The Randy Hughes Band takes center stage for this month's "First Friday" celebration this evening (Friday, Sept. 4).

The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., offering food, face painting and other activities.

The Randy Hughes Band religiously adheres to a simple motto, "Music for the fun of it!"

Current band members include: Randy Hughes, acoustic guitar and vocals; Mark Hawkins, bass and vocals; Alan Heckle, electric guitar and vocals; Tom Konold, mandolin, harmonica and vocals; Raul Recio, percussion and vocals; Mike Thamm, dobro, lap steel, harmonica, and vocals.

The band plays an eclectic mix of popular music from the 1960s and 1970s. A typical evening with the band runs the full gamut from the folk-rock classics (like James Taylor and Paul Simon) through country rock (The Eagles and Pure Prairie League), country (Hank Williams Sr. and Rodney Crowell), British invasion (The Beatles and The Stones), Southern rock (Little Feat), California rock (The Band and The Grateful Dead), Motown (Temptations and Foundations), rhythm and blues, (Van Morrison), blues (B.B. King and Eric Clapton) -- and that's just to name a few. They occasionally surprise their audiences with a Calypso or Cajun tune, an African folk song, a little Delta Blues, or even an old jazz standard.

Seven years ago, The Randy Hughes Band launched musical Friday nights at the May Street Market, a Southern Pines convenience store/restaurant that has become the hottest spot in the Sandhills to hear live music. They continue alternating Friday nights there with Fayetteville's Joyner, Young & Marie, The Parson's, The Cowboy Band, and others. The band also performs at Player's Caf in Pinehurst.

"First Friday" is a monthly community nonprofit event, for people of all ages in the Southern Pines area.

"The series is designed as such to invigorate and augment the many things about Southern Pines that make it such a wonderful place to live and do business," says a spokesman. "The goal of this event is to increase awareness of these points and foster relationships within the community in a setting of relaxation, fun and togetherness."

Admission is free. For information, visit www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com or call (910) 692-6874.