RiversEdge announces lineup for David Shaw’s Big River Get Down

David Shaw’s Big River Get Down will be May 20 and May 21 at RiversEdge Amphitheater. On Friday, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the music will begin at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and the music will start at 3:30 p.m.

Like in years past, the mega-event will feature multiple bands, including a solo performance by David Shaw on Friday night and a headlining show with Shaw and the Revivalists on Saturday evening at RiversEdge. (Both will be at RiversEdge Amphitheater.)

Shaw said other artists set to perform at the festival will include:

- The Record Company

- Maggie Rose

- Judith Hill

- Karina Rykman

- Chris Gelbuda

- Raelyn Nelson Band

“I want to bring something different to the people of Hamilton. I’m going to bring people that they’ve never heard before. I want to expose them to different kinds of music, different styles, and cast a wide net to various genres. That’s really what goes into the lineup,” Shaw said, “I just want to be exposing Hamilton to some of this stuff that doesn’t normally come around the area. I’m going to have to stop saying that, because now it does.”

Gelbuda will kick things off at RiversEdge Amphitheater on Friday, followed by Hill. Shaw and his solo project band will headline the evening concert.

On Saturday, the festival will kick off with the Raelyn Nelson Band. (Raelyn is Willie Nelson’s granddaughter.) The concerts will continue with Rykman, followed by Rose and The Record Company. The Revivalists will headline Big River Get Down on Saturday night.

“David has done a really good job of pushing the boundaries of Hamilton, musically,” said Adam Helms, director of resident Services, City of Hamilton.

The festival has continued to grow as the result of a strong partnership between RiversEdge, The City of Hamilton and David Shaw and The Revivalists. Many other community partners, businesses as well as the residents have all been behind it.

“I have to say, the first year we did it, it was just really special to see the response from the community, and how much the community rallied around it. So, that was a huge affirmation. Like wow, this thing is needed, the people love it, and this thing is going to go. This is awesome. So, that was a special moment for me to just realize that people were super into it,” Shaw said.

In 2015, Shaw worked with city officials to establish David Shaw’s Big River Get Down as an annual event to help give back to his hometown of Hamilton. Since the inception of the festival, David Shaw’s Big River Get Down has donated close to $100,000 to the community. Proceeds from the event have been donated to Hamilton’s Fourth of July fireworks and RiversEdge Amphitheater.

“I’ve also got to say a very special moment for me personally was when the City honored me with the Key to the City. That was a mind-blowing moment for me. Growing up as a little skater kid in Hamilton, I never, ever thought that I would be receiving that honor. I don’t take it lightly. With this festival, I always keep that in mind, and how much weight that holds, and how much the people the people of the City believe in me, and I just want to continue to give back,” Shaw said.

Shaw will serve as Hamilton’s honorary mayor for both days of the festival. In honor of Shaw and his band, the City has also been nicknamed Jam!lton. Big River Get Down is not only a signature event for the City; it has also become known as a nationally-recognized event.

“Big River Get Down put RiversEdge on the map, nationally for bands wanting to come and play here. David Shaw and The Revivalists have had a lot to do with that…At first, there was just no interest, it was not on anybody’s radar, and then all the sudden, The Revivalists start showing up, and David puts together a killer line-up, and people are starting to take notice. And now, bands, agencies and managers from all over the country are reaching out to us about playing here. So, Big River Get Down, David and The Revivalists really got things jump started for us,” Helms said.

In the beginning, Shaw said he had “a lightning bolt moment” when the vision for Big River Get Down first came to life.

“I had been touring a lot of these different cities, and I realized Hamilton was one of these places that needed something. It needed the arts. It needed that. I think they had a little something brewing. It’s called the City of Sculpture, you know, and it has an edge to it, but it just needed somebody to push the needle a little bit,” Shaw said.

He said, “All we need to do is plant the seed and it’s going to grow, and now we’ve seen what can come of it, so it’s it really special. Also, as I’ve said, I just wanted to do something for my roots. Growing up, and being a part of a small town, is very much who I am inside, still, for sure. It has shaped me in every way, imaginable. So, it just felt good to do.”

2019 marked the fifth year for the annual Big River Get Down and the eighth consecutive year that The Revivalists have performed at RiversEdge. It didn’t happen in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shaw graduated from Hamilton High School in 2001. He currently resides in New Orleans.

How to go

What: David Shaw’s Big River Get Down Presented by Miller Lite

When: Fri., May 20 and Sat., May 21, 2022

Admission: Various ticketing and VIP packages are available. A two-day general admission pass is $80. Single day tickets are available. The cost of a Friday-only general admission ticket is $40 and a Saturday-only general admission ticket is $75.

More info: www.bigrivergetdown.com and www.riversedgelive.com. Connect with The Revivalists online at www.therevivalists.com.

David Shaw’s Big River Get Down Presented by Miller Lite ticket options: