10 hours Ago
One of Greenwood County 's most popular exports is to be in the spotlight in downtown Aiken on May 9, with the Aiken Standard Beach Blast set to be held in Newberry Street's festival area. The fun is to run from 6-10 p.m.
, and the evening's featured act is to be The Swingin' Medallions , a musical group that started in Greenwood in the early 1960s and now is in its second generation. Comprising the current corps are Shawn McElrath (oldest son of the band's founder, John McElrath ), Shane McElrath (youngest son of the founder), Chris Crowe, Josh Snelling, John Smith Buchan (a nephew of the founder), Marcus Gullen, Ronnie Goldman, Mackenzie Walden, Richard Loper and, when circumstances allow, drummer and Columbia resident Joe Morris, one of the band's co-founding members. The high-energy band's biggest hit, a cover version of " Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)," rose to prominence in 1966, when the group was composed of Morris, Jimmy Perkins, John McElrath, Carroll Bledsoe, Jim Doares, Charlie Webber, Brent Fortson and Steve Caldwell.
Loper, a Greenwood resident who serves as a singer and trumpeter, confirmed that the band's current lineup logs plenty of mileage throughout the year, usually in territory between Virginia and Mississippi. "I love Aiken. It's a cool little town," he added.
Prices for admission to the May 9 event range from $15 ("early bird special") to $500 (a VIP table of eight seats). For more information, call 803-648-2311..
