A Night of Surf Rock at the Pier Thursday Night

By Lookout Staff

June 28 -- During the sixties they outsold the Beatles in Japan two to one. On Thursday night, they’ll launch the 23rd Annual Twilight Dance Series headlining the first of ten free concerts on the Santa Monica Pier.

The Ventures, acclaimed as the biggest selling instrumental rock band of all time, will share the stage with Boom Pam, a popular band from Tel Aviv that pairs duo surf guitars with tuba baselines.

Since their first smash hit, “Walk, Don’t Run,” hit the charts in the summer of 1960, the Ventures recordings have sold close to 100 million copies. While not in fact a surf band, The Ventures are credited with being one of the pioneers of surf music.

From the Theme to Hawaii Five-O to a featured musical role in the film Pulp Fiction, The Ventures endure as one of the most popular of bands worldwide.

“Their influence is legendary,” wrote Philip Haldeman, a staff reviewer for American Record Guide in a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which has not inducted the group. “There is a good reason for this, and you have missed it. It's their ability to make music that moves ordinary people.

“Fashions come and go, but The Ventures remain compelling and steadfast,” Haldeman wrote. “They are among rock and roll's primary interpreters.”

Riding a wave of popularity from Haifa to Tel Aviv since forming in 2003, Boom Pam has gained international acclaim with their hybrid of surf rock with global influences including Balkan, Greek, Arabic, Klezmer and Mediterranean flavors. The band was the rage of Womex 2006 (World Music Expo in Sevilla, Spain) and made their North American debut at globalFEST 2007 in NYC.

“Crazy Balkan time signatures and minimalist percussion make their self-titled album irresistible to the musically curious, whether your usual fare is rock or world music,” said a review in Spin the Globe. “Mostly instrumental, the feisty songs bear titles such as "The Souvlak," "Kova Plada (aka Tango)", and "Wedding Song."

The Santa Monica Pier is located at the intersection of Colorado Avenue and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The Pier strongly recommends walking, biking and using mass transit to get to the concerts as parking near the Pier is limited. The concerts will offer free valet bike parking to our patrons at the western entrance to the shows.

For those who insist on driving, parking is available in beach parking lots located at 2030 Barnard Way and 1550 PCH, both accessible off Ocean Avenue south of the Pier. The 2030 lot is a short walk up the beach path from the Pier.

For bus information, please visit www.bigbluebus.com and www.MTA.net or call 310-451-5444.