BEST BET

When last weekend seems a distant memory and the coming weekend a long way off, Redondo Beach Pier may be just the place for a midweek boost. Each Wednesday this summer, the pier comes alive at noon with a variety of jazz, calypso and country music. This Wednesday, Erik Miller and his steel drums will entertain listeners with Caribbean tunes. The concerts, held at the entrance to the pier next to the parking facility, attract an eclectic mix: workers on lunch hour, retirees, children from day camp programs and tourists. “It’s a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon,” said Hawthorne resident Harold Lasky, who last week jumped out of his seat and danced with a partner to New Orleans-style Dixieland jazz. This summer marks the 10th year for the series, underwritten by the Redondo Pier Assn. The program is free. Weekday parking in the pier’s garage also is free for the first hour, after which 25 cents per half hour is charged up to a maximum of $1.