Get ready to shag, dance and party the night away. The Swingin' Medallions

are coming to the Villages Amphitheater Saturday at 8 p.m. Known

for their upbeat and fun- filled concerts, the Swingin' Medallions

continue to entertain audiences more than

thirty years from their inception.

The Swingin' Medallions have been based out of Greenwood,

South Carolina area since the early 1960s. Their musical roots

came from listening to the early rhythm and blues acts. The music

most often associated with the band is beach music, frat rock,

R&B, or shaggin' music. After a few years of touring

colleges from the Carolinas to the Louisiana bayou, John McElrath

took the group to Arthur Smith's Studio in Charlotte, North

Carolina, to record "Double Shot of My Baby's Love." The

song became a million seller in 1966, and has been a party classic

for college students for decades. "We did the song in one

take," McElrath said. "We wanted it to sound the way

we did it on stage."

"She Drives Me Out Of My Mind" and "Hey, Hey,

Baby" were top 40 hits in 1966 and 1967, but "Double

Shot" remains the signature song of the Swingin' Medallions.

The members of the band have changed over the past 30 years,

but John McElrath has remained the original and constant member

to be performing today. The band has always been comprised of

eight members with at least a four-piece horn section. Although

the group has changed throughout the years, the high-energy party

style has been passed down to the band that performs today.

John's sons, Shawn and Shane McElrath have followed in

their father's footsteps. Shawn plays lead sax and bass

and Shane plays alto sax, keyboards and sings lead. They made

an agreement with their dad to finish college in exchange for

playing in the band, something the original band's line-up

achieved along with their popular success. The rest of the Medallions

include: Robby Cox on drums; Ashby Stokes, guitar, mandolin and

banjo; John Campbell, bass, guitar and vocals; Alex Smith, saxophone;

Andrew Dudley, trombone; and John McElrath on keyboards.

McElrath says the "Medallions" will release a new

set of songs in the next couple of months on 4Sale records, the

band's own label. In addition, an exhaustive book which

covers the 60's R&B/Beach music scene of the south, "The

Heeey Baby Days of Beach Music" will be published soon.

The Swingin' medallions is just one of the many great bands

to be hignlighted. The book will also contain two cds of rare

cuts. For more information about the book and The Swingin' Medallions,

visit www.medallions.com.

Tickets may be purchased at City Hall or at the gate. Ticket

prices are as follows: $15 advance reserved tiered seating, $10

advance lawn. Phone 770-461-6029 for further information or visit

www.villagesamphitheater.com

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