Del Mar racetrack’s Bing Crosby season brings more tunes to SD

The Roots and Santa Barbara-bred reggae band Iration will perform in November at the Del Mar racetrack.

Both acts will be appearing as part of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s fall Bing Crosby Season, which runs Nov. 1-26. The Roots will perform Nov. 11, followed by Iration on Nov. 18. By coincidence, Iration’s 2006 debut album is entitled “New Roots.”

Both concerts will take place on the Seaside Stage, a short distance past the west end of the racetrack. Attendees must be 18 or older. Ticket information appears below.

The concert lineup does not include the veteran alternative-rock band The Breeders.

By name alone, they might have been the most appropriate act to book, since the racetrack will host the 2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 3 and 4. So far as can be determined, legendary crooner Bing Crosby - who died in 1977 and was a co-foudner of the Del Mar Racetrack - was not a fan of hip-hop or reggae, although he did film a memorable Christmas music duet with David Bowie shortly before Crosby’s death.

The winners of three Grammy Awards, The Roots are now celebrating their 20th anniversary as the country’s most versatile hip-hop-and-way-beyond band.

Led by drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, this Philadelphia-bred ensemble has served as the house band on TV’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” since 2014. Prior to that, The Roots was the house band on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” from 2009 to 2013.

Now in its 13th year, Iration was formed by musicians from Hawaii who were enrolled at UC Santa Barbara. Three of the band’s five members have been on board since Iration’s inception in 2004.

The group spent its summer as the second top-billed band on the 2017 “Sounds Of Summer Tour,” which was headlined by top San Diego jam band Slightly Stoopid. Iration’s upcoming Del Mar concert is being billed as a Reggae Fest, but no opening act has been announced as yet.

The concerts by The Roots and Iration are both scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Admission to the two shows is free with admission to the races, which costs $6. For those who arrive after the last race, tickets for the concerts will cost $20 each. Parking is $10 for the races and concert, but the price doubles to $20 for those only attending the concert.

The capacity for each concert is approximately 8,000. This is the first year that a Premium View VIP area next to the stage is being offered. It includes access to an elevated viewing platform, which is equipped with a private bar and bathroom. Premium View VIP tickets are priced at $50 each, per concert.

VIP tickets and more concert information is available online at: dmtc.com/concerts.