Dawn Patrol:

New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Nashville and Newport-Mesa. Don’t see the association?

OK, here’s a hint — jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, country and …. that’s right, surf music, of course. And, for those like myself who didn’t readily make the connection, Matt Quilter, Bob Colwell and Tracy Longstreth are three local musicians who will be happy to tell you about it.

They’re giving a presentation to the Costa Mesa Historical Society titled, “Surf’s Way Up,” Oct. 18.

“This is our music,” Matt explained. “We want to get the word out that a true Southern California art form was born right here in our back yard.”

They ought to know.

In the early 1960s, the heyday of surf music, Bob was the drummer for Dave Myers and the Surftones, and Tracy, also a drummer, played with The Rhythm Rockers who recorded the classic LP “Soul Surfin’.” The three Costa Mesa residents are still active musicians. Matt has his own surf band, The Reventlos, and regularly performs a one-man surf music show.

Their event, open to the public, will start with Bob discussing the roots of surf music, his experiences in surf bands, and some of the classic Orange County venues like the Rendezvous Ballroom, Harmony Park and the Marina Palace.

The group will also give “how to” demonstrations on surf drums and surf guitar where audience participation is encouraged.

The project evolved from the production of what started out as Bob’s instructional DVD for surf drumming. “Pounding Surf” ( www.surfdrums.com) ended up as a complete documentary on the history of surf music. Matt was one of the supporting guitarists and when he saw how many noted surf musicians were still active and living in the area he was inspired to raise the level of awareness. Paul Johnson, Dusty Watson, Ron Eglit and Lee Kix are some of the local musicians from the 60s still playing surf music.

Matt told me that we are in the third phase of surf music. The golden era began in 1961 and he says it’s still a topic of discussion among enthusiasts whether “Let’s Go Trippin’” (Dick Dale), or “Mr. Moto” (Belairs) was the first surf tune. The era ended in 1965 with the Beatles and the British Invasion. The 80’s saw a rebirth with a new, edgy sound by groups like The Halibuts and Jon & the Nightriders. Today we’re still enjoying the revival brought about by the 1994 cult film, “Pulp Fiction,” which featured some classic surf tunes in the soundtrack. Many of the original 60’s surf musicians are still performing and younger players are putting their own spin on the genre.

So save the date. Come out and support the guys and learn about some local history. “Surf’s Way Up” will be held Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. The location is the CM Historical Society at 1870 Anaheim Street, near the recreational center. More information can be found under the Public Events page at www.costamesahistory.org.

JOHN BURTON’S surf column appears Fridays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].