When local music fans think of The Embers, Christmas music probably isn’t going to be the first thing that pops into their head.
This legendary North Carolina band is much more likely to have their music played at the beach than an ice skating rink, but at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, the North Carolina Music Hall of Famers will perform their Christmas Holiday show at the Sampson County Exposition Center.
Christmas with The Embers featuring Craig Woolard is coming to Clinton as part of the Sampson CenterStage Performing Arts Series.
Bobby Tomlinson, the longtime leader and founding member of the band, says “the Embers are a perennial summer band that also can tour during the fall and winter months. All the clubs in Myrtle Beach, like the Alabama Theatre, have been doing Christmas shows for years, so we started performing one about nine years ago. This concert doesn’t have anything to do with beach music; it’s 100 percent Christmas music; its ‘Christmas with the Embers.’ We have all varieties of Christmas music and even a snow machine. It’s exactly what you would expect at one of the Myrtle Beach venues, but we take our Christmas concert out on the road.”
Tomlinson is clear that when the Embers perform the Christmas show, the audience will hear holiday standards, not the beach songs they play during the warmer months. The band enjoys switching up its musical choices during these shows, bringing the joy of the season to a new group of fans — just as it did when they were invited to entertain US troops a few years back.
“I got an email from the office of a general who was a big Embers fan, who had been transferred from Fayetteville to South Korea,” Tomlinson said. “His cultural attaché asked if it would be possible for us to perform for the troops the following Christmas; I asked, ‘What’s wrong with this year?’ We put it together real quick and flew over there, and we actually performed two years in a row.”
For this family friendly performance, the stage will be fully decorated for Christmas and will feature all your favorite Christmas hits. The performance is suitable for patrons all ages and is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit.
Tickets for Christmas with the Embers are available online at www.sampsoncenterstage.com or by calling the Sampson CenterStage Box Office at 910-592-7200. The Sampson CenterStage Box Office is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on the day of the concert until 7 p.m.
Throughout the year, the Sampson County Exposition Center often presents or partners with organizations to present performances or special events. For some events, there may be an admission fee and other events are offered free to the public. Tickets for this performance are $20.