Mama & Me's, Live Music and a Cool Fundraiser

It is very likely that Kim Phillipos, when she decided to open  over 20 years ago in Homewood , did not think that she was tapping into her own rock star past. 

But she was.   

About three years ago,  tired of schlepping my band’s gear to play city venues,  I contacted Kim out of the blue to discuss my band playing Mama’s.  I was looking for someplace local where I could bring my kids to see their pop working out his mid-life crisis on an electric guitar.  Although some might have been leery about bringing live rock music into a smallish restaurant, Kim was quick to say yes. 

That telephone conversation and subsequent gigs at Mama’s is what has helped secure my current quest to bring live music to the area.  My band, SluMP, has played Mama’s many times. In the beginning, it was just us. However, I am really pleased (even proud) that over time, bands we shared gigs with at Mama’s started to book their own shows and Kim started to hunt down talent on her own. She now regularly has bands on Saturday nights. Whether it’s Johnny Butane and the Rhythm Flames with the Other Brothers and Sister, The Jazz Posse or Sweet Deal, I have found that it is not always that easy to book a show with Kim due to her full calendar. 

Yes, Mama’s is small, and drum kits with electric guitars can fill it up quickly on a sonic level. But it also fills up just as quickly with lovers of good food and good music, which is the whole idea.  Kim reports that not only has live music helped business, it’s been fun and it’s helped bring folks into the restaurant who have never come in before.   She’s even worked it out to do music on some Fridays and to have live bands play fundraisers and other cool events on days other than Saturday. There’s one coming up June 18th you’ll especially want to attend.

Some may have seen of me playing with a band at Faith Lutheran Church a few weeks back. The kid playing that smoking bass solo at the end is Evan Wierzbicki.  Two or so years ago, his band—The Bailout Band—was one that I lured to share a gig with SLuMP at Mama’s. The Bailout Band, which is now called The Heights, went on to do many of their own shows at Mama’s. In this band, Evan plays with another hugely talented kid, Cody Tripp.  He’s like Evan, but with 6 strings, and they both were accepted to the prestigious Grammy Camp, L.A. in early July. This is a huge honor and speaks to their promise as musicians.  But it is also expensive and outside Cody’s family’s reach at this time.  So Kim at Mama’s, who truly supports music, especially youth music, is holding a live music extravaganza and fundraiser on June 18th. A percentage of the dining room profits will help Cody attend the camp.  The Heights, with Cody and Evan, will play a set that night along with two or three other top-notch bands (to be named later).  Kim can collect money for Cody’s camp fees at the restaurant , but we also really hope the house will really be rockin’ on June 18th with folks listening to some of the town’s best live music while eating some of the town’s best pizza.  Please mark your calendars and come on out.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about Kim’s own rock star past, let me tell you, aside from making a killer pizza pie and Italian Beef sandwich, Kim can rock the pipes.  She sang in a band years back and on a few nights, she even joined SLuMP to belt out some classic rock.   She nailed Proud Mary - managing to pull us from our safe, CCRish rendition to a much edgier Ike and Tina Turner-type offering.  It was way cool. Maybe we can coax her onstage the 18th.

As always, let me know what you think in the comments section and by all means, let it be known to me, your neighbors, everybody, if you can see any local businesses, looking to add live music to their offerings. Its good for musicians, it’s good for bands, it’s good for community and it’s good for business and the local economy.   In addition to this blog’s comments page, I can be contacted via email.