About Boys of the Hock'
The Boys of the Hock' take their name from the Hocking River that winds through their hometown of Athens, Ohio.
Equally at home on stage or at the head of a dance floor, the Boys play throughout the region at contras, ceilis, and festivals. They also anchor the Thursday night Celtic session at the West End Ciderhouse in Athens. Members include Sean O’Malley (flute), Lynn Shaw (fiddle), Rusty Smith (guitar), Ed Newman (dulcimer), and Tim Hogan (bodhran).
The Players
Sean O'Malley
Flute, Low Whistle & Tin Whistle
Sean has the most Irish name in the band and knows all the legit names of the tunes the Boys play, or so he says. Offstage, Sean pursues sane versions of extreme sports like whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, and backcountry skiing.
Lynn Shaw
Fiddle
Lynn is an acclaimed fiddle player and past host of The Great American Music Company on UNC-TV, where he welcomed icons like Liz Carroll and Doc Watson. Lynn came up in the Old Time world playing with bands like the Dutch Cove String Band, but for the past 25 years his focus has been Celtic music. He also makes fiddles in the barn outside his Meigs County home.
Rusty Smith
Guitar
Rusty is Director of Radio at WOUB Public Media and producer of "Live From Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch." Rusty's latest solo project is the CD "Rusty Smith and Friends."
Ed Newman
Hammered Dulcimer
Ed has been pounding out melodies on the hammered dulcimer since 1986. He knows thousands of tunes, but only knows the names of maybe five. He is an avid brick collector, "Top of the Heap" at the Athens-Hocking Recycling Center, and the bee inspector for Athens and Meigs Counties in Ohio.
Tim Hogan
Bodhrán
Tim learned to step dance when he was young and brings a dancer's sensibility to his percussion playing. He is also an accomplished dance caller. Tim currently lives in North Carolina.