Twilight Concerts Retrospective: Santa Monica Pier 'Twilight' Series Filled Sunset Skies With 35 Years Of Summer Music

For 324 weeks over the past 35 years music has filled the sunset skies of summer in Santa Monica with the "Twilight" series featuring 534 bands playing multiple musical formats ranging from zydeco, blues, and rock to jazz, reggae and funk – plus much more.

Since 1985 the Santa Monica Pier has been home to the City's most loved music stage sitting 40-feet above the Pacific Ocean with sweeping views of the Southern California coastline and showcased "Queen Ida & Her Zydeco Band" eight times – more than any other act – that also includes marque performances by bands, orchestras, DJs and new artist competitions including "Los Lobos," "Patti Smith," "Tower of Power," "Fall Out Boy," "The Knack," "Indigo Girls," "Janis Ian," "Mavis Staples," "Clarence Clemens Temple of Soul," "Graham Parker," "The Platters," "Jefferson Starship," "The Neville Brothers," "Jose Feliciano," "Bo Diddley," "Sha Na Na," "Buck Owens," "Spanish Harlem Orchestra," and "The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra," among many others.

While this year's "Twilight On The Pier" program has been canceled due to the coronavirus, a "Twilight" celebration has begun that includes:

- Week One – August 19, A History of "Twilight" at the Santa Monica Pier – an essay published on PacPark.com with contributions from Santa Monica Pier Historian James Harris.

- Week Two – August 26, Pacific Park will be sharing a comprehensive list of every band who ever played "Twilight."

- Week Three – September 2, see the artwork of 35 years of concert posters shared on the Santa Monica Pier's social media channels.

- Week Four – September 9, enjoy curated playlists featuring the bands and songs performed during "Twilight" through the decades.

Pacific Park will be announcing other programing and surprises during the retrospective. Updates and links to the content can be found at http://www.pacpark.com/twilight.

The beloved Santa Monica "Twilight" summer music series has changed its name three times over the past 35 years from "Twilight Dance Series" in 1985 to "Twilight Concert Series" in 2012 and today's billing of "Twilight on the Pier" in 2018.

While working on the essay A History of Twilight at the Santa Monica Pier historian James Harris said, "The 'Twilight' program has been a community treasure throughout the years with families and friends coming together for a few hours each week in the summertime under the stars near the surf and sand. There's a unique California quality to the shows that have traditionally begun during the pink skies at sunset."

The community is also encouraged to share "Twilight" memories on Pacific Park's Instagram @pacpark by posting with #twilightonthepier. Photos and videos will be included in the retrospective and shared on Pacific Park's Instagram stories every Wednesday.

"The summer concerts at the Santa Monica Pier are an important part of the Pier's history and evolution into the world-class entertainment destination that we are today," says Nathan Smithson, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. "It's been a privilege to be a neighbor and partner on the Pier and often a sponsor throughout the years."

As the Santa Monica Pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009 and Pacific Park recognized its 20-year mark in 2016, together they welcome more than 8 million visitors annually to enjoy the two-acre amusement park and the incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA's only admission free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 14 midway games, an oceanfront food plaza and beachside shopping. In addition to the Pacific Wheel solar-powered Ferris wheel, Pacific Park's signature rides include The West Coaster, a steel roller coaster that races 55 feet above the Santa Monica Bay; and Inkie's Air Lift Balloon Ride, the high-flying, family-sharing kids' ride. For additional information and hours of operation, call 310-260-8744, visit http://www.pacpark.com, follow on Instagram and Twitter: @pacpark and Like at Facebook: facebook.com/pacificpark.