LUMBERTON — Some evenings in Robeson County, you should heed the words of Cass Elliot and make your own kind of music as karaoke and open mic opportunities proliferate in local venues.
Restaurants like The Original Wing Company in Lumberton and Pembroke book a combination of live entertainment, D.J.s and karaoke, while others like Legal Grounds Coffee Shop present “Open Mic Night” with a twist.
Angela Sumner of Lumberton Visitors Bureau updates the website calendar for the local residents, though their primary role is to promote local entertainment and events to the traveling public. She said that many venues use their website, so they do not promote events on top of each other.
Gidget Vickers, who owns the Legal Grounds Coffee Shop, does just that. Vickers and her husband Tommy present “Open Mic Night” every Thursday (year round) except when Alive After Five takes place just across the way in Dick Taylor Plaza. Then, they gladly move their open mic night to Tuesday.
“We have our events to aid the revitalization of downtown Lumberton,” Vickers said. She said they support the nonprofit group the Friends of Main Street and Mainstreet Lumberton volunteers who work in partnership with the city. She lauds the city for bringing the Farmers Market into downtown.
“We love it here and are invested in downtown, too,” said the Indiana transplant Vickers.
The Legal Grounds Open Mic Night allows guests to add their names to the “15 Minutes on Stage” roster.
Special guests Katie Hamilton and Robert Byrd often start off the entertainment and take up the slack if there are more listeners than participants.
The venue permits the performance of music, poetry and comedy during the “Open Mic” event. Beverages and snacks are available at the family-friendly event.
Vickers said open mic night takes place year-round (indoors in the cold and outside when the weather breaks. Vickers said there’s usually a good turnout. Legal Grounds also has Tuesday Game Nights to bring people downtown.
Downtown Lumberton comes to life on some summer Thursday evenings with “Alive After 5” at the Dick Taylor Plaza. Attendees may enjoy the music of popular acts, such as The Black Water Band, Band of Oz, Liquid Pleasure Band, Beach Fever Band and The Pink Slips.
People may bring their chairs to sit and listen or come out and dance. Another integral part of the downtown Lumberton entertainment scene is the Carolina Civic Center. The historic 1928 theater in Downtown Lumberton that has been beautifully restored and offers touring and original productions. The production of “The Little Mermaid ” will run June 5- 9 and features a regional cast with the lead of Ariel played by Ryley Floyd.
Phillip Wallwork and his wife Annette own Happenings on Elm, a wine bar in downtown Lumberton. He said they have an event room and occasional musical guests and they consider adding additional entertainment.
“We are still trying to figure it out. We’ve had Rob Cole every month this year,” Wallwork said and people have asked then about “open mic” events.
Many Robeson County businesses have slow Thursdays, and entertainment promotions are popular on that day of the week.
Melissa Rader, the manager of the Original Wing Company in Pembroke, said that on Thursdays they feature D.J. Bingo and every Sunday, they have a D.J. or a live performer in the house.
“We do pretty well on Thursdays. The D.J. Bingo is usually a full house,” Rader said. The players get Bingo cards with the songs’ names, the D.J. plays snippets of songs, and the participants guess the title. Winners receive prizes, and a coverall game called “The Blackout” can net the winner a cash prize.
Sunshine Santos, the General Manager of the Original Wing Company in Lumberton, said they book live entertainment, karaoke and special events. She said karaoke and live performers draw about the same size crowds but they may have more customers if there is another event like their Thursday Bike nights. She said it is hard to judge if the draw of entertainment offsets the costs, but they usually book entertainment for slow days.
“And It is good entertainment,” Santos said.
She is particularly excited about their Management Party on Sunday, May 19. It is a big event from 12- 6 p.m. and features live music by Vega Bond, a water slide, a Bounce House, a D.J. and even pony rides.
Your Pie Pizza on Fayetteville Road pioneered live performances on Thursday nights on their outdoor patio. Your Pie Pizza continues to provide customers with solid live performers including local favorites like Rob Cole(performed on The Voice), Charly Lowry (an American Idol semi-finalist), and Ethan Hanson.
