“The Hogwaller Ramblers have been around in one form or another for over 20 years, maybe making them the longest continuously-playing Charlottesville band. “When we started playing on the Downtown Mall, the only live music was at Miller's and that was just a night or two a week,” explains Jamie Dyer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for ‘The Hogs.’ “Now you can't swing a musician by his patch cord without hitting a music venue on the Mall.” The Hogwaller Ramblers were a big part of making Charlottesville a music town. In fact, their name comes from the neighborhood of Hogwaller in the east end of Charlottesville.
The band plays in venues across Charlottesville including Bel Rio, Rapture, and Fellini’s #9. A typical Hog show can be “laid back and funky” or “rocking,” according to Dyer, if they “got a nap that afternoon.” Dyer writes most of the music, with other band members giving input on arrangements and instrumentation. The Hogs do not have time for much rehearsing, so they consider their gigs practices.
Fame is not something the Hogwaller Ramblers are necessarily actively seeking, but, should the opportunity present itself, Dyer says that they’d “surely consider it carefully.” The band’s reputation precedes it on a local level, however. The Hogwaller Ramblers play at Fellini’s #9 every Sunday night and their other shows are usually advertized in The Hook or Cville Weekly. Dyer says fans can even seek him out personally and ask about upcoming shows and events.
The Hogs also have a website at www.hogwallerramblers.com where they will list out some of their shows. They also have a myspace page. The current members of the band are Dyer, Sandy Gray, lead guitar, Rolland Colella, violin, Christan Keighley, drums, and Bud Bryant, bass and backing vocals.