LUMBERTON — To avoid the risk of being rained out, Thursday’s Alive After 5 concert featuring Band of Oz has been moved from downtown Lumberton to the Southeastern Agricultural Events Center.
The free show will take place from 7 until 9:30 p.m in the center’s outdoor horse arena, but will be moved indoors in the event of rain. The forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of precipitation.
“This is one of the best bands of the season and I didn’t want to cancel,” said Connie Russ, the city’s downtown coordinator. “I had rather move the location and still give people the opportunity to attend.”
Formed in 1967, Band of Oz spent its early years playing beach music at frat parties and high school proms. The group graduated to more grown-up venues a decade later, when its members agreed to make Band of Oz a full-time project.
The band’s current lineup consists of Keith Houston, David Hicks, Chuck French, David Franks, Jerry West, Scott Fine, Tim Morris and Daniel Morris. They play an average of 200 shows each year, according to the band’s website.
That tireless touring schedule helped Band of Oz make a splash with beach music fans. The group’s legacy in the genre was sealed by its induction to the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
In recent years, the wonderful wizards of Oz have cast their spell on festival-goers across the Southeast. The eight-piece band has become a staple at beach events in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.
The concert series has brought the group to Lumberton several times since debuting in 2004.
Alive After 5 is sponsored by BB&T, Budweiser, Lumberton Honda, Lumberton Kia, Southeastern Health, Lumber River Trading Company and True Value. For information, call 910-671-3876.
To hear music by Band of Oz, visit bandofoz.com.
