By CLAIRE MEYLAN | Intern
If you drive through Santa Monica on a summer Thursday night, you may witness thousands of people eagerly waiting on the beach with colorful towels, beach chairs and blankets. The sight is indicative of one of the most popular summer events in LA—Twilight Concerts at the Santa Monica Pier.
On June 22, the 32-year-old series kicked off its first show of the summer with Khalid, a trendy R&B and hip hop artist. Khalid is most famous for his single “Location,” which reached No. 16 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100. (Khalid is not to be confused with DJ Khaled, a musician who has released numerous hit singles with artists such as Justin Bieber, Drake and Kanye West.)
Photo courtesy of Grimy Goods
After the concert, Khalid, tweeted, “Around 60,000 people came out to Santa Monica to see me last night at the free show. The Staples Center holds 21,000 people.”
The show marked the largest Twilight Concert in history and raised safety concerns due to overcrowding. Bystanders noted that the crowd was mostly composed of teens—Khalid’s main fan base. Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks is troubled about the concert’s growing size, and has even requested a security analysis from the Department of Homeland Security.
“It was packed,” said Palisadian Pippa Thomas, who attended the concert. “There were too many people—but it was worth it because the music was great.”
The seven upcoming Twilight Concert Series feature artists such as Eric Burdon & The Animals, Miami Horror and Warpaint. The concerts will run every Thursday until Aug. 17, with the exception of July 6.
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