The popular four-man band Weezer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top are among the music acts booked for California’s Del Mar racing season that begins July 21.
Weezer will headline a special concert on Saturday, Aug. 21, in its debut at Del Mar. The four alternative rockers making up the band are Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner. The group, formed in Los Angeles in 1992, has had a string of successful singles -- "Buddy Holly," "Undone -- The Sweater Song," "Island in the Sun," "Beverly Hills" and "Pork and Beans." Weezer’s show on the infield stage will begin shortly after the day’s final race.
ZZ Top will follow the same show format on Saturday, Sept. 4. The three-man blues/rock band was formed in Houston in 1969 and the personnel have not changed, consisting of Billy Gibbons, vocals and guitar; Dusty Hill, vocals, bass, and keyboards; and Frank Beard, drums and percussion
According to a release, among the groups expected for the annual reggae festival Aug. 14 are veteran reggae star Jimmy Cliff and Matisyahu, who combines the Jamaican music with rap, hip hop, and beatboxing.
Del Mar’s Friday night concert series, keyed around its popular "Four o’Clock Fridays" programs, also will feature a pair of groups making their Del Mar debuts -- The B-52s and The Soft Pack. They will be part of a seven-Friday schedule during the racing season, with the music set to begin about half-an-hour after the day’s final race.
The B-52s, formed in 1976, take the stage on Aug. 6, and The Soft Pack will perform Aug. 13. According to Del Mar, The Soft Pack is an indie rock band formed in San Diego and now based in Los Angeles. The quartet consists of Matt Lamkin on guitar and vocals, Matty McLoughlin on guitar, David Lantzman on bass guitar, and Brian Hill on drums.
Leading off the series on July 23 will be San Diego-based Pinback, followed by the reggae group Common Sense on July 30. Ozomatli is scheduled for Aug. 20, and on Aug. 27 the music of Neil Diamond will be presented by the cover band Super Diamond. Completing the 2010 Friday series will be The English Beat, formed in England in 1978.
The concerts are free with racetrack admission if purchased prior to the day’s final race. Admission to the races costs only $3 for Diamond Club members and $6 for non-members. The price of admission goes up to $20 for concertgoers who arrive after the horses leave the gate in the finale.