Pearl Hour welcomes popular San Francisco house music DJ David Harness for a homecoming.

The bright blue building at 214 Lighthouse Ave. in Monterey has a storied history, and the one who knows it best may be Seaside native DJ David Harness. It was there that the nationally recognized House DJ got his start in the late 1980s and 1990s. Back then it was home to The After Dark, known widely as a local gay bar and where Harness had a decade-long residency, along with his own wedding in 1995. He now gets to relive the memories at Pearl Hour’s next day party series called Summer Sessions at Pearl Diver, happening Saturday, July 5.

“I’m so excited to be able to be home for the Fourth of July weekend,” he says.

Harness graduated from Seaside High School in 1986, then made his way to recording studios in Los Angeles. By 1989 he began DJing at The After Dark on a regular basis, buying records in the Bay Area to play on the Central Coast. He later went on to perform at high-profile music festivals such as Coachella, Outside Lands and Glastonbury. Despite his success, his indulgence remains in his own local traditions.

“Once I’m home, I go back into the old mode of a person that lived in the Central Coast,” he says. “I like to go to [Fisherman’s] Grotto and get my clam chowder from the Shakes and drive down to Asilomar. I do all that stuff still to this day.”

A few years after owner Katie Blandin opened the cocktail bar, Harness got a chance to return in 2023 for a performance as an ode to The After Dark, along with DJ Kenny Summit. So to return again for the newly minted Pearl Hour Summer Sessions day party is a welcomed homecoming.

“The only time there was a day party at The After Dark was for my wedding,” he says.

Harness says he was delighted to see what remained in the bar and what had changed when he came back in 2023, taking note of where he stood for his wedding. But the new concept for Pearl Hour since opening their simpler outdoor back bar called the Pearl Diver earlier this year takes Harness’s love for his community a step further. “Hopefully it won’t be foggy because I know how it is in Monterey,” he adds, laughing.

SUMMER SESSIONS @ PEARL DIVER 2pm-7pm Saturday, July 5. Pearl Hour, 214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. $10. Ages 21+. 657-9447, pearlhour.com. Limited capacity, tickets available in advance.