Event Review - Twilight on the Pier Celebrating 35 Years
LOS ANGELES - On the evening of Oct. 3rd, one of the season's final performances for Twilight on the Pier begins at Santa Monica and attracts crowds of eager tourists and residents of Southern California. Previously named the Santa Monica Pier Summer Concert Series, the event underwent significant changes before returning with a new vision based on fusing the music of artists hailing for Southern California and that of world musicians. The fresh set-up includes heightened security and a new time of year, evolving the event entirely. For tonight, the focus is Afrobeats Meets R&B. It consists of the rhythmic drumming of Western Africa and the unique sounds of R&B artists in Los Angeles.
All dressed in black tee shirts and jeans, workers arrived on the scene and began to turn on the glowing, brightly colored globes used as decoration. Ten men, clad in kente cloth, hurried through the crowd expertly toting talking drums, djembes, and shekeres to a stage set up on the side of the pier. Less than five minutes later, heads turned as a live performance began. A crowd began to form further down the dock, and suddenly, hands were raised to the sky to clap to the beats created by the Twilight Drum Circle. As the sky darkened, Santa Monica Pier became a mecca of nightlife activity for all ages.
Two girls walked side-by-side towards the stage at the very end of the pier where the Twilight Drum Circle performed. One of the girls, Adele Julius, described her plans to spend the night exploring Santa Monica with a friend from school. She introduced herself confidently before stating that she was excited to see what the event offered. She then introduced me to her friend, Kayla, and told me that they became friends as students at San Diego Student through familiar friends. Adele, 21, is from Los Angeles and attends West Coast University to become a nurse. She wants to promote international healthcare in Asian and African countries in the future. She explained that she “saw a large sign for the event near the entrance to Santa Monica Pier and became interested in seeing the performers after hearing the drumming.” Julius continued by describing her homework-filled evening spent at a nearby coffee shop and expressed a strong interest in watching the African drummers after finding a churro. “I just want to find some good food and good music for the night,” she said.
At 7:00 p.m., the drumming gave way to an announcement by the master of ceremonies. They proceeded to announce a list of talented performers for the night: the Twilight Drum Circle, Tiffany Gouache, DJ Nnamdi, and Fela! The Concert. As they were being listed, a skinny blond boy began to take pictures of a girl posing in front of the infamous Santa Monica sign. Finally, he agreed to talk, introducing himself as Lucas McQueary from Queensland, Australia. Lucas, 18, is a recent secondary school graduate that has just embarked on a gap year with his girlfriend of one year. He plans on traveling up the West Coast to Canada and then to New York to visit some family friends. Lucas learned about the event after looking online for events in Los Angeles during the two weeks they will be here. He and his girlfriend had only just arrived on the pier and were looking for things to do before the headliners made their arrival.
“I remembered seeing Santa Monica Pier in a lot of American movies that I watched back home with my friends. I thought that since it is my first time in the States and that we would be here for a while, I should look for some fun things for my girlfriend and to do,” he began. “So far, I have liked the African music and the food options. The hot dogs we just got were good!” He informed me that he had been to a Lakers game and the infamous Knott’s Berry Farm theme park since being in Los Angeles for some fall-themed fun. “Santa Monica, I think, is probably one of the favorite things I’ve seen so far. It reminds me of some of the beaches and piers we have back home,” Lucas said. After gesturing towards his girlfriend, Lucas began to list their future travel destinations. According to both Lucas and his girlfriend, the Grand Canyon will be the grand finale of their travels.
As the final remnants of the day evolved into the night, Santa Monica became increasingly busy. Twilight on The Pier contributed to this as the crowd assembled towards the main stage. Additionally, several people preferred to partake in the games and activities set up near the infamous pier rides. The line for Bubba Gump extended out of the doorway as eager customers waited to be seated. On Oct. 7th, Twilight on The Pier will have its last performance of the season. However, one can expect that the event has much more in store in future years for attendees.