with UNT Alumnus & ‘Robocop’ star Peter Weller
More than just the strong jaw and quotable voice of the titular 1987 RoboCop, Peter Weller studied music, drama, and English at the University of North Texas in the late ‘60s, where he was honored as a distinguished alumnus and a member of the Four O’Clock and Five O’Clock lab bands.
In addition to holding a master’s degree in Italian Renaissance art history and a doctorate in 15th-century intellectual and art history, being a published writer as well as a respected director of film and television, Weller is a jazz man.
Weller sings and plays trumpet in the bebop quintet Fly Naked, which he founded in 1998. The group features well-accomplished and award-winning talents such as pianist-singer Rick “Ricky Dee” DePiro, bassist Ryan Cross, saxophonist James King, and drummer Donald Barrett. From Grammy recognition and impressive collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Elton John, these instrumentalists are a whirlwind of creative sounds and beats — or, as Weller would say about them, they’re “four high-end jazzers making an aging hipster actor from North Texas look good!”
Fly Naked with Peter Weller will take the main stage on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 9pm.
