Last Thursday evening, 800 people gathered on the Town Square to listen to the sounds of the Sandbox Band, South Station and The Grey Area, all of Raleigh, Hip Sauce of Fuquay-Varina and The Whistlestop of Apex.

The Sandbox Band started off the evening with a variety of children’s songs. During “Pajama Time,” band members threw popcorn, candy and a beach ball into the crowd of excited youngsters.

Whistlestop brought a little more rock and roll, country and gospel to the stage. South Station had the crowd clapping and stomping along to the country song “That Ain’t Country.” The Grey Area, a rock band, belted out tunes that made people sway their heads back and forth. Hip Sauce, a sultry rhythm and blues band, was the last to hit the stage.

The judges were Heidi Stump, executive director of The Clayton Center; Mayor Jody McLeod; and Bud Moffett, musician and photographer. In the end, first place and $1,000 went to South Station. Other winners were The Grey Area, $500 for second place, and Whistlestop, $250 for third place.

All of the bands were good, but Stump said South Station brought a little something extra to the stage. “South Station offered great musicianship and stage presence,” she said. “The band was fun, and the audience responded well.”

Diane and Wayne Dockery sat on blankets and chairs near the back of the Town Square. They were impressed with the competition, which included bands and genres for every age group.

“I like the format tonight,” Wayne said. “Instead of just having one band and you don’t like them, you have five bands. It really gives you a variety for everybody to find something they like. Choice is good.”

Also, the Dockerys enjoyed South Station lead singer Johnny Orr’s impression of comedian Larry the Cable Guy. While the band worked to fix a problem with its audio gear, Orr pulled a young girl on stage, and they led the crowd in the Hokey-Pokey.

“They were trying to make the best of it,” Diane said.

“We went to a concert at Madison Square Garden, and they changed acts,” Wayne said. “We had to wait, and it was a lot longer than that. Once South Station got up there, they really rocked.”

Earlier in the summer, Rainer Kopp of Wake Forest had attended The Breakfast Club concert in the Town Square.

South Station was his favorite band too. “I think they played some good songs, and they sounded really good,” Kopp said. “They were upbeat.”