Alive After 5: Summer music returning to downtown Lumberton

LUMBERTON — Summertime in downtown Lumberton is a great time to be “Alive.”

The countdown has begun for a series of live music performances worthy of attention.

The Alive After 5 summer music series in downtown Lumberton makes its return to the Dick Taylor plaza on May 29, with the Black Water Band again leading the series.

As in past seasons, this year’s Alive After 5 concert series will feature live music entertainment over five consecutive Thursdays on the Dick Taylor Plaza in downtown Lumberton.

The start times for the weekly performances is 6 p.m. each Thursday to create a more family friendly atmosphere. It’s not uncommon to see children of all ages dancing in front of the stage or toe tapping from their own lawn chairs.

The shows wrap up at 8:30 p.m., weather permitting. And, admission is always free.

The Black Water Band

The band, based in Clarkton, is in its 11th year and “dedicated to live performance and making every event a party experience,” said Dale Edwards, the band’s manager. “We play Top 40, Blues, Funk and Country.

“With our band members’ diverse backgrounds, we guarantee our patrons quality entertainment up and down the East Coast,” said Edwards, who the band relies on for his trombone and vocal prowess.

The free outdoor concert, which typically draws many hundreds to the downtown shopping district, will be followed by some returning music groups and a couple that are new to the series.

Liquid Pleasure

The wildly popular Liquid Pleasure returns to Lumberton on June 19, which just barely fits into the band’s schedule this year.

Kenny Mann, now in his 70s, is one of the band’s keyboardists and lead singers.

“We used to do 150 shows a year. Last year, we did 118,” Mann said prior to last year’s appearance of the Chapel Hill-based unit. “Back in the ‘80s, we left Chapel Hill on Sunday and didn’t come back until the next Sunday. We were just riding up and down the road. Sometimes, two shows a day.”

The Pink Slips Band

Also making a return this season is The Pink Slips Band, which will take the stage on June 12.

According to the band’s press material, it includes “a melting pot of award winning entertainers.”

Crowds will enjoy favorites from Carolina beach music, to soul, to country, to rock.

“You are sure to have the time of your life at each show you attend,” said Townsend Link, the front man on vocals. “The Pink Slips Band strives to make each person in the crowd feel like a part of the show. With crowd involvement, dancing and other random shenanigans, you will be on your feet wanting more,” according to the press sheet. The 10-member band — including horns, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars and drums — brings a loud sound, promising to electrify the Lumberton crowd as they did last year.

Two new groups will visit Lumberton in the 2025 Alive After 5 series, Mark McKinney & Co. (June 5,) and Captain Mike & The Shipwrecked (June 26).

Mark McKinney & Co.

Mark McKinney & Co. is new to the Lumberton music series, but certainly not new to local fans.

The band, based in Pembroke, plays on stages throughout the Carolinas and regularly at venues in North Myrtle Beach — Boardwalk Billy’s, Duck Dive Bar & Grill, Flynn’s Irish Tavern and other salt life restaurants and pubs.

A product of Robeson Community College, the acoustic team is expected to bring both high energy country and laid back beach tunes that local music fans count on.

Captain Mike & The Shipwrecked

Also new to the Lumberton series is Captain Mike & The Shipwrecked, a Charlotte-based, Jimmy Buffett tribute band, “playing hits and deep cuts from the Coral Reefer catalog.”

Captain Mike promises a “High energy evening with music to set your sails too.”

About The Captain: “Captain Mike has always been drawn to life on the water,” according to his bio. “After attending UNCW [University of North Carolina Wilmington], he moved to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, spending his days on the beach and his nights playing the bars for tourists. Moving back to Charlotte to pursue music full time, he makes sure he carves out time to head to the Caribbean every year to island hop and sail around.”