The Evolution of Hamilton Public House - An Interview with Rick Campodonico and Lucas Norton

Rick Campodonico

            When the managers at Hamilton Public House recruited Rick Campodonico to line up musicians for them, they must’ve thought they were just getting a guy who knew a lot of people in local bands. What they’ve gotten instead is a booking agent with a unique vision for a venue where you can see great performers representing an eclectic array of styles and genres, a place where young musicians can listen to or even sit in with more seasoned bands, a place that has the potential to be one of the premiere platforms for live local music.

Lucas Norton

            Helping Rick make this vision a reality is Lucas Norton, Hamilton House’s sound technician, who at 21 also happens to have his own production company called Nortrecord. Lucas believes Fort Wayne is on the cusp of a musical florescence that will have people all over the country speaking of our city in the same breath as places like Nashville.

Lucan Norton at work at Nortrecord

            In this interview, you’ll hear how Rick went from crashing parties to play music in his home country of Panama to meeting, performing with, and bringing together some of the best-known musical acts in the city. You’ll hear how he and Lucas struggle to make everybody at the shows happy, from the musicians to the managers to the clientele. And you’ll hear how Lucas learned about and eventually started to use recording equipment so advanced you’ll find nothing like it anywhere else this far from the coasts.

            Take a listen and let us know what you think. If you’d like to support this podcast, the best thing you can do is subscribe and share the episodes far and wide. And, of course, get out and attend some live performances.

Hubie Ashcraft at Hamilton Public House