CARRBORO, N.C. -- The Town Council has declared Friday, March 22, as Dexter Romweber Day in Carrboro, and expresses its deep appreciation for his talent, commitment to the local music community and towering legacy, as well as sincere condolences to the loved ones mourning his loss.
John Michael “Dexter” Romweber II died on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. The youngest of the Romweber family’s seven children, Dexter was 57 years old.
“Residents are urged to continue to celebrate the life and legacy of Dexter Romweber and his important contributions to the artistic life of North Carolina, the nation, and the world,” said Mayor Pro Tem Danny Nowell, who read the resolution.
The Dexter Romweber Day Resolution of the Town Council was received by Dexter’s sister, Monica Romweber and friend Julia Taylor Walters. Many community members attended the Council meeting to hear the resolution read in his honor.
“For all the critical acclaim, Dexter never achieved mainstream commercial success. But he maintained his artistry with unimpeachable integrity,” the resolution states. “He made his home in Carrboro and was widely beloved here and elsewhere.”
Dexter was 11 years old when the Romwebers moved to Carrboro in 1977. They were a musical family – sister Sara played drums in legendary bands Let’s Active and Snatches of Pink, while brother Joe led the band UV Prom – so it was natural that Dexter was playing guitar by his teenage years.
Young Dexter playing on various local street corners was a familiar site back then, and his early bands included I Married a Monster, The Remainz, and Crash Landon and the Kamikazes. But where he truly made his mark was with Flat Duo Jets, a hugely acclaimed band in the 1980s and ’90s.
Formed in 1983, Flat Duo Jets started out as a guitar-drums duo when that was a rarity. The Jets played roots rock faster, louder and more intense than just about any other band on the planet. Dexter was a monster guitarist, and a singer with a voice for the ages. White Stripes, Black Keys and Cat Power were just a few of the popular acts who owe a big stylistic debt, and after Flat Duo Jets broke up, Dexter continued on as the Dex Romweber Duo with a series of drummers, including sister Sara. Together they made glorious music.
The Carrboro Town Council directed Town staff to develop a fitting public remembrance of Dexter, his late sister Sara, and the Romweber family, reflecting their lifelong work to bring music into community spaces where it could be shared with all their neighbors.
Read the proclamation at https://www.carrboronc.gov/2630/Proclamations-and-Resolutions ;
Photos -- The Dexter Romweber Day Resolution of the Town Council was received by Dexter’s sister, Monica Romweber and friend Julia Taylor Walters. Many community members mourning his loss attended the Council meeting to hear the resolution read in his honor.