David Shaw of The Revivalists kicked off his annual Big River Get Down in his hometown of Hamilton, OH on Friday with a solo acoustic VIP performance billed as “An Evening with David Shaw” at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.

Ahead of the intimate solo show, Shaw paid a visit to his former teacher, Mrs. Whitt, at the local Highland Elementary School.

David Shaw Visits His Fourth Grade Teacher

The intimate show saw Shaw work through a number of favorites from The Revivalists’ catalog in addition to a handful of covers like The Bee Gees‘ “To Love Somebody”. Shaw also welcomed fellow Big River Get Down performer Neal Francis to join him onstage for “Nobody Knows” and fellow members of The Revivalists, Zack Feinberg and Michael Girardot, for a number of songs to close the set.

David Shaw – “To Love Somebody” [The Bee Gees cover]

[Video: Cynthia Robidoux]

The main Big River Get Down festivities will take place today, Saturday, September 6th, at RiversEdge Amphitheatre featuring a headlining performance by The Revivalists in addition to sets bt The War And Treaty, Brent Cobb, Southern Avenue, Neal Francis, and Chris Gelbuda.

The annual festival, which has morphed into a national destination for The Revivalists’ fans across the country, is a way for Shaw to give something back to a community that has given so much. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Big River Get Down and the eighth consecutive year The Revivalists will perform at RiversEdge. In 2017, Hamilton’s City Council adopted a law honorarily changing the name of the city to “JAM!LTON” and appointing David Shaw as Mayor of JAM!LTON on an annual basis during Big River Get Down.

For Shaw, hosting Big River Get Down in his hometown is about more than just the music; it’s an effort to make the City of Hamilton an even better place to live, work, and play. “Being able to come back to my hometown and host an event like this is something I’ve always dreamed of doing since I started playing music,” Shaw shared in a press release. “It’s exciting to see people from all over the country coming to my hometown to share this experience with us. The Big River Get Down is also a great way for me to give something back to a community that has given me so much. Hamilton has made great strides over the past several years, and I’m thrilled this event can lend a hand in the City’s ongoing renaissance.”

Tickets to Saturday’s festivities at RiversEdge Amphitheatre are still available here.

Check out a gallery of photos from the intimate David Shaw acoustic performance below via photographer Ron Valle.