June 30th: Marion County 5 Alarm Beach Music Festival

Shaggers from across the state are invited to dance the night away June 30 as two of South Carolina’s favorite bands set Marion County afire with the sounds of beach music.

Jim Quick and Coastline Band and the Tim Clark Band will headline the first Marion County 5 Alarm Beach Music Festival at Hidden Acres, off Dew Road in Marion. Gates will open at 5 p.m., and the music starts at 7 p.m.

“We’ll have a covered stage and dance floor,” festival organizer Donny Gerald said. “We just want everybody to bring their chairs and coolers and have a good time.”

That’s right … this festival is BYOB. You are more than welcome to fill your coolers with Bud Light, Pepsi, water, whatever quinches your thirst. The only rule on that, Gerald said, is no glass.

“We’ll have some food vendors out where you can buy a bottle of water or a hotdog or a pretzel, stuff like that,” Gerald said. “But we’re not going to be killing people on drink and food prices, and everybody’s welcome to bring their own beverages.”

In addition to coolers, festival-goers are encouraged to bring a chair or a blanket, set up camp for the evening and enjoy the music.

Gerald said all the fun is for a good cause -- Marion County’s fire departments. The festival’s sponsors are covering all overhead costs, so all money from ticket sales will be split among the county’s fire departments – that includes departments from Marion to Mullins to Rains, to name a few.

“I chose the fire departments, because the fire department touches everyone,” Gerald said, adding that fire service was always something very near and dear to the heart of his late father, former Marion Mayor Bobby Gerald.

“Whether you know it or not, it could touch today – you could get in a wreck, your house or business could catch on fire. And it’s the fire department who’s coming to help you,” he said. “So we’re happy to be able to help them in any way possible.”

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for those who would like to contribute to the cause on a larger scale. Sponsorship benefits include covered seating, open bar and private restroom access.

Gerald said he chose Jim Quick and Coastline and the Tim Clark Band for the festival because they are good, wholesome entertainment and attract a wide range of fans.

Quick’s been touring the Southeast for more than 15 years, playing nearly 300 shows per year, and has released more than 11 albums including his newest, “Down South.”

Originally introducing their music as the Coastline Band — a band of friends who played the Carolina beach bars day in and day out — the group pushed Quick to the forefront and naturally transformed into Jim Quick and Coastline. Known for his all-out performances and deliberate, off-the-cuff wisecracks, Quick has been a gracious recipient of the Carolina Music Awards “Entertainer Of The Year Award” – nine times.

Quick discovered his love for music in the confines of his bedroom, sitting in front of his Sears & Roebuck stereo with Radio Shack headphones atop his head. Playing the role of both DJ and performer, young Quick would introduce himself before the next song, with which he’d appropriately sing along. His playful dress rehearsal wasn’t in vain. At 14, he secured a job as a radio DJ for a small, local AM station giving him the platform he needed to learn about the entertainment business and create the stage character for which he’s known.

“Working at the station was a real blessing,” Quick said. “It was a 500-watt, so really, really small, but it provided me a way to learn about a variety of music genres and what went on behind the scenes. It really gave me that extra push I’d needed to finally start making my own music. Now look at me: I’m nearly a dozen albums in and still going strong!”

The Tim Clark Band is also no stranger to the shag scene.

Since its inception, the Tim Clark Band has been wowing audiences wherever they appear. Not only did they quickly become the top-drawing band in their hometown of Myrtle Beach, but they also are recognized as one of the most popular and versatile bands touring the Southeast.

Fronted by Clark, the band is known for adding its own flavor to favorite hits of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today. Clark has been entertaining audiences up and down the East Coast for nearly 20 years. As lead singer for the immensely popular Charlotte, N.C.-based band Sugarcreek, he perfected his unique brand of showmanship.

This article originally appeared on SCNow.com.