LAURINBURG — For those in attendance at Thursday’s Smithfield Laurinburg After Five concert, the event was filled with good food and drink and “great” music.
The band Hip Pocket, who is well known to the Laurinburg After Five concert series regular attendants, has performed annually at the concert series since 2015.
More than 200 people attended evening event at the James L. Morgan Recreation Complex.
“My favorite part is the beach music and cold beer, of course,” said Richard Byrd of Laurinburg. “I’ve heard Hip Pocket at several times at previous Laurinburg After Fives and some other events as well. I like them because they play a lot of genres, but the beach music is played very well.”
Founded in 2008, Hip Pocket has become one of the more popular groups on the Carolina beach music scene. The Greensboro natives won the 2009 Carolina Beach Music Awards New Artist of the Year Award.
The band is made up of Little John Thompson, bass, vocals, keys, drums; Michael Maffeo, saxophone, vocals, and keys; Otto Reynolds, vocals and keys; Vic Wheeler, guitar and vocals; Tim Sidden, keys, and vocals; Frankie Hoggard, drums; Preston Honeycutt, sound technician and guitar; Chris Boyette, lighting and monitor technician, bookings, and tour manager; and Henry Faavesi, road crew, security, and sound technician.
“There may be some misconceptions with the concerts that we have here only being beach music, this is not a band that solely plays beach music,” said Chris English, Laurinburg/Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce director. “Hip Pocket is always a great band and I looked forward to them after hearing them last year. More and more people are learning about what a quality band this is.”
Some of the popular songs played by the six-person band included tracks written by Bruno Mars, the Allman Brother, Journey, and Pharrell.
“The music is good. It’s a good time and good for the community to mingle,” said Kyle Chavis, an intern with Smithfield Foods, the event’s naming sponsor.
Along with the tunes included vendors providing everything from pizza, shaved ice, hot dogs, and barbecue sandwiches to soft drinks and alcoholic beverages for those over 21-years-old.
“This is a good time for me to able to meet and see old friends and catch up and just a great opportunity to see a lot of people at once,” said Donna Sikes, a Laurinburg native who now lives in Georgia.
In addition to the music for entertainment, guests had the opportunity to play video games at a mobile arcade, children played with bubbles, and face painters provided attendants with wearable art.
Previously, the Smithfield Foods Laurinburg After Five featured The Band of Oz in May and Silk Groove in June. The series finale on August 24 will feature Laurinburg native Jim Quick and Coastline.
Along with the naming sponsor, Smithfield Foods, platinum sponsors for the concert series included the city of Laurinburg and ABC 15 News, as well as gold sponsors Andrits, Scotia Village, F.C.C., Associated Realty, Nic’s Pic Kwik, Marthers Fence Company, Village Family Dental, Locklear Vineyard and Winery, Scotland Health Care System, Scotland County.
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