Grupo Fantasma, Bangles Playing This Year's Twilight Dance Series

The Bangles, Grupo Fantasma and the Royal Crown Revue will perform at this year's Twilight Dance Series, the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation has announced. The Slackers, Dawes and the Duo-Tones are also slated to play as part of the program.

The concerts will take place, as in years past, on Thursday nights from 7 to 10 p.m.

“We believe the 27th annual Twilight Dance Series will be a fantastic concert production and will please the Santa Monica community and concert fans,” SMPRC Chair Kent Smith said in a statement. “Free summer concerts on the pier have become a cultural and historical phenomena, and we made a collective effort to deliver the quality and community experience that has come to define this cultural institution.”

Grupo Fantasma, a Grammy Award-winning group that fuses Latin music with funk, will kick off the series July 7. They'll perform with Oscar Hernandez’s L.A. Salsa Allstars as part of "Samo Mambo" night, with salsa dance lessons happening on the pier at 6 p.m.

Next up is a July 14 show featuring '80s pop band the Bangles and Caracol, a singer-songwriter from Montreal, followed by Australia Rocks the Pier a week later.

The July 21 event, presented by the Australian Consulate in conjunction with Cotton On, will showcase another singer-songwriter, Missy Higgins, along with Kim Churchill. The Australian showcase has previously featured pop singer/guitarist Ben Lee.

A reggae/ska night is planned for July 28, with the Slackers and Star Pool performing. The finalists of the rising artist contest at , which is located on the pier, will also play at the show.

On Aug. 11, swing revivalists the Royal Crown Revue, along with Orgone and Ameera, will reminisce about the days of yore with a concert billed as "La Monica Ballroom Then & Now." A week later, the Duo-Tones, Slacktone and the Eliminators will play a throwback-themed show of their own, dubbed "Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar."

The variety of musical styles continues to expand on Aug. 25, when Milongatron grace the pier for the "Tango on the Timbers" concert. Similar to "Samo Mambo" night, tango lessons will take place at 6 p.m.

On Sep. 1, Americana artist Dawes, along with the winner of the Rusty's competition, will perform at the pier. One week later, a yet-unannounced funk and blues band from New Orleans will play a concert sponsored by .

Another to-be-announced performer has yet to be pencilled in, for an Aug. 4 show presented by Cirque du Soleil.

All 10 Twilight Dance Series concerts are co-produced by Rum & Humble and presented in partnership with OneWest Bank. KCRW is an additional sponsor.