by random drug tests at work — especially as we gear up for the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.
As we make our way into the heart of summer, Latin night kicks off August with Natalia Lafourcade and Monsieur Periné. I will be having dinner that night at Casa Martin on Ocean Avenue to make it a themed night.
The summer dance party will be on Aug. 11 with Rüfüs du Sol and Marc Baker, and that’s always a fun evening. The 18th will feature some classic rock sounds with Mavis Staples headlining and The Suffers supporting for a night of smooth grooves and fun rhythms. I suggest checking out The Suffers’ “Make Some Room” on YouTube for a good example of the great musical experience they’re bringing to us.
The series ends August with a bit of whimsy as Save Ferris and Cibo Matto take the stage. Save Ferris is a ska-punk band formed circa 1995 in Southern California, and the band’s name is a reference to the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.” Cibo Matto is a Japanese ex-pat band that started off singing about food, then branched into more traditional topics. This is going to be an exceptionally fun evening as both bands bring a light and playful sense to their musicality.
September brings indie rock night with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Steady Holiday. This should be a celebration of the new and innovative in music. The series closes out on Sept. 8 with Ohio Players and Holy Ghost on disco night. Ohio Players are the band to bring us back to the funky of the ’70s. So break out those bell-bottoms and platform shoes for this night of retro disco. Holy Ghost, on the other hand, is a synthpop band that will be rocking with some new sounds.
All in all, I think this year’s lineup is probably the best I’ve seen in years and has me excited about the possibilities of what this summer holds for Thursday fun on the pier. The best restaurants for dinner before the concerts are The Albright (a series sponsor), Pier Burger, Rusty’s, Big Dean’s and Ristorante Al Mare’s top deck, where you will probably be able to hear the music while you enjoy the sunset views. The concerts are free and start around 7 p.m. There’s parking in the public lot but that is limited, so I would suggest biking it, as this year it is sure to be a packed concert every night.
David Pisarra is a Los Angeles divorce and child custody lawyer specializing in fathers’ and men’s rights with the Santa Monica firm of Pisarra & Grist. He welcomes your questions and comments. Reach him at dpisarra@pisarra.com or 310-664-9969. You can follow him on Twitter @davidpisarra.
