DAYTONA BEACH — More than 400 people turned out to see surf rock legend Dick Dale and his trio perform the first-ever concert at the new Daytona Beach Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday.
The concert held in the hotel's grand ballroom included a performance by opening act the NY Rockabilly Rockets.
Dale, 80, is considered the founder of instrumental surf rock who created the genre with his 1961 tune "Let's Go Trippin."
The roughly 90-minute set included several of the electric guitarist's instrumental hits, including "Misirlou," as well as his skills on trumpet, harmonica, drums and even bass, the latter which he performed using drum sticks.
Dale also sang on a handful of tunes, including "Ghost Riders in the Sky," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "House of the Rising Sun" and "Fever."
Dale was introduced by his wife Lana who watched the concert from the edge of the stage and appeared with him at a meet-and-greet for fans immediately following the concert.
The 200-room Daytona Beach Hard Rock Hotel opened March 1 on the site of the old Desert Inn at 918 N. Atlantic Ave. The hotel currently offers live music on Fridays and Saturdays on the terraces of the third-floor Wave bar and mezzanine-level Sessions restaurant.