Summer 2011, here we come!

It's here! It's now! It's summer!

Pay no attention to the weather out there – summer starts this Thursday. If you're not feeling the summer love yet, fear not. You will.

Doors open at 9pm on Thursday for the official kick-off season opener hoopla. We've got The Ticks, The Greenheads and Earth Junior playing and we'll give you a free season pass with each paid admission! What does that get you? Free parking in our lot (don't dawdle though. It fills up), and free or discounted admission on selected shows like the locals party on Monday. But we'll get to that.

On Friday we have Dub Apocalypse - a band we love, full of people we love: Tommy B (John Browns Body),Timo Shanko (G Love & Special Sauce), Dana Colley (Morphine), Ken Clark (Ken Clark Trio), Johnny Trama (Nate Wilson Group, B3 Kings, Peter Prince & the Trama unit). Boston Music Awards winner for Best International Artist of the Year. Again, you get a free season pass with your paid admission.

Saturday is Zili Misik - winner of the 2008 Boston Music award for "Outstanding International Act of the Year." Zili Misik is an 8-piece world-music band that draws heavily on Afrobeat and Brazilian rhythms, bridging cultures and continents with explosive music that connects spirituals, blues, jazz, reggae, samba, gospel and soul.

Sunday late afternoon is the World Famous (literally) happy hour with the Incredible Casuals. Doors open at 4pm. This is one of just a couple Casual Sundays this summer, so don't miss it!

At 10pm come see The Refugee All-Stars – a band of Sierra Leonean musicians who have been living as refugees in the West African nation of the Republic of Guinea. We loved them the last time they came and we can't wait to see them again. A brutal, decade long civil war (1991-2002) in Sierra Leone forced the band members from their homes. It took the lives of many of their loved ones and has left them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. However, what the war could never take from them was their music. Through music The Refugee All Stars have found a place of refuge, a sense of purpose and a source of power. You can feel it in their music and see it on their faces. If you haven't seen them before, you're in for a huge treat. If you have, you've probably already bought your ticket: http://tickets.thebeachcomber.com/tickets/details?id=8064

Remember that season pass you scored on Thursday (or Friday)? Use it on Monday and come to our locals party for free. Five bucks if you failed to score your pass (you'll have one more shot next week). A line-up of our most local locals: 5:30 Settie and Zack Dixon (Ball and Chain), 6:15 The Sunsharks, 7:00 Candor, 7:45 Squidda.

Now that's a party.

It all starts Thursday, but in the meantime you can watch us clean! Who doesn't love watching other people clean? Behold, the dining cam: http://thebeachcomber.com.s124744.gridserver.com/webcams/dining-cam

Other business: You've seen our new website, right? It has all the stuff you loved from the last one (webcams, links, surf reports) plus a calendar you can import and make your very own. Handy, that. We're adding new shows to the calendar all the time and you're not going to want to miss what we've got in the works. Check it: http://thebeachcomber.com.s124744.gridserver.com/nightclub/calendar

Season highlights so far include: Galactic (6/25), G. Love (6/26), The Lemonheads (7/8), Urge Overkill (7/11), Donovan Frankenreiter (7/13, 7/14), Old 97s (7/15), King Yellowman (8/14), J. Mascis (8/15), John Brown's Body (8/18, 8/19) and more to be announced. These shows will sell out, so go to the calendar, click the link, and buy your ticket now. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Here's your weekend schedule (for the people out there who need nice, tidy lists):

Thursday: Open at 9pm. $10. The Ticks The Greenheads Earth Junior

Friday: 10pm - $15. Dub Apocalypse

Saturday: 10pm - $10. Zili Misik

Sunday (2 shows):

4pm - $10. World Famous Happy Hour with The Incredible Casuals

10pm - $20. The Refugee All-Stars

Monday: $5/ free with pass. 5:30 Settie and Zack Dixon (Ball and Chain), 6:15 The Sunsharks, 7:00 Candor, 7:45 Squidda

See you soon! Summer begins and ends here and we are READY.