A Special ROM-2013 Thanks for Giving to One and ALL!!!

A fond look back at ROM-2103 & a look ahead to an Incredible ROM-2104!!!

Season's Greetings to one and all that are part of our ever growing Roslindale Open Mike, ROMulin Community of Artist's! This is an all inclusive list of every one of you that have been The Essence, The Foundation of what ROM has become over these now 6 years!!!!

I know I speak on behalf of our dear host & my dear friend Mike Delaney, myself and All that makes ROM what it is today, when I say a most heart felt THANK YOU for ALL you continue to bring to ROM.

It totally amazes me where we began in 2009 to where we are today going into our ROM-2014 Season. The make up of ROM has been an incredible blending of idea's many of which you gave to us to always continue to keep our doors and minds open to new and better idea's on how to continue making ROM a most welcoming and flexible place to be. I do also want to say thanks to each and every one that has ever walked through our doorways to perform that are our (ROM Foundation). To our Open Mike performers of  the many, Spoken Word, Music, Comedy, Magical acts of every conceivable types. I do also want to personally thanks those of you who in increasing numbers this past year have joined us in audience attendance which number wise has   grown to be our largest numbers since we began. 

 As Most of you that know me know, I am clueless when it comes to computer anything yet, when I look at even these "Infrequent Blog Stats", Thanks to ALL of YOU!! ROM is an International Community of artist with this Blog reaching 22 other countries. To our friends from across the many ponds, welcome and we hope you may join us someday soon!!

I did also want to take a moment to share with you a bit about  the  planning that goes into ROM as far as Features go. From the beginning and to this day, the Primary individuals that do get Features at ROM are those that are part of our Foundation of ever growing & new to ROM folks that attend on a regular basis. We are totally well aware that this cannot be done by all due to distances and other obligations. We were blessed with over 200 requests for Features at ROM this year for  what has up to this year has been 23 Venues per calendar year! It also ways does intrigue me how many emails & calls I get both from agents as well as individuals from around the Globe asking for at Features at ROM. Make NO mistake it is an honor but it is not the way Mike  & I make our selections. Over the next 2 years we are calling the Season's our "Thank You Years", by doing something we have not done with few exception's and this is having Return Features of those folks that began with us in 2009 and to this very day are with us as often as they possibly can be. There was NO WAY of course to accommodate ALL that fit into that category in one year so ROM-2015 will also be a "Thank You YEAR"!! In addition to our Always 23 venues per year, ROM-2014 will have an addition of 3 ROM Venues on the 3 months that have 5 Mondays!! For the moment these will be on the dates that for the past 2 Seasons have been the very much sought out ROM Unplugged Ceilidh nights. 

We have added the additional shows for 2 main reasons. The most important reason is our home, The Roslindale Congregational Church is having hard times financially and it is my hope and request that when you do join us you see your way to our "DONATIONS BASKET" where all the free food and beverages are and make a donation however large or small it may be. Given our numbers over the years, if each individual that joined us would be able to add  one dollar, we could pay for the heat in the building for a year!! We DO NOT WANT to lose our home at RCC because they cannot afford to have us there!! So I do appeal to ALL and again ROM is going to remain Free to ALL for admission as it has always been but we need to pick up & reply to The Roslindale Congregational Church our thanks for giving of their space for us to have a home for ROM!!  All donations go directly to RCC on a monthly basis and for those that this may help the church is a 501 C3 non -profit organization. If you need a receipt for your donation please feel free to ask!

The 2nd reason of course for the addition of the 3 shows is to get in 3 more Features as part of our "Thank you Season".

I am still working with the Church on a workable eve,  about 3 nights in 2014 to resume the Ceilidh nights. I have requested a Thursday eve as I do pick up for the Roslindale Food Pantry on Sun-Wed eves each week. I have not yet heard back on that item from the Church but will keep you updated via our ROM email and website.

Mike & I both know ROM- 2014 will be another  wonderful year for both our entire ROMulin Community on our Open Mike front, our Feature front and as always, whatever else the New Year will bring to ALL of us!!

One thing we do want to thank all for is for your unending Support of ROM.

 WE are so totally blessed by being in such an Art Rich area of our tiny part of our Globe. WE are of course honored that you have chosen ROM to keep coming back to being part of great  Live, Local, Art's.

I do want to remind to you to please take a look at the few websites of our many friends of ROM  on the right side of this Blog. The list gets larger each time. WE are so graced in our own area with so many Venues that offer some of  the best of Live Local, Artist's in our own area, some of them even on the very same night as ROM!!! I have been asked by venues host's why I would advertise for "Competition" Venues. My answer is as always, we feel we are an equal opportunity Open Mike. I also do feel there is never, nor will there ever be a "COMPETITION" of the Art's or where you choose to follow them!! I totally encourage you to visit the many other venues we are graced with both in and out of our area!! I do my best to do just that myself.

A year of Community Changes……

   As with any Community, we have had seen and felt many changes, both positive and those we see as losses in the many aspects of our lives!! Our wish to each and ever one of you is to have  New Year filled with as many of the best things that Life can bring to you, your Family and Friends!

However you Celebrate the Season Changes may they be exactly how you wish them!

We totally look forward to seeing, hearing and being with you ALL, as part of ROM-2014 as well as at other Venues..

All my best, Love and Thanks for ALL you bring to our Lives, Always, Neal :)))

HOT Fun, Music and Spoken Word within Our ROMulin Community as Summer in OUR City is in Full Swing!

Greetings dear friends of our Roslindale Open Mike Community,

        I do hope that since my last posting of this "Infrequent Blog", all has been going well for you and all the ART you bring to our Community both from within our doorway at ROM to ALL the incredible Live , Local Music, Spoken Word and ALL ART Venues so available to us in our special tiny corner of the world.

It is hard to believe that this year is going by so quickly and we at ROM have been so blessed with so many Incredible Features as well as an EVER-GROWING Open Mike Community of Artist's! I can say that easily this year of ROM-2013 we have been honored to have so many new guest's to our audience, our email list as well of course to our "Tiny 6 inch high Stage",as it is called by my dear partner and Host of ROM Mike Delaney in one his most affectionite new songs!! This number is more so this year than any year before!! Our combined thanks to ALL of you who may read this Blog or our website or whom you may even feel free to send this to as "ALL are WELCOME at ROM" 

May I also suggest that you take a peek at our growing list of websites on the right side of this Blog as there are just too many incredible acts I just simply cannot cover in this short space so feel free to come back to the Blog and stay updated on all your favorties by their websites but also by getting out to see them at places you may NOT have been to yet.

Please, ALWAYS SUPPORT your Local, Live Venues  which includes Homes,Yards, Farmers Markets, Stadiums, Esplanades, Gov't Ctrs & many others where Live,Local Art's are being SUPPORTED and HELD!!

Since my last Blog our ROM Feature's have been so very delightful, entertaining & generous !!!

OUR huge Shout out  to: Bob Bloom for an Incredible Drum Ride of an ALL Percussion Feature that got the entire ROM audience involved in the percussion world they never knew they could do but thanks to this Master teacher Bob, we all had a blast and I know I learned more about percussion and it's beginnings than I had ever known before!!! Many thanks Bob for a great drum ride and to all of you that were and are part of ALL our ROM events in all ways and fashions!!! After Bob, Came our Youngest performers for our ROM-2013 Schedule. On 7-8-13 we had a split Feature. The first part of our show was they dynamic hands of our youngest ROM Feature Ben Chase. AT 10  years old, Ben took the stage with great confidence and along with his guitar teacher, (Steve Hurl), on his 1st 3 songs, did a great job!! After that Ben did the remainder of his feature time solo and did a great job!!

After Ben came our Spoken Word part of this special Feature and it was made even more special to me personally as it was my daughter Ariella Montanez. Ariella's poetry  comes directly from her heart and from her very unique life experiences & perspectives.  Some of the words were words that I had not previously heard and another thanks goes out to my Family as ALL were in the house to hear Ariella. My thanks to my wife Rosemary, daughter Barbara and Ariella's brother Gerard or as she calls him Boyke!!! At the end of each of these 2 wonderful artist's performance it was made known that they were donating their "Pass the ROM Bucket" Feature Monies to Roslindale Congregational Church which is our "Home to ROM" and we cannot thank you Ben and Ariella enough for that wonderful gesture on both your parts!!

Our next Feature were 2 most wonderful & gifted artist's that so many both within and outside our ROMuilin Community came to hear and that was, Lorraine & Bennett Hammond. Due to the number of folks in the house Lorraine and Bennett did go on a bit later than our regular Feature time but were so kind and understanding and stayed to the very end of the show to hear each and every Open Mike performer, perform!!!

I must add an extra special Thanks to Lorraine and Bennett as well. Their ROM Feature fell on the day after they both returned from that most wonderful time of year to many in our audience and that was the entire, very Hot and Humid Week 1 of the WUMB, SAMW Camp. They performed and took the stage as if they as fresh as ever and treated our ROM audience to all and more than we could have expected. Thanks so much to Lorraine & Bennett Hammond and thanks too for your kind donation to the Church for all they continue to do for us to help keep alive, LIVE, LOCAL MUSIC at ROM!!!

Just this past Monday we did have a most wonderful ROM Unplugged 5th Monday Ceilidh song circle. It is a very intimate setting for our ROM audience as all is unplugged  & we sit in a circle and play our own tunes or covers of those we really enjoy and we get a chance to just sit and chat about songs, music and each other. Things we are not able to have the time for during our regular ROM Feature night's. It is truly a different side of ROM that we began last year and only happens when there are 5 Mondays in a month. It has always been a great time, no Features, no posters, just a room filled with music, spoken word and a great Harmony of the Art's. Our thanks to all that attended last week as well as all the previous Ceilidh's of this year!!

 BIG NEWS FOR OUR UPCOMING FEATURE!!!!!!

ON Monday 8-12-13 the wonderful & Multi-talented MARY LOU LORD will be our  upcoming ROM Feature!!! We are very honored to have Mary Lou take to our stage at ROM and bring her vast array of talents heard around the world by many to our very stage. Mary Lou will likely also be out of breath as she will be running back to Boston from New York from a gig just the night before so we have been so very graced by so many artists this year especially by folks that are so willing to travel so far just to be in the house at ROM for their scheduled gig!!  Our thanks going out to each and every one of our features as well as to each and every one of our Supporters of ROM for all you do for OUR wonderful Community of Artist's!!! WE still have plenty more fantastic and upcoming Feature's here as part of ROM -2013!! Please do go to our schedule page on our website, www.roslindaleopenmike.org for all our upcoming Features for this year!!


I do want to mention a couple important date for you to remember. that are coming up very soon.

On Tuesday 8-6-13 from 2-5 my dear Partner and host of Roslindale Open Mike, Mike Delaney (www.mikedelaney.org) will be performing, even possibly with some surprise guests, at the Norwood Farmer's Market, in the Town Common under the lovely Gazebo right in Norwood Ctr, at Nahaton St and Route 1A!!! It is all free and great with a great place to do some shopping for lovely and local foods and items. "Come on Down" as some other Norwood based guy often is heard saying!!!

Also a great afternoon of wonderful artistry will be happening at the Old Manse in Concord and at this point I will let our dear friend of ALL the Arts and friend and mentor to so many of us Ellen Schmidt give you all the specifics!!!

From Ellen:

Sunday August 11^th 2pm – 4pm, 21 members of the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston will perform “Bound for Glory” , a musical tribute to Woody Guthrie in narrative and song, at The Old Manse 269 Monument St. Concord, MA 978-369-3909.  Free concert, weather permitting. The rain date is Saturday August 17^th at 2pm.  You can sit under the tent or bring chairs or blankets and sit outside.  There are a limited number of chairs under the tent, but you may want to bring your own. We expect a good turnout. Chorus sheets will be provided to an audience members who’d like to sing along on the choruses!

I will be at both these events and will hope to see you all as well.

Thanks to each and every one of you do that continue to make ROM what it is, has been and will be re-shaped into the Future to be!!! Hope to C you all soon, Please be Safe, Happy & Healthy and we ALWAYS Love to See you at ROM whether you perform or are part of listening audience!! Also and lastly please remember, we are ALL so very blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible Live Local Music and Spoken Word Venues, Get out there and check them all out even if they fall on a ROM night. You will always be welcome back to ROM!! Go out and see how other venues run their venues and bring back any great idea's you may get from them and talk to Mike or myself or anyone at ROM as we are always open to constructive thought and will always do our best to be fair to all!!!

Happy Everyday to each of you and may the lights of all of your lives continue to shine on & warm the hearts each other  & OUR WORLD!!!

Always, Neal :))))

A most Happy upcoming Father's Day to ALL our Fathers in our Community as well as HAPPY EVERYDAY!! TO ALL!!!

Greetings to ALL my Dear friends of ROM since my last of my series of Very "Infrequent Blogs". There are so many thanks and accolades to pass on I do not know where to start but I will do my best.

Since my Last Blog, Please accept my heartfelt thanks and admiration for our past Features beginning with Roberto and Kathryn who did a stunning job at ROM and are now doing show in NYC and places beyond as they so deserve!!! Thanks to  dear friend Jim Palana who from the very invite to Feature, did accept the Feature at ROM on the basis that ALL the monies that he did collect for his part of his pass the "NOT HAT" would go directly to helping ROM stay on it's feet. Due to Jim's Kind offer, for those of you that may not have been able to join us at ROM recently, we have a brand new Exterior ROM sign, multi-color and really classy that now adorns the outside of the Church of ROM on our ROM nights. This is something I had wanted to get for several years now and it is thanks to Jim Palana for NOT only a Fabulous Feature but also now a brand new sign to help promote ROM to our Community and those that are new as well as those who are  HUGE parts of our always growing ROMulin Community! Thanks Jim!!!
Another HUGE thanks to Gerry Ryan, Charlie Ortolani and Melissa Fleming for a great Feature at ROM and being on heels  of the Boston Marathon Tragedy  brought with their Feature more joy hope and a sense of what we all now know of "Boston Strong"!!!! Ryan , Ortolani and Fleming also donated their Pass the "NOT HAT" to the Church, ROM for whatever we felt was needed and appropriate!! I do want you to know that we did send a large Donation to "ONE FUND BOSTON" in the name of these 3 wonderful people as we felt this would be such a very important and needed time to show our Community at ROM supporting a Community that never should have been and I/we do so hope that this donation along with so much else that has and will continue to go on thru Music, Spoken Word and the Arts in general for ALL this that were in any way affected by the Marathon Day Tragedy.  That being said I do want to add something here that I am so very proud of and that is our most wonderful Host of ROM Mike Delaney, what he always does and continues to do so here are a few words from Mike.


 I'm honored that my "Boston Strong" Song is helping out the One Fund Boston effort for the Boston Marathon victims. A total of 41 artists have donated their efforts for this most worthy project. The compilation includes local favorites David Roth, Chuck Williams, and Colette O'Connor. Please check it out at www.holdonanotherday.org, make a donation, and download the music. I even wrote the title track!

YEAH and thanks so much for your always giving, Mike!!!

Ruthann Baler came along with her most wonderfully talented son Sam Baler, Oen Kennedy and Joe Fredette, what an incredible show we had that night and just so many people continue simply to come and pay tribute to each and every one of you that honor us NOT only as Features but even more so, our very honored and very essential Foundation to our wonderful success at ROM our Open Mike Performers!!!!! Many thanks To Suzanne Mrozak and Brian Cartwright for an incredible show of great Traditional Folk Music and also for bringing out so many and varied different folks in our audience who sang, I do believe along with each and every one of your songs!!!!! To Suzanne & Brian another thank you for your kind gift of your "Pass the NOT HAT" to Roslindale Congregational Church the place we call the Church of ROM for allowing us now well into year 5 of ROM!!! Most recently just this past Monday are great thanks to J. Johnson and Chris Reckling (AKA The Splinters), for a great show that brought all in the house to their feet in both song and dance and just such a most wonderful feel good Feature time!!!  WE are just halfway into our ROM-2013 Season and I cannot thank all our past Features of this and other years as well as all our Features yet to come as part of ROM-2013. Mike & I have been so honored to have each of you so close to us within this tiny place we call ROM WE have another great half a year to come with our next Feature being the Fabulous Bob Bloom who with be a real treat so please come ready to be an active part of this wonderful percussion extrodinare's Feature as he will be bringing things for each one of us to be part of his Feature and as many of you know we always have back up percussion instruments available at ROM for any one to use please do visit Bob Bloom's website as Bob is NOT too local as he is trucking in from Ct. on his Feature night but you will go home with a participatory smile on your face. Visit Bob's website to get an idea of what we are all in for on this wonderful night on 6-24-13. 
www.drumming-about-you.com

Please do take a look at ALL the websites to the right of this Blog as we are blessed with so many wonderful Artist's within our ever growing ROMulin Community!

All That being said, I do want to thanks each & everyone of you for you continue support and kind words and constructive thoughts about ROM throughout these many years now. Each year Mike and I have recd more and more Requests for Features at ROM. Last year I cut off the Feature request's for this year in the latter part of August or September, so recent yet I cannot remember. WE cut it off with close to 180 requests for only 23 Venues. As of this jotting we are just  6 months into our ROM year and have already exceeded 200 requests for Features. This is so totally an honor to both Mike & myself!!! Thank you to all for your non stop interest in ROM. Mike & I try to be as fair as we can when deciding on our always changing but following years Features as well as always open to ROM Format Changes by constructive comments by any and ALL of you. Please feel free to send any of these idea pro or con but Constructive to our Website Homepage, GUESTbook section and feel free to make your thoughts known to our community!!! The most frequently asked question that Mike & I as well as many of your friends may well ask is: How does one get a feature at ROM. Those of you who are part of our ROMulin Community are the example of how one does that. It is quite simple, You come as often as possible to ROM. WE have in the past 5 years had very few repeat Features and I do hope this Blog does explain why that is the case. WE have been so very blessed with folks that seldom step down from a committed Feature as well as an always changing atmosphere within our ROMulin Community. To those of you who have Featured at ROM in the past and since then, may have featured multiple times at other venues, please do understand this is in NO WAY a slight toward YOU but rather a fairness attempt to fill our mere 23 slots with folks that Mike & I ultimately decide are our Choices to Feature for next or any particular year at ROM. WE cannot thank you enough for the Ultimate Tribute you pay us at ROM and that is Showing up, knowing full well, the likelihood of getting another feature at ROM, any time soon, is slim yet you continue to come to enjoy and be part of this most wonderful Community!
 Mike & I will now be cutting off any further requests for ROM-2014. WE always do maintain a back up list for folks that for whatever reason are unable to make it the night of their Feature. Also I did want to let everyone know. Each year at ROM, we restart our ROM Feature request List! This is to NOT to dismiss anyone but to make sure whomever was on the list the year before is still interested.

Thanks for all each and every one of you do to continue to make ROM what it is, has been and will be re-shaped into the Future to be!!! Hope to C you all soon, Please be Safe, Happy & Healthy and we ALWAYS Love to See you at ROM whether you perform or are part of listening audience!! Also and lastly please remember, we are ALL so very blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible Live Local Music and Spoken Word Venues, Get out there and check them all out even if they fall on a ROM night. You will always be welcome back to ROM!! Go out and see how other venues run their venues and bring back any great idea's you may get from them and talk to Mike or myself or anyone at ROM as we are always open to constructive thought and will always do our best to be fair to all!!!

Happy Everday to each of you and may the lights of all of your lives continue to shine on & warm the hearts each other!!!

Always, Neal :))))

Zei Gezunt, I Love you were my Final words to Jerry Wasserman

To ALL my dear friends at ROM as well as ALL my many new friends that Jerry Wasserman brought so many of us together at his Feature /CD Release night at night at ROM!!!

 I do want to let you know that being brought up in a Jewish household my parents did speak Yiddish. (Especially when they were talking about my sister & I). I was taught by my folks that when you leave a person and want to wish them well in all they are doing and to let them know how much you care about them IT, was basically saying, until we meEt again!!! Jerry did respond to me USING the very same words as he knew where things were heading though he also was so very inspired and kept saying to me how honored he was that Mike Delaney his dear friend from SAMW and I were giving him a chance for his first CD Release $$'s to be made. The literal interpretation if  Zei Gezunt means "Be well" and we will be close until we meet again. Jerry requested that I thank each and every one of you that had both Come to his Feature & Debut CD Release Party That he never got a chance until ROM to do any touring to help defray the cost of the CD production process!! There will be more of that in the future!!

There are some very special folks that Jerry asked me to acknowledge publicly, THE PRIMARY folks are of course his Life which consist of that life he shared with his Love of his Life, his wife Joan and their dear son Mike and Mike's wonderful wife and most recent very Happy Event in October Mike & Rachel were Wed!! These 2 items made Jerry so very Happy!!

Knowing in advance that it was unlikely from the very beginning, that Jerry would not be with us in person at ROM on 3-11-13 but for all of us to be a part Jerry's Feature he said Zei Gezunt to all that joined us in person as well as in thought!! You will be able to continue to buy the CD from myself at ROM or may also purchase Jerry's " Wall St. Big Shot" or may purchase on line at: www.cdbaby.com/artist/jerrywasserman.

Jerry asked me to thank his Great Experiment Band, which I call for our evening at ROM a  most Wonderful Achievement & I am certain at times throughout the tremendous show and Feature they all did put on and I know Jerry was smiling from Ear to Ear as he promised he would be and of course wearing his ROM Tee Shirt, Ball Cap and holding his ROM Feature Mug as he watch from where ever he may be on that given day.

Of course great thanks go out to his Band, The Great Experiment which included, Bill Okerman, Bo Veaner, John Zaia, Carolyn Waters, Kathy Danielson and Bob Littman and with a very special fill in guest appearance by Jerry's son Mike Wasserman doing a wonderful fill in job for his Dad Jerry!!!

 I must say a very special thanks from both my heart as well as Mike Delaney's to each and every one of you that played any part of the larger than ever ROM EVENT!!! WE broke all records at ROM for Jerry's very special wonderful venue. 

Thanks again to ALL from Jerry especially!!!! 

I do want to at this thank ALL those Presenter's that did come to present Joan & Mike with so many Lovely items to Treasure for the rest of their Lives about Jerry. nThese presentations were of course from all walks of jerry;s Life both work world ass well as his

 Also with a Kindness Gesture I do want to let you all know that Marc Mandel Executive Director of Needham Cable Network is making available to all of us after this time since Jerry's show, a 2 DVD set of the entire show so many of you were a part of and so many other wanted to see if there was a way. I am now taking names and email addresses for the 2 DVD set with Joan & Mike's permission to make available to anyone wishing a copy to make sure you do indeed do get one. This 2 DVD set took 2 weeks to edit and so much energy and the Kindness of Needham Cable Network. Thank you Marc Mandel and Needham Cable Network. This is being done by Marc of course a yet another means to collect more donations to help defray the cost of Jerry's CD production so I will be asking for a donation for the set. 

The DVD set is not ready at this point as my dear friend King Yee is helping by working on a lovely cover for the DVD set and I will need to see what I will need to place the  DVD set in. Please send any request to my ROM email address ONLY!! That address is: neal@roslindaleopenmike.org

There is so much to say in addition to what I have already said but I must get this note out.. WE want to especially shout out a Thanks from Mike & myself to our ROMulin Community for their understanding for the very sudden change in our normal ROM format and our thanks for being a most wonderful part whether you performed or were part of our audience!!

Thanks tot to ALL our ROMulin Community for Volunteering in  so many ways, I do not want to miss a name but to each and every one of you that had a job you volunteered to do, Mike & I say a special and warm THANKS!!!!

WE do have a most incredible upcoming ROM this Monday or ROMday as we call it. Our features will be the dynamic and always so wonderful Roberto & Kathryn www.robertoandkathryn.com if you wish to take a look to see what a  fabulous feature we will be having this week at ROM!!

I will close by letting you all know that our very dear friend of ROM, Barry Spiro will very soon be moving from Newton to the very North Shore to Newburyport ,Ma. I did tell Barry I would do my very best to try and hook him up to any number of North shore folks that may be able to take turns picking Barry up in his new Hometown and give him a ride to ROM, as we have always told him, ALL ROADS LEAD to ROM!! Barry does not want to stop coming to ROM nor do we want a ride to stop Barry from joining us!!! If you are able to offer Barry a ride to ROM please  contact Barry directly via his email which is: 

barryspirodds@gmail.com or call him on his cell which is: 781-883-1410. Mike & I and of course Barry with thank anyone that may be willing to help Barry continue to be joining us at ROM on a regular basis!!

I know there is so much I have left out and with only 1 additional thanks to the many of you that had sent me the many pix of Jerry in his many work and Music sides of life!! Many were already used and sent home with Joan and there is yet another item in process that will go to Joan when ready and many of your pix will be a part of it.

Zei Gezunt to all my friends and know how much our most wonderful Music/Spoken Word Communities have made such a difference to so many both in the highs and low times of Life we are a COMMUNITY of Caregivers and are Family, 

Thank you ALL so very much for being such dear Community members, Regardless of which Venue we join together on a regular basis & call Home!

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, LOVE & THANKS, ALWAYS, NEAL :)))

All of your ART's are the LIGHT into my Heart even when the Sun may be sleeping. Thanks so much, my dear ROM Family of Fine Artist's

Greetings Dear friend of ROM,
    I have so much to say but try and make it as short as possible as I have a ROM to set up for Tonight  for Tomorrow 2-25-12 and I will start out my inviting each and every one of you to join us tomorrow night for our fabulous feature and dear friend the wonderful, Marilyn Rea Beyer (www.marilynreabeyer.com). Marilyn will be accompanied by the incredible Janet Feld!!!! Mike & I  know you all have many friends and family and to all our own ROMulin family as one local guy always say, Come on down but he cannot say that, "All Roads Lead to ROM" I know it will be an incredible night for all of us in the house!!!

I will also say a very special thanks to out most recent and past 2 features to kick off our ROM - 2013
 Season HUGE thank you's going out to our dear friends that did a wonderful  Feature on
1-28-13. Thanks to "Two for the Show" aka our very dear friends, (Ellen Schmidt and Jake Kensinger). Ellen & Jake did a wonderful job to a wonderful and dedicated crowd of fans as well as folks that had never had the pleasure of hearing them in person. They were very honored to be there for a great time and wonderful entertainment.

On  2-11-13 Jane Fallon made her way to ROM the night after the "Blizzard of 2013" all the way from NH and did a most wonderful Feature. Jane brought along 2 most wonderful bandmates to accompany her & they together, as well as Ken Selcer and Steve Gilligan honored us by playing as part of our Open Mike, made for another most incredible show all around but Jane, thanks for filling ROM with so many of your original songs which not only told the story of your book called "Seven Song in Seven Day's which I do highly recommend to all as it is both a wonderful story along with a CD filled with most of the music you did for your Feature, Thanks so much Jane.

I am gong to transition a bit to actually rap up this Blog fairly quickly so I can get to the church and set up but also so you will get this before Marilyn Rea Beyers Feature tomorrow at ROM. Sorry it has taken me so long to get his out. Thankfully dear Mike Delaney has already sent all on our ROM email list our reverb nation ROM Email, He is so very efficient, I am so lucky to have him as such a dear friend and the Host of ROM!!!       
  Here is the transition!!!

I am going to add in here a note from our friend Ellen Schmidt for her daughter and our friend, Wendy Santis is having a vey special Fundraiser the night after ROM at Ellen's Nourish Open Mike Venue and I  will let Ellen take it from here:

My daughter, Wendy Santis, hosts some very talented performers during feature time – as a benefit for Partners In Health’s work in Malawi! There will be open mike, too! Bo Veaner will be guest hosting with me, presenting some of the open mikers! Ira Grollman and Dan Senie will handle sound and recording. Come and join us!

NOURISH RESTAURANT OPEN MIKE .  Tuesday February 26th^h  Partners In Health Benefit Feature hosted by Wendy Santis!

Tuesday February 26^th       6:30pm – 10pm         Feature at 8pm

Wendy Santis will present a special benefit feature for Partners In Health’s (PIH’s) work in Malawi. The program at 8pm There will be four featured acts each donating their time and doing a short set:  Jackie Damsky & String River – Rich Caloggero & Bryan Tucker; The Kenny Selcer Band with Liz Buchanan & Steve Gilligan; Jane Fallon with Kenny Selcer & Steve Gilligan; and Mel Green with Amy Lohman and Liz Buchanan!.  Wendy will also perform with Kenny Selcer, Jackie Damsky, and Ellen Schmidt.. For more information about PIH’s work in Malawi, see http://www.pih.org/pages/Malawi.  If you can’t attend the event and want to support PIH’s work, please donate to Wendy’s personal fundraising page: http://act.pih.org/page/outreach/view/pihengage/Wendy.

John MacLean will perform a mini-set at 7:30

Nourish is a family owned and operated business offering an eclectic menu that ranges from nourishing vegan-friendly dishes to lip smacking carnivore-satisfying plates at reasonable prices!

Thanks to owners Karen and Kevin Masterson for welcoming our open mike!

To be in the lottery for performance order, sign up by 6:15 at the restaurant, or by noon at eschmidt01742@gmail.com or 978-369-8090            Free Admission

1727 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA 02420
(781) 674-2400   www.nourishlexington.com

www.ellenschmidt.com/openmike.html for open mike information

Many thanks Ellen!!! You will also notice that many of the name I just mentioned that opened our ROM year will be at this Wonderful event that Wendy is such and essential and very special part of. I would say there are definitely some wonderful things that do indeed run in wonderful families and Communities such as ours!!

Thanks Wendy!!!

My Special few words about our very next and very special feature here at ROM. 

Our upcoming feature on 3-11 -13

 will be The CD Release Party for our dear friend 

 Jerry Wasserman!!!

We are making lots of plans for this most wonderful night and at this point I wanted to just let you know about it and ask you and all in the Family & Friends to join us for this special evening of great talented  entertainment in each and every one of YOU!!!  An essential part of any Open Mike with a Feature are those of you that join us & our Feature with Always fabulous Open Mike Performances!!!

This night will be all that and more with many unmentioned surprises not even yet currently done!

So do please come and be together for this

 Tribute to Jerry.

I am going to close this Blog with a Press Release I just sent out this morning with the help of Jerry and all in his family!!!!

Jerry did just yesterday while I was with him asked me to thank each and every one of you that will be with his at his Feature to thank you and know, he Loves us ALL & is honored by your presence in any & all capacities!!

Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Roslindale Open Mike Presents an Evening in Tribute to Singer/Songwriter Jerry Wasserman on Monday, March 11, 2013.

Roslindale Open Mike continues its fifth season by proudly presenting the music of Jerry Wasserman on Monday, March 11, 2013. This will be a CD release show for

Jerry’s debut CD of ALL original songs, Wall Street Big Shot. We will have his wonderful CD on sale at ROM and for anyone that may NOT be able to join us,email your name and address to me at neal@rolsindaleopenmike.org and I will see

to it that you get a CD, or you can buy Jerry’s CD at www.cdbaby.com/artist/jerrywasserman

Jerry succinctly sums up his songwriting: 

“I've been told that I have a rather unique view of the world that I put into my songs. Well, this much I can tell you. I learned that music can be the message from Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, the Chad Mitchell Trio, and Arlo Guthrie. I learned that music can be funny from Tom Lehrer, Alan Sherman, Mark Russell, the Chad Mitchell Trio, and Arlo Guthrie. Unfortunately, I completely forgot all of that when I wrote the songs in the album. Even so, when you listen to these songs, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll begin to understand the meaning of life.”

By day Jerry is the Chairman of the Needham Board of Selectman. He disclosed his recent battle with cancer in an open letter to his constituents stating, “The best aspect

of being on the board has always been that it has made me feel so much a part of our community. I love this community and I find great joy in knowing that I can call so

many of you my friends. I know I can count on your support at this difficult time and I am so very grateful.”

Jerry’s CD shows the wide coverage of his songwriting topics, ranging from the title track, “Wall Street Big Shot” to “Sesame Street”, and in between there’s “Darfur”,

“Feminine Side”, “Take a Pill” and ending with “Typical Jewish Folk Song”.

Jerry’s Band will be performing Jerry’s music from his Debut CD. His band consists of:

Carolyn Waters, Bo Veaner, Kathy Danielson, Bill Okerman, and John Zaia. They

will also be joined by Jerry’s son Mike Wasserman. Jerry will be with us at home and watching the evening via Skype with family & friends. So regardless of the actual

configuration of this Jerry Wasserman Evening at ROM, Jerry will be with us. It will be a great evening for one and all.

For more information, please visit www.jerrywasserman.com.

Roslindale Open Mike is a volunteer-run, 501(C) (3) not-for-profit corporation. Open Mikes with invited features are generally held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month

at Roslindale Congregational Church at 25 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA 02131. Café-style seating, baked goods, tea, soft beverages, and, of course, coffee help to ensure a tasty, family-friendly experience. Admission is free and donations for the food and beverages are donated to the church for providing the space. Doors open

at 6 pm and the open mike begins at 7 pm. The featured performer is on at 8:30 pm.

Additional information is available at www.roslindaleopenmike.org. 

 Jerry has deep appreciation for this special ROM presentation. His wish is that all purchases of his CD, as well as, performers’ open mike fees, to be given to the Wasserman family to help defray the production costs of the CD.

Jerry would like all other contributions to be given to the Roslindale Open Mike Organization, to help their future growth.

For additional information on shows contact Neal Braverman at (617) 308-8489 or email Neal at: neal@roslindaleopenmike.org.

Thanks dear friends and will hope to C ya tomorrow at ROM!!! 

 Much Love, Always, Neal :))