By Daily Press staff
SM PIER — Tonight, hundreds of concert-goers will hear staccato playing and thundering instrumentals that incorporate Middle Eastern and Latin melodic influences, as Dick Dale returns for the 22nd Annual Twilight Dance Series.
In the 1950s, Dale was given the title “King of the Surf Guitar” by his fellow surfers, with whom he surfed with from sun-up to sun-down. He is known for his wild, wicked surf guitar sound which influenced the surf craze of the 1960s, and has been featured in many films. Since his first appearance in Balboa, Calif. at the famed Rendezvous Ballroom, Dale has set and broken attendance records at most places he’s performed. Jimmy Dale, Dale’s son, a gifted guitarist and drum prodigy, will appear with him.
Dale’s style is often considered different and unique. As a lefty, Dale
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 13, 2006. Read the original PDF.