Weber, a local music expert, will talk with attendees about some of the rich musical history and the artists who have shaped the pop culture in Hamilton.
“As things have progressed, we’ve had people like David Shaw of The Revivalists coming back here, and we’ve seen the growth of RiversEdge and Big River Get Down and that all came together with the Mayor, Pat Moeller making a proclamation to rename the city Jam!lton in celebration of all this incredible music that has happened and happening here in Hamilton, and we’ve become a real hub of live music,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.
The event is at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the Fitton Center, 101 S. Monument Ave, Hamilton. The cost is $26 for Fitton Center members and $32 for non-members. Lunch is included and will be provided by Two Women in a Kitchen.
Guests will learn more about some of Hamilton’s hit-makers like Roger Troutman, David Shaw, members of Little Texas, Scott Walker, Johnny S. Black and more.
“There’s a strong history of music in Hamilton and we wanted learn more about it, but also to celebrate these incredible musicians, who have hailed from Hamilton and who have quite literally seen the world and have taken their music well outside of Hamilton, across the United States and throughout the world,” said MacKenzie-Thurley.
Weber, a Hamilton native, holds the titles of photographer, artist, journalist, educator, marketer and musician.
“Music is one of the things that ties the community together, and in the world we’re living in right now, one of the few things that I’m still happy about is music,” said Weber.
He taught media and culture classes about the music industry for about 20 years at Miami University and Wright State University. He also ran for Butler County Auditor in 2002, 2006 and 2008. Weber credits his mom for his deep love of music.
“My main influence was my mom. She was a nurse at Fort Hamilton, an Army cadet nurse during World War II. She played piano at Hamilton High. They had offered her a music scholarship. We grew up with 45 records and players, and all of the 1950s music she would play. She was really into swing music,” Weber said.
Weber has played guitar for decades in local bands and at open blues, funk and country jams with artists like Sonny Moorman and Bootsy Collins. He bought his first guitar at Swallen’s while studying commercial photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, after graduating from Hamilton Taft High School in 1973. After majoring in corporate photography, he worked for P&G and Gibson Greeting Cards. Later, he went back to Miami to earn a Bachelor of Arts in geography and English with honors.
In 2005, he started teaching English, journalism, media and communications at Miami University. Today, makes his own custom instruments and he has gifted some of them to fellow artists.
Grace Potter plays one of the guitars Weber made. Other musicians such as Shaw, Moorman, Jackie Venson, Raelyn Nelson, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Zack Feinberg, The Lemon Twigs, Johnny Fink, Maggie Koerner and Casey Gomez all have what Weber has called “BobCasters,” too.
He credits RiversEdge and places like Hamilton’s Urban Backyard, The 513 and Immortal Vibes for furthering the music scene in Hamilton.
“It’s really cool that now we have people coming into Hamilton. It’s bigger names. We’re not just doing shows on a little truck wagon. We have our own amphitheater, which is great,” Weber said. “It’s made a huge impact in terms of economic development here, too. There’s no question. I’m hoping we get even more cool talent coming, and Adam (Helms) has been out of this world. He’s done an unbelievable job.”
During the talk, he will cover some of the early venues in Hamilton’s history as well as famous musicians that got their start in Southwestern Ohio.
Weber said Angela Combs – one of the Crimson Sisters, who played at the Fitton Center earlier this year – will be on stage with him to play and sing some of the tunes he’s going to highlight in his presentation. There may be some other surprise musical guests joining them on stage.
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