After a successful 720° Pine, the next Summer and Music (SAM) event will take over the Pike in downtown Long Beach, with Santa Barbara-based indie rock outfit Gardens & Villa set to headline the always peculiar, always outlandish, always inspiring affair that is Twisted at the Pike.

SAM’s carnival-centric event will take place on Saturday, July 9 from 5:00PM to 11:00PM, to feature inventive music, curious carny folk, tribal fire belly dancing, locally-sourced grub, craft beer courtesy of Auld Dubliner and more, according to the announcement released by the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) Monday.

“Twisted continues to represent and promote SAM’s precocious, experimental side,” said SAM organizer Ashley Hectus in a statement. “We encourage the every progressive, pleasure-seeker in the area to attend this event. It’s a great opportunity to drink in peculiarity, hear some radical new music, let loose and hopefully come away feeling inspired.”

Fronted by songwriters Chris Lynch and Adam Rasmussen, headliner Gardens & Villa released their self-titled debut in 2011 and their latest, Music for Dogs, just last year. The band’s vibe comes from a catchy contemplation of contemporary woes, as technology breeds isolation.

Alongside Gardens & Villa, Los Angeles-based duo JJUUJJUU will bring their psychedelic sound to the stage this year. The pair’s 2013 EP FRST gained gradual traction throughout California, while the duo has announced their new record with the release of the video Bleck.

Also from Los Angeles and harboring strong Long Beach ties, The Molochs, a four-piece outfit influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Modern Lovers, and The Kinks, per the band’s words, “acknowledge all that has come between then and now; we refuse to stand as mere retrospect.”

Long Beach-based Furcast, dubbed “your favorite band’s favorite band,” according to the release, has been in the music making business for the past seven years, emanating a style that blends hip hop, jazz, R&B and psychedelia into one unforgettable sound.

Rounding out the entertainment will be DJ BIX spinning jams before and in-between sets and Sirena Serpentina with her fire-dancing prowess.

For more information about SAM, visit the website here.  

Image courtesy of the DLBA.

Twisted at the Pike will be located at 95 South Pine Avenue.

{FG_GEOMAP [33.76475,-118.19414189999998] FG_GEOMAP}