Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series Presented by Amoeba Music begins June 26!

The Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series Presented by Amoeba Music will present three premieres, a 30-year reunion and ten weeks of summer fun in its 24th season!  The concerts kick off June 26 with an opening night dance party, featuring L.A.’s favorite Worldbeatniks The Bonedaddys and Oakland-based soullective Crown City Rockers. The best in eclectic and worldly rock, pop, jazz and blues will carry us through to August 28th’s closing concert, a full evening with Reggae pioneer Toots & the Maytals

Now too much fun for just two hours, the new concert time is 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  The season is marked by the West Coast debuts of the hugely popular Italian songstress Carmen Consoli in August; Dominican group Bachata Roja Legends featuring Puerto Plata; and Mike Farris from Nashville, Tennessee, with his tent-revival "Salvation in Lights" band.

Performing together in Southern California for the first time since the 1960s will be Peter & Gordon, sharing August 21 with their fellow British Invasion hit-makers Gerry & the Pacemakers.  And the biggest stars in Hawaiian music, Keali‘i Reichel and Na Leo, come together for their first ever free concert in Southern California, a special Independence Day "One Hawai‘i" tribute to the mainland on July 3.

Also appearing this summer are Michelle Shocked, one of the true originators of what is now commonly referred to as "Americana" and possessed of an iconoclastic, restless and always independent artistic spirit.  We’ll present the greatest Salsa band in North America, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Zimbabwean cultural icon Oliver Mtukudzi, multi-hyphenate, New World Folkie Juana Molina from Argentina, Ghanaian Reggae/Afropop star Rocky Dawuni and emerging Native American singer/composer Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers.

Parking near the pier is limited - walk, bike or take the Big Blue Bus this summer!  The bike valet will start up at 6:30 p.m. on concert nights, ready to provide safe, secure and convenient parking for thousands of bikes.  The Santa Monica Pier is wheelchair accessible.  For bus information, please visit www.bigbluebus.com and www.mta.net or call 310-451-5444.

For more information about the concerts, please call the Santa Monica Pier information line at 310-458-8901.

24th Annual Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series Presented by Amoeba Music