Mike Hammar and The Nails to Play Capitola Wednesday Evening

Wednesday's performance by Mike Hammar and The Nails on the Esplanade Park Bandstand in Capitola Village marks the official halfway point of the 2011 .

Sponsored by Christine Beuchting of Capitola and Kate Rathe of Soquel, the blues group will play from 6-8 p.m. for free. Seating is first come, first served.

Hammar is originally from Oklahoma and has played throughout California since the 1980s. He formed The Nails in 2001, and according to the band's official website, put out a debut album in 2004.

Before releasing a second album in 2010, The Nails won the prestigious Monterey Bay Blues Festival's Battle of the Blues Bands two years ago.

Other than Hammar, the group is made up of Jim Pedersen on harmonica, Sparky Gehres on bass, drummer Greg Merino and organist Allan Carroll.

Wednesday's performance in Capitola is just one of many on the group's summer schedule, which has taken the members as far east as Reno. Next weekend, they will play the Mariposa Arts Park Summer Concert Series in Mariposa.

Next Wednesday's Twilight Concert will be Mambo Tropical, sponsored by Falafel Software.

Stay tuned to Capitola-Soquel Patch for plenty more on this summer's Twilight Concerts.