By Jason Islas
Staff Writer

July 4, 2012 -- It's a sure sign summer is here when the Santa Monica Pier kicks off its 28th Annual Twilight Dance Series Thursday night with the summery sounds of a surf troubadour and some smooth rhythm and blues.

The crowd will get a dose of Hawaiian-based singer/songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter followed by the Song and Dance Society featuring Jeff Young and Danielle DeAndre.

Frankenreiter -- a “surfer” and a “troubadour” according to the Concert organizers -- will bring his “folk-infused” guitar stylings to the premier concert in the Thursday night series, which ends September 6.

Frankenreiter, who now lives in Hawaii with his wife and children, returns to his native Southern California to perform his beachy, acoustic sounds for Santa Monicans.

“Most of the songs are about my wife and our two boys, and the life that we’ve built together in Hawaii,” said Frankenreiter about his most recent album, “Start Livin.’”

“I believe the world could be fine if we could all sing the same lullaby,” goes one of Frankenreiter’s songs.

Sharing the concert stage Thursday night will be Jeff Young.

Young has toured with Randy Crawford and Jackson Browne. He has also performed on Broadway with Morgan Freeman, the Soul Stirrers, and the Five Blind Boys.

Throughout July and August, the Pier will be hosting the Twilight Concerts every Thursday, starting at 7 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.

The Thursday night concerts will be emceed by DJs from 89.9 FM KCRW, the media partner for the Twilight Concert Series.

Concertgoers are encouraged to take the Big Blue Bus. Parking will be available in the lot north of the pier at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, however parking on the Santa Monica Pier deck will be closed.

The City of Santa Monica will provide a free bike valet, stationed on the beach next to the bicycle path on the south side of the pier.

More information about the Twilight Concert Series can be found at twilightseries.org