Santa Monica Twilight Dance Series at the Santa Monica Pier

For 30 years, the Santa Monica Pier has hosted the Twilight Dance Series which are a free concerts on Thursday nights during summer. These are great free concerts that are open to the public and feature top musicians. You can bring your own seating and I suggest you come early to get a good spot. The concerts are from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. There is a huge parking lot adjacent to the pier but it fills up early and is $8.00 to park. A lot of concert goers ride their bikes to the Santa Monica Pier and take advantage of the bike valet service which handles hundreds of bikes. A lot of people just bring a blanket and find a spot on the beach and listen to the concert on the pier. Note: no alcoholic beverages and dogs must be on a leash.

Concert Schedule for 2015

30th Annual Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series July 9, 2015 through September 10, 2015

• July 9 - Morris Day & the Time / Dam-Funk
  Morris Day & the Time are best known for working with Prince, but Morris Day & the Time are a band that can play funk that will get attendees moving. A popular concert draw since the 1990's (even playing with Rihanna at the 50th Grammy awards), they are as good of a kick-off to this concert series as you can get.
• July 16 - Real Estate / Hippo Campus
  Two alternative rock bands that have toured the world and back again, they team up for one fantastic July 16 night. The sea air may be a good change of pace for Real Estate, who are based in Brooklyn.
• July 23 - ¡Cubanismo! / Chicano Batman
  The only band on this list with punctuation many may have no idea how to type, ¡Cubanismo! has been making a special melodic brand of Cuban music (as the name suggests), since the early '90s, and 20 or so years later they're here at the pier to be music to your ears.
• July 30 - JD McPherson / Sarah Gayle Meech
  There was a JD before Scrubs, and he has some of the most diverse inspirations that one can think of, which will inspire the crowd with his trademark modern rockabilly, R&B, and good old-fashioned rock and roll all mixed into one. Joining him is Sarah Gayle Meech, a Nashville-based country artist from Longview, WA, and a previous resident of Los Angeles, the amalgamation of the three cities within her births a different type of country singer. Together, these two blends of cities and genres will country, R&B, and just plain rock your world.
• Aug. 6 - Australia Rocks The Pier: Ben Browning of Cut Copy / DMA'S
  A pulsating solo effort from electronic pop crooning man-child and Cut Copy bassist Ben Browning is the shiniest, newest addition to the Cutters stable of artists. Prior to starting on Cut Copy's most recent album Zonoscope, Browning dug into his trusty mind-hole and began penning tracks for a solo release, culminating in the new 12-inch EP which is to be released by Cutters Records. I Can't Stay is the lead single, taken from Browning's forthcoming EP on Cutters records.
• Aug. 13 - Sister Nancy / Jesse Royal
  Sister Nancy isn't of the clergy, but she has the voice of an angel. A dancehall DJ and singer, she'll be teaming up with Jesse Royal, a reggae artist who's been far outside his native Jamaica, but he'll be bringing it with him.
• Aug. 20 - Ariel Pink / The Mynabirds
  No, he is not a hybrid of The Little Mermaid and P!nk, he is Ariel Pink, and he is one of the most eclectic artists out there. Together with the Mynabirds, who have been described as "openhearted, politically engaged, feminist pop that, miraculously, never veers into schmaltz." In any case, these two eclectic names will meld together in one giant performance for the ages!
• Aug. 27 - Jefferson Starship / Purple Mountains Majesties
  The white rabbit returns, classic rock fans rejoice! Joining them is Purple Mountains Majesties, who promise to be more majestic than America the Beautiful.
• Sept. 3 - Rebirth Brass Band / Miles Mosley and the West Coast Get Down
  A little bit of the Big Easy comes out west to us in the form of Rebirth Brass Band! Meanwhile, The West Coast Get Down is a collaborative group of musicians born and raised in Los Angeles. They are some of the most sought after musicians in the world, and we have the honor of seeing them together with one of the most wonderful brass brands of our day.
• Sept. 10 - TBA
  

As soon as I get the schedule for the 2016 concerts, I will post it on this website.