Mike SciaccaAs waves pound the coast in...

Mike Sciacca

As waves pound the coast in the background, surf bands wail their

legendary tunes on Sundays during the summer months in Downtown

Huntington Beach.

The Surfin’ Sundays Concert Series got its start on a Sunday

afternoon seven years ago with bands playing in a parking lot at the

corner of Olive and 5th streets, adjacent to the Huntington Beach

International Surfing Museum.

That same lot, in addition to the Pier Plaza stage, will play host

to several top-notch surfing bands over the next few months as the

2003 series kicks off on Sunday.

The line-up for opening day is impressive, boasting such bands as

the Breakaways, the Hot Rod Trio and The Nocturnes. Headlining the

event is The Lively Ones.

Concerts will be held Downtown two Sundays a month from May

through September.

“We’ve got some huge, huge bands lined up this summer -- it’s

going to be terrific,” said Bob Frederickson, museum chairman and

coordinator of the concert series. “I tell people that this series

brings in not only the best surf bands in Southern California but

also across the nation as well as in Europe.”

The concerts feature what Frederickson calls first, second and

third wave surf bands.

First wave bands, he said, contributed to the start of surf sounds

in the 1960s. Second wave bands hail from the era of the 70s and 80s

with the third wave comprised of current surf bands.

“The concert series keeps surf music and surf bands alive and the

public’s conscious,” Frederickson said. “They also add greatly to the

Surf City atmosphere of Huntington Beach.”

The concerts were held every Sunday during the first four years,

with only and handful of rainouts, Frederickson said.

“We started this thing to try and increase the museum’s visibility

and add to the surfing environment of the downtown area,” he said.

“That was really important to us.

“On the days that concerts were held in the parking lot next to

the museum, our gift shop sales and museum admission were higher than

normal. That’s a testament to the support that surf bands have given

to our museum. They do this as a volunteer effort and give up their

free Sunday.”

The 2003 series schedule features the first wave bands The

Chantays, The Nocturnes and Davie Allan and the Arrows, which

Frederickson said are some of the “finest surf bands in Southern

California and San Francisco.”

The Chantays recorded the famous surf classic, “Pipeline,” but

have released contemporary songs such as, “Green Room” and “Out of

the Blue.”

The Nocturnes is an Orange County band known for their classic and

original surf and beach music.

In 1999, David Allan and the Arrows won the L.A. Weekly’s music

award for Best Instrumental Band.

The Lively Ones, also a first wave surf band, got its start in

1962 when the band was known as The Surfmen.

Jim Masoner, an original band member, plays lead guitar and writes

melodies for all of the band’s songs, including what has become its

signature song, “Surf Rider,” released, he said, in 1963.

The song was featured in the hit motion picture, “Pulp Fiction.”

“It’s pretty much our biggest hit ever,” Masoner said. “For how

long we’ve been around as a surf band, that song pretty much

established us as a top-notch band. We have plenty more to offer,

though.”

The 59-year-old Anaheim resident said The Lively Ones have played

the concert series just about every for the past five years.

“We love coming to Huntington Beach to play,” he said. “It’s a

great atmosphere to be a part of. We’ve only played a couple of times

so far this year, so we’re looking forward to kicking off the concert

series.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].