The show was organized by Robert Schaffner and Chris Herman and featured a number of fantastic musicians from around the country in rotating combinations on stage providing a wide range of excellent music.

Before the musical offerings, the guest of honor, Paul Hamer was presented with three stunning prints by legendary photographer Jeff Lowenthal: photos of architect Mies Van Der Rohe, novelist Nelson Algren and comedian Lenny Bruce.

Without further delay, the first group of musicians The Blues Crusaders, with special guest Ned Babb took to the stage and set to work kicking out the jams.

The Blues Crusaders were vocalist Ricky Liontones, (who would also act as the day’s M. C. keeping everything running smoothly) Chris Herman and Ned Babb on guitars, Rob Herman on bass and Chris Avergin on drums.

They opened with a high-energy rendition of Cheap Trick’s ‘Oh Boy’ from 1977’s “In Color”.

They then dug deep into the British Blues songbook to come up with ‘Walk on the Water’ from Blodwyn Pig’s 1969 debut “A Head Rings Out”

After that song, guitarist Curtis Meissner joined the band, wielding a vintage Hamer Standard.  A perfect choice for the psychedelic sound of The Nazz’s ‘Open My Eyes’ followed by Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Black Magic Woman’.

As the audience cheered their thanks, the day’s second act, a Chicago power trio, Triple plugged in and treated the audience to a hard charging three song set that rocked the venue.

Triple: guitarist / vocalist Tiffany Seybert,  Chris LeSueur on bass & vocal and Jackson Wilson behind the drums.

Guitarist / vocalist Mike Redmond climbed on stage with guitarist Pete Flynn (both are members of Petty Union an eight piece Tom Petty tribute band) https://pettyunion.com/

Redmond slipped on a Hamer Newport 12-string guitar and Rob Herman, (from the Blues Crusaders) strapped on a Hamer 12-string bass (mirroring Roger McGuinn and Chris Hill) to perform a rocking rendition of the Byrds’ ‘So You Want to Be a Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’.  Pete Flynn’s guitar runs on the number were a standout.

Redmond, swapping out his 12-string for a Hamer 6-string then brought vocalist Ricky Liontones and guitarist Curtis Meissner back on stage and they all had the audience choogling along with the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac song ‘Long Grey Mare’, a nice showcase for Rob Herman on bass and on which Meissner took two solos.

Next to join in on the festivities, was guitarist Larry Nutter, slinging a Hamer Vector, backing Redmond on a cover of Tom Petty’s ‘You Wreck Me’ followed by Cheap Trick’s ‘Hello There’ also from “In Color”.

After this, there was a new line-up taking the stage for the first time that night.

Among them were vocalist Gene Kelly, Scott Calderelli, and a guitarist named Jim (apologies for not catching your name) with a custom Hamer green checkerboard guitar with a reverse headstock. 

They proceeded to shake the walls with Gene Kelly fronting renditions of The Scorpions’ ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’, Judas Priest’s ‘Living after Midnight’, Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoia’ and Judas Priest’s arrangement of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Green Manalishi (With the two Prong Crown)’.

They stayed on stage and got the Jam proper started with a cover of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ which lead into a brief musical interlude.

Kelly then called Ricky Liontones back on stage and he sang Rick Derringer’s ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo’ and ‘Strange Brew’.

Tiffany Seybert from Triple then went up and did a duet on Neil Young’s ‘Down by the River’, trading some fine lead lines.  And that group of musicians wrapped with a spirited version of ‘Summertime Blues’, leaving everyone smiling.

The Herman brothers, Chris on guitar and Rob on bass returned to the stage along with drummer Chris Avgerin and tore into a spirited version of the excellent instrumental ‘Skirt Fever’ from the 2013 LP  “The Love and the Danger” by Hedgehog and The Fox.

Curtis Meissner then joined the above on stage and together they performed a glowing rendition of the Danny Kirwan composition ‘Sunnyside of Heaven’ from Fleetwood Mac’s 1972 LP “Bare Trees”.

Ricky Liontones then clambered up to front another Kirwan / Fleetwood Mac number, ‘One Sunny Day’ (always a crowd pleaser) and they wrapped things up with Peter Green’s ‘Oh Well Part I’.

A fitting end to a great day of music and celebration.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to finish off the evening with a fantastic dinner in the company of Paul Hamer and his wife Sis as well as members of Paul’s family along with Robert Schaffner and his lovely wife Carol.

Just a fantastic afternoon and evening of great music and great people.

Congratulations to Hamer Guitars on their fiftieth anniversary – here’s to another fifty!

Paul Hamer, Robert Schaffner and Chris Herman

Photos by Josh Dagenais