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Section: Arts
Mark Weber Takes on Standards
By Julia Burke
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Singer Mark Weber.
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You’d expect a musician who has impersonated Frank Sinatra at a USO Tribute show, sung backup for Kenny Loggins, been compared to both Dean Martin and Elvis Costello, and is best known for performing songs written before 1965 might be in his 60s or 70s. But the startlingly youthful Mark Weber would prove you wrong.
An East Amherst native in his early 30s, Weber has achieved considerable success breathing new life into 1920s–1960s classics such as “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “L-O-V-E,” performing solo and with his pop-jazz trio Uptown. The band also features his father Joe Weber on drums, and pianists Lou Brehm and Jim Mosier.
Weber’s youth and scruffy good looks may seem more suited to college rock than Louis Armstrong, but he croons songs like “What a Wonderful World” with a sweetness that shows an honest and wistful appreciation of the era. “I sing at a lot of senior homes and they’re always excited to see someone under 40,” he chuckles.
What draws Weber to the songs of his grandparents’ generation? “I grew up listening to this music with my dad,” he recalls. Fans tell him that his music “brings back memories of the good times, when they were falling in love,” and for Weber, those good memories are what it’s all about.
“Singing’s great, but what it’s really about is bringing joy to people — I think that’s what old songs do. It’s something familiar and comfortable. I encourage people to sing along … if the venue calls for it, we can really get the audience going.”
The band members enjoy asking senior audiences to share their memories of Buffalo history, which gives the crowd a chance to reminisce while educating Weber about the old days in his hometown.
Charismatic, easygoing and enthusiastic, Weber has an obvious passion for both people and music. He frequently bursts into song as he shows off his music collection, which takes up an entire wall of his house and spans a stunning variety from Salt ’n Pepa to Alanis Morissette to Rod Stewart. Weber admires artists who defy genre; his favorite band is reggae/gospel/funk group New World Son.
His list of influences further demonstrates his affinity for diversity; it includes Tina Turner, Barenaked Ladies, Enya and Justin Timberlake.
“I go in phases — at one time I mostly like Celtic music, another time I’m into reggae,” he says.
Weber especially identifies with the career of Michael Bublé, admiring his ability to mix classic jazz/swing with modern pop music. He hopes to do the same with his next project, an album of original pop songs.
“I write a lot about loss coupled with hope,” he says. “A lot of people go through tough times, but they need to get through it and they need music that will encourage.”
Weber sees Tina Turner, one of his role models, as the quintessential uplifting performer. “She’s so full of life, so full of energy, and she just keeps going and going. She’s got an incredible voice so that she can really sing with a lot of intensity. When she’s up there on stage, she has the audience in the palm of her hand.”
Weber — who is also active in WNY’s popular Christian music scene — speaks of the Buffalo music world with enthusiasm. “Buffalo is such a musical gumbo! I have no doubt in my mind that the talent in Buffalo is beyond the ordinary.”
He lists LeeRon Zydeco and Mark Scibilia among his favorite local artists, and he chalks up Buffalo’s prolific music environment to bad weather. “Because people spend a lot of time indoors in the winter, they become better musicians and performers.” He also notes a sense of what he calls “rootedness.” He points out, “a lot of people go away to ‘make it,’ but then they come home.”
Weber and his band have achieved widespread local recognition, playing venues from Canterbury Woods to Salvatore’s for audiences young and old, but Weber is as ambitious as he is enthusiastic.
“My hope is to have a number one hit that really impacts the world … and I’d kind of like a Grammy.”
To book Uptown for your next event, email Mark Weber at primopr716@roadrunner.com.
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