The Weber Brothers

We all know about the legends who have passed through the ranks of Ronnie Hawkins' various incarnations of The Hawks. You have, of course, The Band members, but that was just part of the story. Also in the group at various times were Roy Buchanan, King Biscuit Boy, members of Crowbar, Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, Dominic Troiano, even (gulp) David Foster. Given that track record, one should never take a credit in Hawkins' band lightly.

Ryan and Sam Weber were rock-obsessed kids from Baltimore who got introduced to Hawkins thanks to The Last Waltz movie. Youthful guts lead them to contact The Hawk back in 2001, and offer their services. Whatever Hawkins heard, he once again proved his talent scout smarts were still there. The Webers moved on up to Ontario, and got the full course under his tutelage. Then, like the rest, they went out to earn their own stripes.

The past decade has seen them settle in the Peterborough area, and put out a long string of discs, somehow avoiding any great attention. I want to grab passers-by and play them this new disc. While it might sound like a bragging title a blues group would use, The Weber Brothers are instead a great, classic, rock group who may indeed be the baddest in the land. They have mastered great chunks of bedrock group sounds, from the cowbell-dumb hard stuff of "Panic Attack" to the piano-pounding Leon/Elton number "Different Day". Both Webers handle lead vocals, offering more variety that takes us from hard to soft, gutsy and smooth. In "Can't Help Feeling Bad", they even conquer hit single-worthy material, that is if this was 1972, and they were Badfinger.

The thing is, it's also the most excitement rock band album I've heard in eons, or at least since The Sheepdogs. Unlike The Sheepdogs, who sound too much like their influences, The Weber Brothers have swallowed up everything and created a bold blend. It's as tight as a New Orleans funk band, and as surprising as the best mix tape. This is the band I want to see tonight. - Bob Mersereau

Making music may be a hobby for some people, but for the Weber Brothers, it’s what’s they do, and they do it well.

The four-piece band from Baltimore, led by brothers Sam (guitar/vocals) and Ryan Weber (double bass/vocals), have made a career out of crafting foot-stomping songs based on driving melodies and catchy hooks.

The Webers will return to the stage at Sticky Fingers Bar and Grill tonight, where fans will get a dose of everything the band has to offer.

“It’s about who comes into the place and if they’re ready to give it, then the band is ready to give. The two aren’t separate things. We have to work together to make that magic,” Ryan said. “I feel that we give all of ourselves, and we have since the beginning, every time we play to carrying that on and taking it to new places.”

The duo started playing bars in Maryland when Sam was 15 years old, and after carving a sound of their own from rock, folk and county influences, the brothers sent a demo tape to rockabilly legend Ronnie ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins — an Arkansas native who now calls Canada home — who called the boys up to the Great White North where he put them through a 90-day musical boot camp before joining his band, The Hawks.

“Initially, it was to come up and meet Ronnie and then eventually we joined Ronnie’s band,” Ryan said. “He taught us so many things, and not just musically, but about life and about sustaining in this business which isn’t the easiest thing to do.”

By the time Ryan was 21 and Sam was 18, the two had left their home for Hawkins’ farm near Peterborough where they took their places once filled by former members of The Band: Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko.

“It feels great and amazing. It feels like a real duty,” Ryan said. “If it is looked at like a passing of the torch, or a keeping of the flame, then we are the guys to do that.”

The brothers had a brush with two of their heroes during a tribute concert to Hawkins at Massey Hall in Toronto in 2005.

“The night of the show, they had these flyers as a program for the night and we were scrolling through it and it said David Wilcox, Kris Kristopherson and then it said Levon Helm and Garth Hudson with the Weber Brothers,” Ryan said. “It was just the four of us, and so it was just me, Sam, Levon and Garth. It was one of the top moments. They were so great and always having fun. Every time you’d turn to look at Levon he was smiling.”

“Those guys are like Elvis for us,” he added.

After years of playing with the Hawks, the Webers developed a force-to-be-wreckoned-with stage show built on Hawkins’ teachings of rock ’n’ roll pedigree.

“Musically, he definitely taught us about dynamics, like turning the volume down low so the voice can be heard and not everybody playing all at once and just going crazy the whole time,” Ryan said. “That tires an audience out and it tires the band out. You have to have an ebb and flow. It’s really about the audience than it is about yourself and showing off your licks. There’s a time and place for that.”

When Hawkins took a break from playing live, the duo enlisted the keyboard skills of Shai ‘Cookie’ Peer and drummer Corn Dog, who was later replaced by Marcus Browne, and started playing and touring as the Weber Brothers, but never lost sight of what Hawkins passed down to them.

“That’s my favourite part about playing to Canadian audiences, is that a lot of times they come out and they’re ready to give and be uplifted, and then we can all be uplifted and that’s what it’s all about,” Ryan said. “It’s all about connection and seeing their reaction and taking that reaction to the sky and then Sam stands on the bass and that takes it home.”

The brothers have played, recorded and performed music together for more than 20 years, and show no signs on giving up anytime soon, in fact, Ryan said they’re just picking up steam.

“This whole summer, all the festivals came in for us and we were playing to bigger audiences and there was already a boost and momentum happening,” he said. “The last few gigs we’ve done, even over the last few weeks, we’ve really hit the stride and now we feel like we can do anything.”

The Webers are no strangers to Barrie, and as part of their return to a local stage, the band insists they will “always deliver and bring the full spectrum every time so anyone who comes to see always leaves feeling good.”

“The last few times (in Barrie) were really good and people know that we’re coming and hopefully they’re excited,” Ryan said. “They (Barrie audiences) have been beautiful. They’ve really come and they’ve given and always ready to rock.”

Fans can count on years of performing experience and international touring to be put on display to help set the night off right, Ryan said.

“It’s always a ramp up and it always gets better because more people keep coming out,” he said. “We’ve played some great places and to some great crowds, but the crowd always makes the place.”

- The Barrie Examiner

It was the experience of a lifetime for local musicians The Weber Brothers, Ryan and Sam, who shared the stage with some of the legends of rock ’n’ roll last weekend in Cleveland at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Chuck Berry in Cleveland.

Berry was there. So were Ronnie Hawkins, Merle Haggard, Lemmy from Motorhead, Rick Derringer, Steve Jordan, Vernon Reid and J.D. McPherson, to name a few.

“It was historical, Ryan Weber said. “When will that collection of people ever be in the same room again? They won’t. It was a true moment in history.”

It began about a month ago, when Hawkins’s management company contacted the Weber Brothers about playing the gig.

Friday the brothers found themselves at the Peterborough Airport along with Stoney Lake resident Hawkins and Hawkins’s son Robin.

The private jet owned by Hawkins’s management firm made the flight to Cleveland in 45 minutes. They landed at noon, went to their hotel and then to a rehearsal at 5 p.m. Ryan was on upright bass, and Sam and Robin played guitar behind Ronnie, who sang two Berry tunes, Thirty Days and Roll Over Beethoven.

“The house band was already set up,” Ryan recalled in an interview earlier this week. “They were legendary Nashville session guys. They’ve been on all the recordings from Elvis to modern country. So that sort of freaked us out, being in the room with guys we’ve listened to on all the great recordings.

“The whole show was called Roll Over Beethoven, so the fact we got that song was no small thing. It was huge.”

The next day, Saturday, there was a sound check at 1 p.m. at the PlayhouseSquare State Theatre, prior to the 7 p.m. concert.

“There were about 20 artists, and everybody did two songs,” Ryan recalls. “We were on toward the end, because Ronnie was one of the more legendary names there.”

The Webers were star struck.

“The backstage was full of all these people who were going to be playing, and we were surrounded by our biggest heroes, all of them,” Ryan said. “There was Merle Haggard’s dressing room, and Chuck Berry’s. Ronnie was there, and we’re just kind of walking around, hanging with all these people, and we know our set’s coming up.

“We were nervous, but the excitement was stronger than the nerves. There was definitely that nervous energy, and Ronnie had it too. It seemed to me that the reason Ronnie was nervous was because, like us, he sees Chuck as the greatest of them all…the number one, the best writer, the most legendary in history, and we’re going to be playing his song directly to him. He’s in the front row. “

Hawkins, Ryan said, gave one of his best performances.

“When we got on stage, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard him sing so strong. He sang like he was in his 20s. The spirit, the power of rock and roll was right there in his voice. The song was in a high key for him, the original key, and the fact that it was high made him sort of have to scream a little bit, strain just a bit, and it gave it that edge. It was such a beautiful thing.”

Then it was over.

“It happened so fast, and then we were off stage again,” Ryan said. “They loved it. They loved Ronnie. I think we really delivered. All of us.”

At the end, Berry did two numbers: Johnny B. Goode and Reelin and Rockin.

Then all the performers took the stage for the finale, Rock and Roll Music.

“Chuck came up about half way through,” Ryan said. “He duck-walked onto the stage and played the solo. It was amazing. Chuck’s guitar was screaming loud, the loudest thing you’ve ever heard, just blow your head right off, but it sounded great.”

The Webers went to the after-concert party at the Hard Rock Cafe, which lasted until about 2:30 a.m. then back to their hotel. They flew back to Peterborough at 9 a.m. Sunday.

“It’s a blur,” Ryan said. “It never stopped for a second. I’m still in the half-glow of the surrealness of it all. It was really unreal. I can hardly believe it happened, but I’ve got the photos to prove it.”

Ryan said the experience was inspirational for him and his brother.

“Of anybody in music, Chuck’s probably the guy we spent the most time listening to. Either him or Bob Dylan. And it felt like whatever stars lined up, whatever miracle it took, the universe working however it did to get me and Sam at this thing with Ronnie, it felt like it should have been that way.

“Chuck’s 86 years old, and these other people are all getting older. I feel strongly now that if anybody can pick up the torch and carry the flame of true rock and roll and its spirit, that it’s us. I have always felt we can do that, and being there was like a sign of that, or a special thing that it really is that way.

“We were there with the greatest, learning from the greatest,” he said. “We can carry it on from there, and we will.” - The Peterborough Examiner

The Weber Brothers, on a break from playing with Ronnie Hawkins’ band, will play music from their six albums on Saturday at The Stop. photo submitted
By Tamara Neely
staff reporter

Two brothers from Peterborough had only been rocking and rolling for 10 years when Canada’s grandfather of rockabilly and music hall of famer Ronnie Hawkins invited them to join his band.
Ryan and Sam Weber have now been playing with Hawkins for six years, and all the while they have been honing the craft of songwriting and creating their own sound on tours across the country as The Weber Brothers.
On Saturday, The Weber Brothers will perform their original songs at The Stop in Black Diamond. They will be judged for the soul they bring to the stage, but with the Ronnie Hawkins’ stamp of approval, watching their career wind through the music industry will be interesting.
Over the past 50 years Hawkins has accumulated a long list of reasons why he is respected in the music industry, so by association that makes the Webers look really good. But in addition, Hawkins has an eye for talent that has been proven by the solo success of his band musicians.
Former Hawks include all original members of The Band: Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, and Levon Helm; and fellow Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Burton Cummings and David Foster.
Judging by their discography and tour schedule, The Weber Brothers are already prolific songwriters and hardworkers. They have recorded five albums of original music and in July they released an album in which they cover their favourite artists from the 1950s, called Put Your Cat Clothes On. In the past year and a half they have played approximately 300 gigs.
Technically they are from Peterborough, but Ryan Weber said they have been spending more nights in their tour van than their own beds.
They can handle the closeness, though; they play together with The Hawks, they write songs together, they record together and they tour together whenever they can.
Creatively speaking, racking up those kinds of hours playing and songwriting together is more of an advantage than a disadvantage, Ryan said.
“It’s mostly advantageous because the more time we do it together, the stronger our songwriting is as a team,” said Ryan. “If you keep the same team together then you may produce a good product.”
Ryan and Sam have been playing together since they picked up instruments; Sam was nine years old and Ryan was 12 when they began playing. Sixteen years have passed, Sam is now 25 and Ryan is 28, and they have figured out how to live, work and create together year after year.
“We get a long 15 minutes of the day,” said Ryan. “You’ve got to keep a distance if you’re together 24 hours per day. You keep a distance and feel each other’s mood out.”
Ryan, who does vocals and plays bass, and Sam, who plays guitar, will be joined onstage at The Stop by Shai “Cookie” Peer, who plays keyboards, and “Corndog” Vanetten, who plays drums. The Weber Brothers will play on Saturday at The Stop beginning at 8 p.m. Cover is $10. The Stop is a small venue, so reserving tickets is recommended; call 403-933-3002.








- Western Wheel

Western Canada tour followed by third trip to Europe
Posted By WERNER BERGEN EXAMINER ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Posted 22 days ago


The Weber Brothers are about to set off on two more grand adventures -a trip through Western Canada and then a return trip to Europe.

The Peterborough-based band, Ryan and Sam are originally from Westminster, Maryland, leaves Wednesday on a tour that will take them until the middle of October to return, going as far west as Golden, B. C.

"We come back for a Ronnie (Hawkins) gig in Sudbury and the next day we go to Amsterdam," said Ryan.

The brothers, who released their sixth CD "Put Your Cat Clothes On," a Carl Perkins song, this summer, are looking forward to both trips.

"It's a good road trip," said Ryan, about heading west. "It's good for bonding time together."

"You get a lot of time to think about a lot of things," Ryan said, which includes time to write songs.

It's a test, Ryan said. "You go through a whole range of emotions. You have each other a little bit each day, you make up, you become friends and then you play (shows). You can't avoid each other because we're still all in the van."

"Most things (songs) come to me when I'm a way from regular life," said Sam.

"What's regular," asks Ryan. "Good question," replies Sam.

For the band it means working until the early morning hours and getting up for a noontime interview may be an early start.

"Sometimes we get up earlier," said Ryan.

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"I love it," said Ryan. "It gets stronger, you fall in love with it all over. The feelings you have just get stronger."

"I think so," said Sam. "It's hard to say what it was like when we started. Each tour gets a little more comfortable; it's easier now. You get to know it better."

Sam was 17 when they hit the road for the first time. Ryan was 19. "That's when we first went to Amsterdam," said Ryan. "I lost my mind in Amsterdam; I haven't found it yet," said Ryan. He likened the experience to having a "big switch" thrown in his head.

Ryan said not touring makes him "antsy. I have to be moving all the time." "Maybe I'm most at peace when I'm rolling," said Sam, who does most of the driving. "I prefer it that way."

"I'd rather be the driver than passenger," said Sam. "I get cranky and grouchy when I'm not driving."

"Really bitchy," said Ryan.

Sam explains he's recently given up smoking so this trip will really be a test of willpower.

Touring Canada takes so much time. It's the distance, said Sam, comparing the U. S. and Canada.

"Here it's 10-hours driving every day, playing and then driving another 10 hours," said Sam.

In the U. S. it's only driving 2 1/5 to three hours between shows. For Ryan the most onerous stretch is between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. "The worst leg," he said.

The brothers list off their favourite clubs on the cross-Canada tour. The Apollo in Thunder Bay and a couple in Winnipeg are favourites.

"The Apollo is my favourite place," said Ryan, explaining the club and the two club owners as reasons.

The European tour includes stops in Amsterdam France, England and Ireland. Some shows are set up, some will have to be set-up once they get there.

They are hoping to play each Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a few shows during the week. But shows during the week don't pay much in Europe, like here in Canada. There are bands they've toured with before, they hope to connect with again. Their keyboard player, Shai, has lived in Ireland and they hope he can arrange for work there.

"It's good to go over there and starve for a month," said Sam, with a laugh.

NOTES:The band's drummer is Corndog,Emmett van Etten,of New York City, who has been with the band for about five months. Corndog comes a part of New York that is four hours from their hometown.

The Webers didn't meet him there, but rather at a rock festival inNorthern Saskatchewan (Ness Creek) last year. The band's latest CD is covers of classic 1950s rock. "Recorded by us, the definitive versions,"said Ryan. "People seem to enjoy it," said Sam, with a smile. "These are not oldies, they're explosive.They don't sound old; they sound strong and angry." The Webers said they rarely do covers when touring, mostly their own compositions. Sam is now 25 and Ryan is 27. It's been a long time since they came to Peterborough to play with Ronnie Hawkins,before breaking off on their own. The Weber Brothers favourite album to play while driving on tour, in an attempt to stay awake, is Bruce Springsteen's"Born to Run."

- Examiner

Posted By BRIAN KELLY

Sam and Ryan Weber took the road less travelled when they decided to record an old rock and roll tribute album.

Put Your Cat Clothes On includes nods to Elvis Presley (Let's Play House), Little Richard (The Girl Can't Help It) and Ronnie Hawkins (My Gal is Red Hot).

The brothers are part of Hawkins' band and played Bell Border Jam with The Geritol Gypsy Aug. 15.

"(We're) just trying to do those original recordings justice," said Sam in a recent telephone interview from Peterborough, Ont. "(My Gal is Red Hot) is the fastest rock and roll song I think I've ever heard to this day."

Put Your Cat Clothes On follows their latest disc of original material, Exhibition, released in June 2007.

The brothers toured the country playing about 45 new songs. Audience reaction, and the material they played best, helped them decide what to include on the album.

The disc includes Rockin' Afghanistan, but don't spend too much time analyzing the lyrics. Sam says the "good rocker" doesn't set out to take a stand for or against Canadian military involvement in that country.

"People think it's politically driven because of the title," he said.

"But I think it's just a fancy-free rock tune that I like playing. It's a good set opener too."
- Sault Star

Feb 15, 2008 - 08:14 AM

Moya Dillon

OSHAWA -- Fans of rock/blues duo the Weber Brothers can expect "an intimate night" at Oshawa's Arts Resource Centre Feb. 28, according to guitarist Sam Weber.

"It'll be sort of a different taste," Weber elaborates. "Just the duo, so a lot of acoustic stuff with some rockabilly."

Playing as a straight duo has become a "different taste" for the brothers, who are both in their 20s, because they've already been playing with some of music's most notable names for years.

When Sam got a guitar for Christmas at the age of 8, his brother, Ryan, quickly took up bass and honed his vocals playing in several bands during their youth in Maryland.

After high school graduation, they hit the road for Ronnie Hawkins' Peterborough-area farm to attend his 90-day rock and roll boot camp, which turned out to include more physical labour than the boys had bargained for.

"It was rough, very rough, but I think that was kind of his intention," Weber says of Hawkins' camp, where the brothers performed tedious farm chores like spreading gravel and chopping stumps. "He knew we were hungry and we wanted to play, but I think he wanted to see how much we would sacrifice. So it was three months of hard work and nothing in return, but then he started letting us sit in on practices, and finally we were in."

And by "in" Weber is referring to Hawkins' legendary backing band, The Hawks, with whom the brothers have played since they finished with all the manual labour.

In the course of their stint with the Hawks, the brothers have had the opportunity to meet and play with many of their musical heroes, including Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band, Jeff Healey, Johnnie Johnson, John Fogerty and Robbie Robertson, who laughed when he heard of the brothers' toil on Hawkins' farm.

"I remember telling Robbie Robertson that story when we were in Beverly Hills. I knew he had to work hard to get in," Weber says of recounting his boot camp experience for Robertson. "But when I told him some of the details about what we had to do, he was shocked."

In the end, though, it was all worth it to the brothers, who credit Hawkins with giving them a leg up in the industry.

"I've never underestimated Ronnie's knowledge of music and the business that we're in," Weber said. "Just to be in the presence of someone like that, I mean, he's been through it all and just his celebrity and all his famous friends have been amazing."

During their breaks from touring with Hawkins, the brothers cultivated their own sound by writing and playing original material around Ontario. Their music blends the sounds of their many musical inspirations to create a fusion of blues, rockabilly, and roots. Currently touring in support of their third and latest album, 2007's Exhibition, the brothers have found the reception keeps getting warmer.

"It's been surprisingly good," Weber said of the fans' reaction to their unique sound. "It's just about being real and good, believing in what you're doing and playing it with heart, then people of all ages can get into it."

- Oshawa This Week

Author: Paul Rellinger
http://www.mykawartha.com/article/5644


The Weber Brothers will head out on the road in the southern United States come the new year but not before one last blast in downtown Peterborough.
On Dec. 13 at The Market Hall, Sam and Ryan will be joined by touring band mates Jeff Webster (drums) and Shane Pinchen (guitar and vocals) for an all-ages show. Tickets to the 7 p.m. show cost $10 and are available in advance at Moondance
.
The program will feature unreleased material as well as songs from the brothers' three CDS -- 149 Lake Street, Lost And Found and Bare As Bones. The Webers also have a live recording of a Gordon Best Theatre appearance to their credit. "I'm sure we'll throw in some old favourites," notes Ryan of the show.
"But we're anxious to see how the new tunes are received. Hopefully they'll go over well because those beer bottles can really hurt."

In January, the Webers, who have shared stages with the likes of Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Jeff Healey, Kris Kristofferson, Domenic Troiano and The Tragically Hip, will head south on tour. According to Michael Bates of Peterborough-based LastJack Entertainment, the band will be based out of Baltimore with shows being planned for such cities as New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

"They have a whole new album here," says Bates of the Webers' yet unreleased material. "They have always surprised me with their work ethic...(they have) a huge creative drive. “The Market Hall show will introduce their music to a new audience. Hopefully it will be a chance for many to relive the excitement I felt when Ryan and Sam first came to Peterborough."

As producer-manager for the Dec. 13 concert and having worked with the brothers since they burst on the local music scene in 2001, Bates says the one area the duo has really developed is their level of professionalism -- something he has heard over and over from the management of various venues they've played.
Now, he adds, besides the concert aspect, the Weber Brothers are catching the attention of film producers with Alabama Rattle and Struggle, Struggle, Struggle having found their way to celluloid. "That opens a whole new area to them," assesses Bates. - Peterborough This Week

LOST AND FOUND
THE WEBER BROTHERS
(INDEPENDENT) Rating: NNNN

Imagine a band so indebted to the likes of Bob Dylan, the Band and Dr. John that their music comes off like the last 25 years never happened, straight-up rock devoid of pretense or any definable link to Cobain or Yorke, played by two young guys. That's the Weber Brothers. Sure, they cut their teeth backing up Ronnie Hawkins, but they find their own voice on Lost And Found, their second album. In melodically complex rock numbers, saxes, trumpets and trombones add subtle textures to Sam's world-weary voice, which has developed a unique timbre only hinted at on the Webers' debut set. It's kinda the album I hoped the Wallflowers would drop instead of that One Headlight deal. If you're searching for the perfect disc to spin between Desire and Music From Big Pink, look no further.

BRENT RAYNOR

NOW | JAN 6 - 12, 2005 | VOL. 24 NO. 19

- NOW magazine

What a night! The much anticipated return of The Weber Brothers to Chicago's last night came and went in a flash of brilliance that may remain unmatched for the rest of 2008.One of those special evenings where the phrase,"you had to be there",was an understatement,even those that expected and demanded full value for the ten dollar cover charge found themselves on a wild ride on a lightning bolt across the skies and horizons of rock and roll.Dazed and satisfied beyond expectations,we were then returned in a state of comfortably numbness to the harsh reality of it all being over as we reluctantly dragged ourselves out the door after the encore.I heard so many people state at different times during the evening that either they were being treated to a delicious dream or asking if they were the only ones that realized how great it really was. From the first slap on Ryan Weber's stand-up bass to the last crash on "Fergie's " drums, we were all constantly in shock and awe at the magnitude of the talent and energy coming from that stage.Sam Weber was not to be outdone by his older brother or anyone else last night and with machine-like precision delivered above average guitar solos and soulful vocals to the mostly original song list.Shai Peers danced and rocked behind his keyboard like a possessed morph of Jerry Lee Lewis and Garth Hudson,the wizard he has competently replaced in the legendary Hawks.
When local writer Will McGuirk described in Friday's paper that the Webers are entertainment with a capital "E", he was spot on.You could not take your eyes or ears off of them.The pictures above and the video below are only a small appetizer to the feast that awaits us on their return.
Thank you Ryan and Sam for delivering such a stellar performance and for agreeing to return to Chicago's on July11 in return for a fee that I'm sure is well below your actual worth.Another packed house is guaranteed and never underestimate the love and appreciation felt for you by your loyal friends and fans.If this sounds like I'm one of them,it's not at all by accident.
- ACOUSTICALLY SPEAKING

By Jordan Bartel, Times Staff Writer Tuesday, June 05, 2007

‘Gamble’ to learn from musical hero paying off for Westminster natives

They call it a pilgrimage.

Six years ago, brothers Ryan and Sam Weber, then 20 and 17, respectively, left their Westminster home to pursue their dream of playing music full time.

They didn’t journey to New York or Los Angeles or Nashville. Their destination was Canada.

Canada is home to Ronnie Hawkins, one of the Webers’ musical heroes. The two had been fans of the legendary rock ’n’ roller — Bob Dylan has called Hawkins his idol — since they saw him playing in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film, “The Last Waltz.”

So they e-mailed Hawkins, who responded with an offer for the two to come up for a visit.

“It was a just a chance that needed to be taken,” said Ryan Webster, sitting on the front porch of his mother’s home in Westminster. “And we’re glad we did.”

The brothers visited for a week and a couple months later they were called back up to Hawkins’ house just north of Peterborough, Ontario. They were being recruited for Hawkins’ 90-day Rock and Roll Boot Camp, a training ground for promising young musicians.




Soon the brothers were playing regular gigs with Hawkins and his band the Hawks. Then they formed their own group, the Weber Brothers, currently rounded out by Canada natives Shane Pinchen and Jeff Webster. For six years, the Webers have toured throughout Canada, Los Angeles and Chicago and they’ve recorded five independent albums. Their latest, “Exhibition,” a taut showcase of their mix of rock, rockabilly and indie, will be released June 30.

And after years away from home, the Webers are back in Westminster for two gigs. They’ll be playing at noon Friday as part of the Lunch on the Lane Concert Series, before playing at Johansson’s Down Under that night.

“It was a growing process,” said Ryan Weber of the past six years. “It seemed like a gamble, but no one ever said it was wrong or a stupid thing to do. I mean, we’ve been learning from and playing with our heroes.”

After 50 years in the music business, Hawkins, 72, has regularly taken in people like the Webers, encouraging their musical talent and having them back the Hawks, which, throughout its history, has included such legends as Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko.

The Weber brothers hooked up with Pinchen, 23 and Webster, 20, who met in a religion class in high school in Canada, during gigs with Hawkins. The four agreed that they wouldn’t have the musical chops and regular gig experiences without Hawkins’ influence.

“[Hawkins] doesn’t think about himself,” Webster said. “He’s passionate about passing on his talent, his expertise. Everything we learn comes back to him. We all wouldn’t be here without him.”

Playing music has always been a part of the Weber brothers’ lives. Sam Webster got a guitar for Christmas when he was 8 and has been playing ever since. Soon after, Ryan Weber took up the bass and, while he and his brother were in their teens, formed their first band, called Illegal Aliens. They played gigs around Carroll County and took music lessons at Coffey Music. Both graduates of Westminster High School, the Webers had odd jobs (Ryan has worked 21 different jobs) and played with different bands before sending the fortuitous e-mail to Hawkins.

The four are making a living now playing music, and though they’ve played gigs seven days a week, it isn’t always easy to make ends meet. But their love of music — influences range from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to the Red Hot Chili Peppers — and their desire to learn from Hawkins keeps them going.

Sam Weber said it’s the simple lessons from Hawkins that have helped him become a better musician.

“I’ll always remember him telling us to stick to the arrangements,” Sam Weber said. “We’ve learned that you can play anything you can, anything you’ve enjoyed listening to. We’ve learned to take in so many different kinds of music.”

After the Westminster performance, the Webers will return to Canada for more gigs with Pinchen and Webster. The band’s goal is to keep on playing and build a fan base. Nothing will stop them, Ryan Weber said.

“Lots of people say that they went to college for music,” he said. “I say I went to the Ronnie Hawkins school of music.”

- Carroll County Times

The Weber Brothers Prepare For Their Exhibition
03/13/07 6:00pm

by Jason MacNeil (CHARTattack)

Dapper young Peterborough, Ontario band The Weber Brothers will release their Exhibition album on June 30.

The group are comprised of bassist/singer Ryan Weber, guitarist/singer Sam Weber, guitarist/singer Shan Pinchen and drummer Jeff Webster. Their 14-track effort, which was recorded and mixed in Peterborough, includes a cover of Stevie Wonder's classic "Higher Ground," though many of you are probably more familiar with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' hit version of the song.

Ryan and Sam Weber released their last studio album, Bare As Bones, in 2005. They put out Live At The Gordon Best, which included a cover of Leon Russell's "Delta Lady," last year. The band got their start after sending Canadian Music Hall Of Fame inductee Ronnie Hawkins a demo tape. The Hawk invited the Maryland-born brothers to his home for a 90-day "Rock And Roll Boot Camp" and, like the members of what would later become The Band some 40 years earlier, the duo became part of Hawkins' backing band, The Hawks.

The group will primarily perform around Ontario for the next few months, with four shows scheduled for Maryland in May and June and a three-night stand aboard legendary cruise ship Queen Mary slated for southern California in September. They'll perform in Amsterdam, Holland in October.

Here are The Weber Brothers' Canadian tour dates:
March 16 Toronto, ON @ Cadillac Lounge
March 22 Peterborough, ON @ Taste Of Indian — Tabla, Sitar, Sarod
March 23 Peterborough, ON @ Rockin Roots Revival
March 24 Orillia, ON @ Second Last Call
March 31 Port Dover, ON @ Lighthouse Festival Theatre
April 13 Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops Lounge
April 14 Thunder Bay, ON @ Apollo
June 29 Cobourg, ON @ Cobourg Waterfront Festival
June 30 Peterborough, ON @ Market Hall Theatre
July 6 Orillia, ON @ Second Last Call
July 7 Barrie, ON @ Sticky Fingers
July 13-14 Toronto, ON @ Dakota Tavern

Here are the tracks on Exhibition:
"Rockin Afghanistan"
"You Don't Know"
"Easy Lovin'"
"My Own Tears"
"Don't Ask Questions"
"Waiting For The Dawn"
"I'm Getting Out"
"Higher Ground"
"Gone To Saskatoon"
"Home Is Where The Heart Is"
"Slow Water"
"My Time Is Now"
"I Should Have Known"
"Don't Let Your Baby Down"

- ChartAttack