The Rockin’-est Beach City

By Russ Gilbert 

The year is 1949. The owner of a small bar on Hermosa Avenue right next to the pier decides to give a bass player named Howard Rumsey a shot doing a Sunday Jam session and the Lighthouse All Stars are born. Jazz luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Ramsey Lewis, and even Miles Davis graced The Lighthouse Cafe stage during All Stars’ heyday in the 1950’s. 

Among the Beach Cities, Hermosa Beach has always burned brightest in terms of music and musicians. Thanks to the film “La La Land,” The Lighthouse Cafe is probably the best known, but it was neither the first nor last when it comes to music in Hermosa. 

In the 1970’s Hermosa found itself the center of an emergent Punk Rock scene centered around the group Black Flag. A host of other bands such as The Minutemen, Red Cross, and the Descendants would follow. As late as the 1990’s, the punk scene was still going strong with Pennywise, 16 

and you’ll still see Jim Lindberg play around town once in a while even today. 

In what is now the walkway next to Tower 12 used to stand a club called the Insomniac that was a major cultural center for the Beat generation. Unfortunately, in addition to attracting artists performing folk music and poetry it also got a lot of negative attention from the police. It was ultimately seized by the city and torn down to build the walkway that’s there now. 

Luckily, our current police department and City Council are far more supportive of live music and the people who play it. In the summer of 2021, Hermosa’s City Council voted to remove restrictions on live outdoor music from 9:00am to 9:00pm, and many establishments have taken full advantage (see Events pg 14). 

A stroll up from the Pier will take you past Hennessey’s, Waterman’s, Tower 12, Silvio’s Lounge & Grill, and Patrick Molloy’s, all of which have live music several nights a week. Cross Hermosa Avenue and you’ll find even more musicians around Hermosa Brewing Company, Java Man and Uncorked. Of course The Lighthouse Cafe is still going full tilt with a renovated interior and revamped menu. They even brought back a modern version of the Lighthouse All Stars on Monday Nights! 

Musical innovation continues here in Hermosa to this day. For example, Vista hosts an innovative “Silent Disco” the first Sunday of every month where the audience gets to listen to five stages on wireless headphones. On Thursdays you can catch a multitude of local talent at the South Bay Jam at Patrick Molloy’s. And of course the biggest celebration of live music comes twice a year at Fiesta Hermosa. 

Music has always been deep in Hermosa’s culture, and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon!