Even though the summer is quickly coming to an end, the 2017 Alive After Five (AA5) Summer Concert Series is just getting warmed up, with a show on tap for this week and a couple set for October.

Following shows by Liquid Pleasure and Too Much Sylvia in May and June, the concert series took a two-month hiatus but is returning in a big way this Thursday, Sept. 21, with AA5 regulars and beach music moguls Band of Oz taking the stage.

The band, which features an eight-member group complete with a full horn section, was formed in 1967 as a part-time band playing fraternity parties and high school proms all over the South. In 1977, the band went on the road full time. The group has played nearly every major beach music festival in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia and has won numerous Cammy Awards over the years.

Closing out the season on Thursday, Oct. 5, will be The Embers featuring Craig Woolard.

The Embers boast numerous albums and single releases that span decades, since the band’s inception in 1958. Inducted into the South Carolina R&B Hall of Fame and most recently the South Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame, The Embers are widely considered to have laid the groundwork for what has become known as beach music in the Carolinas, Virginias and the Gulf Coast region of North America.

Now in its seventh year, Alive After Five is a partnership between the Sampson Arts Council, the County of Sampson and the City of Clinton. All concerts are held at the Clinton City Market located on Lisbon Street and each is presented free to all citizens and visitors to Sampson County.

The Spare Change concert will be held Friday, Oct. 13, on the eve of the 31st annual Court Square Street Fair & BBQ Cook-off, sponsored by the City of Clinton and the Clinton Main Street Program.

Another AA5 regular, Spare Change will perform for the masses leading up to the street fair. The group got their start in 2002 as a four-piece band of friends and now travels the Southeast as a favorite at various events. The band offers selections from rock, country, beach, funk, rap and classic rock, utilizing diverse instruments from the mandolin to the violin.

That concert will be slightly different, set to take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on the courthouse square, not far from the market where shows normally are staged.

https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_new-band-of-oz-1-.jpg
Band of Oz, The Embers feat. Craig Woolard, Spare Change on slate

SI staff reports

Reach Managing Editor Chris Berendt at 910-249-4616. Follow the paper on twitter @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.