Home Lifestyle Cat5 Band scheduled to play Plaza Jam Aug. 4

Cat5 Band scheduled to play Plaza Jam Aug. 4

ROCKINGHAM — The Cat5 Band will be blowing onto the stage this week for the fourth installment of the Plaza Jam summer concert series.

The band is relatively new to the beach music scene, having formed in 2019 from members of other groups.

Singer and Guitarist Jerry West spent 24 years with the Band of Oz — which will close out the Plaza Jam season in October — and ‘80s rock band Sugar Creek.

Drummer Camron Dudley and Glen Tippett — a vocalist who plays saxophone, keyboards, guitar and harmonica — both previously performed with Jim Quick and Coastline.

Tim Sidden, who also plays keyboards and harmonica, was a member of Hip Pocket, spent 14 years at the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach and boasts a resume that includes touring with both John Schneider and Tom Wopat (better known as Bo and Luke Duke from “The Dukes of Hazzard,” both of whom had singing careers), and T. Graham Brown.

Bassist Allan Royal II has toured with several bands across the southeast, including Gary Lowder and Smoking Hot. He replaced founding bassist Hugh Blanton, who died of cancer in 2020. Like Dudley and Tippett, Blanton was also a member of Coastline.

“We’re excited to have Cat5 Band join the Plaza Jam lineup and look forward to hearing the five-time Cammy Award-winning band play,” Kim Williams, city events coordinator, said Tuesday.

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Those five awards, out of 10 nominations, came last year and include Group of the Year, Smoothie of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Dudley was also awarded Instrumentalist of the Year.

Dudley, Tippet, West and Sidden are all previous Cammy winners.

In April, the band released three new singles: “Drive;” “Never Give Up on Love;” and “Want You In My Life.” All three songs are available on the band’s website.

Thursday night’s show begins at 6:30 p.m. at Cole Plaza, between City Hall and Leath Memorial Library.

Before Band of Oz closes out the season, the Tams return to Rockingham in September. The Tams have performed at every Plaza Jam since it started, according to Williams, even playing the day after frontman Little Redd’s birthday one year.

The 2022 season kicked off in May with another first-time band, Chocolate Chip and Company, followed by The Entertainers in June and The Embers featuring Craig Woolard in July.

Click here to see photos from May.
Click here to see photos from June.
Click here to see photos from July.



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