Edwin McCain comes to Hartsville’s Center Theater
Recording artist and South Carolina native Edwin McCain will bring his powerful voice and skilled musicianship to the stage at Hartsville’s Center Theater on December 2, with proceeds from the show going to benefit a local school.
Longtime McCain fans Derek and Amy Jenner organized McCain’s appearance in Hartsville last year, and, despite a delay caused by Hurricane Matthew, the show was such a success that they engaged the singer for a return appearance again this year.
“My wife and I used to go once a year to Shelby, North Carolina to see him perform. We just loved the show and decided that we wanted to have him here in Hartsville as a fundraiser for Thomas Hart Academy,” says Derek.
“We really loved going to see Edwin and said that it would be great to get him here, since the Center Theater is similar to the venue he performed at in Shelby,” agrees Amy. “We used the proceeds for general programs at the school, but we also had a donation spot for musical programs and we were able to purchase a curriculum of bells for the younger students.”
Amy Jenner serves as Head of School at Thomas Hart Academy, and she says that some proceeds from the Dec. 2 McCain show will help upgrade microphones and audio systems for the school’s musical programs and productions.
McCain is a longtime friend and touring partner of Hootie and the Blowfish, and he scored two Billboard Top 40 hits in 1998 and 1999 with the songs “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More.” His live performances have been described as “more like parties with old friends than rock concerts,” and McCain has only gotten more comfortable, more affable, and more confident as a performer with age.
Though always known for his strong vocals, the Jenners say that Edwin’s sound has matured and grown more expressive over the years, as his first show at the Center Theater proved.
“At one point when he was singing “I’ll Be,” he stepped away from the microphone and his voice filled the whole theater,” says Derek. “His range and his voice is just so good.”
The superior acoustics and intimate setting of the Center Theater are a good match for McCain’s voice and his acoustic trio, where the warm tones of his music reverberate just right in a facility built for musical performance.
“With it being an older theater and the way it was designed, I think his voice is a perfect fit. He can sing without needing to be digitally altered, so the naturalness of his voice and the natural beauty of an older theater paired really well together,” says Amy.
Tickets are on sale now through Vendini, with advance tickets for $25. Price at the door will be $35. A link for tickets can be found at www.thomashart.org or through www.tickets.vendini.com.
