Oswego Music Hall of Fame Hosts Spectacular First Alumni Social at Gibby’s Irish Pub

OSWEGO – On a crisp, clear, autumn Tuesday, the Oswego Music Hall of Fame held their first-ever Alumni Social at Gibby’s Irish Pub. Inspired by the nomination committee’s joyful storytelling, OMHOF wanted to bring to life a sense of community and fraternity among their lustrous alumni.

The Oswego Music Hall of Fame sent invitations to all our previous award winners, committee members, and board members, past and present. The Board of Directors went all out to supply hors d’oeuvres for the Social, reviving the popular ballots for best venue and musician and to reveal the 2026 induction Ceremony award winners. There were no RSVP’s required and no guarantee that anyone would show up to the Alumni Social.

On November 18th, first the board members arrived then numerous past award recipients started to quickly fill Gibby’s Irish Pub. Conversations were exchanged, stories filled the entire bar, and laughter could be heard thought the room. Soon, many of the musicians that had gathered fell into their second nature and started to create a makeshift stage. All of equipment needed to create full-fledged jam session slowly filtered through the intimate space such as mic stands, guitars, a drum kit, a djembe, and a keyboard.

What occurred in the next few hours was nothing short of an amazing performance by several generations of Oswego County musicians. The entire enthusiastic crowd was enraptured by the performance. The cheers from the crowd could be heard down the street. The music continued to play song after song, with each song becoming more enthusiastic than the last one. The first Alumni Jam Band sounded as if they had been playing together for several years. It was an amazing performance that solidified the Oswego Music Hall of Fame’s first Alumni Social as a part of Oswego’s vast musical history.

Current OMHOF board member and alumni Bill “Fuzzy” Wiltsie said that “I had the best of the best of times playing with first Alumni Jam Band. Just being with the members of the board is an honor let alone having friends and other musicians banging out songs together. The best part was jamming to tunes you never have played and that is a blast.”

Nancy Spereno, matriarch of the Oswego Music Hall of Fame, felt a wave of nostalgia watching the Alumni Jam Band. “I felt like a kid again, sitting on the basement stairs of my old house, where all the guys practiced. My Brother Joe would always let me sit on the stairs and listen. I grew up with those musicians, and I feel blessed to have been there and known all of them” Spereno said. Nancy also enjoyed atmosphere at the first Alumni Social,” It’s always so much fun to watch a group of talented musicians get together and play their hearts out. And that’s what they did last Tuesday night” said Spereno.

The entire OMHOF Board of directors believes that this first Alumni Social is only the beginning. Numerous board members were amazed to see their unified vision come to life. Everyone on the board of directors thought the Alumni Social was fantastic event and everything seemed to go off without a hitch. The public has been discussing all the videos of the Alumni Jam Band; the event has received tons of buzz and great feedback. With all the positive feedback, the Oswego Music Hall of Fame are already planning the next Alumni Social later this winter. The board would like to thank everyone who made last Tuesdays Alumni Social such a huge success.

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