The Woody's help jumpstart Florence After Five concert series

Jon Baltzell, bassist for The Woody’s, admitted he was a bit embarrassed when a local committee selected The Woody’s to play the inaugural Florence After Five event on May 1. Mostly, he said, because he is a member of the committee.
Although he’s quick to point out he had no part in selecting The Woody’s, the modesty inherent in his embarrassment is most certainly undeserved, as for 10 years he has been part of one of the key figures in Florence entertainment.
The Woody’s have carved out a relaxing niche in Florence: deck parties, fraternity parties and oyster roasts. Their sound, which borrows from ’60s soul as well as popular Broadway tunes, Baltzell said, draws from a genre.
“If you can hear a horn, that’s probably something we’d play,” he said.

Origin of Wood
The origin of The Woody’s, like that of many bands, begins with a few members of the original group who started looking for other people with whom to perform.
Guitarist Joe Mehaffey and Baltzell were the original members.
“Joe and I played for a long time. Years ago, we had a band called Spare Parts,” Baltzell said.
Jon and Joe were looking to expand. Luckily, their mutual workplace, Francis Marion University, provided an eclectic pool of talent.
From there, they aggregated their lead singer professor of English Philip Gardner, as well as their saxophone player, chemistry professor Rod Brown.
The band kept growing as the FMU faculty added new members.
“Philip said it would be nice to have a band with horns, and lo and behold, the next physics professor Derek (Jokisch) was a trombone player, and his wife, Kelly, was a trumpet player,” said Baltzell.
As for the name and its strange possessive nature, Baltzell said the origin is a bit more vague on that note.
“It goes all the way back to Partner’s Music. We were going to play there, and they asked me how to spell the name on the poster, and I said, ‘When you get the poster, we’ll know.’ It’s just a name somebody picked,” he said.

Flattered and humbled
Performing for the first Florence After Five event is exciting, said Baltzell. Florence After Five is a chance to bring attention back to the downtown area.
Baltzell, who has lived in Florence since 1982, said the downtown area was dilapidated when he came, “but the vibrancy of classic downtowns is about bringing the people back. They thought The Woody’s would be a draw.”
The draw, he noted, is part novelty and part hometown pride.
“I think people get a kick out of the fact that their local professors are performing,” he said. “Some people say we do covers that other people wouldn’t even try, like songs from ‘Chicago’ and ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears.’ I know that members are anxious about doing a good job. We’re just flattered and humbled that Florence has so much respect for us.”

For more information about The Woody’s, visit myspace.com/wedgefieldwoodys

Details
WHAT: The Woody’s at Florence After Five
WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 1
WHERE: Downtown Florence, across from Central United Methodist Church, located at 225 W. Cheves St., in Florence
ADMISSION: Free
INFO: (843) 662-3258