Swamp Thangs Rise for Halloween Appearance
When the moon rises high over Freeman Vines Alley, in the shadow of Fountain’s famous establishment for music and mercantile, songs of the season will waft from the peak of Pitt County. “Wild Thing.” “I put a spell on you.” “Spooky.” That’s just for starters. “Flying Purple People Eater.” “Little Red Riding Hood.” “Monster Mash.” The handwritten set list is almost as creative looking as the cast of characters gathering to perform it.
L to R: Jim Watson, Mike Hamer, Bill Redding, Sue Luddeke, Bob Clyde’s legs, Dave Filmore.
“The Swamp Thangs came together just for this event, and its players are some of East Carolina’s finest,” Alex Albright, proprietor of R.A. Fountain General Store said. “Maury Jim Watson [with his accordion] will be leading our Parade of Ghouls, which will follow costume contests at intermission and precede the a howling. We look forward to lots of fun, with a little bit of fright.”
The set list is chock full of well-known Halloween favorites, but one song may be most familiar to friends and fans of Mike Hamer. The song is “Pee in the Woods,” and while Hamer performed it many times, one memorable occasion was following the Run, Walk and Roll 5k race (circa 2014) to raise funds for rehab patients. Post-race festivities were held at St James church and Hamer provided entertainment with his hammered dulcimer and sang his original song about communing with nature.
Hamer, who passed in 2017, was a legend in these parts: musician, writer, and humanitarian who was not defined by the accident that left him a paraplegic. He was a member of several bands, including “The Zen Revelators” and “The Lemon Sisters and The Rutabaga Brothers.” One of the Lemon Sisters, Sue Luddeke, will be among the Swamp Thangs Saturday night.
“For two years the band the Zen Revelators played for the Halloween R.A. Fountain gig,” Luddeke said. That band included Mike Hamer, Jim Watson, Bill Redding, Bob Clyde and myself as well as David Turner, who isn’t joining us as he lives in Boston. We were an eclectic band of blues and indie, some original and folk music, and we added some of the Halloween songs for that gig.”
Nathan Maxwell also often played in ensembles with Hamer. Maxwell invited the remaining members of the Zen Revelators to join him and his wife Megan to form a Halloween band.
“In spirit we are carrying on the traditions,” Luddeke said. “The difference is we added Lemons and Rutabaga Brothers drummer Bob Aiken and all the music is Halloween themed. We’ve all played music with each other and with Mike Hamer for many many years–and Mike will definitely be there with us that night in spirit.”
“Over the years many configurations of friends have gotten together at R A Fountain for a Halloween party, singing spooky songs and dressing up,” Megan Maxwell added. “Ten years ago, Nathan and I played with Mike Hamer in an earlier version of this band. We have enjoyed spending time together preparing for the show and sharing stories of Mike.”
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Originally published in the Daily Reflector October 28, 2026.
Bill Redding & Bob Clyde
Jim Watson
