"I think that when people think you have an agenda it makes them very uncomfortable."
Perhaps no truer words have been spoken, especially if one is involved in the entertainment industry. However on occasion there are those who stick out like the proverbial sore thumb because they are honest in their attempts to do as they say and passionate in their beliefs.
Janet Rothstein is one such person, a person who has long standing ties to an Ocean Grove community which she is helping to revive through the arts, ties to the building from which she operates Cafe` Artiste and a passion to bring live original music to the forefront; for no other reason than to give artists a place to be heard.
"I first started in music with my former husband years ago; we had a recording studio," she said as she recounted the beginning of her journey. "We had some very interesting people come through, Howard Stern, Tom Petty but my whole life I've been coming here every summer to Ocean Grove. My parents were from Jersey City and every summer we'd come down here and now I kind of do the same thing, I live in New York City but I'm here sometimes Sunday through Wednesday. Years ago I worked with my friends as a waitress at hotels, I modeled off and on in New York City, then I got involved in film and worked as a DJ to pay my way through film school which was cool. It was a different time back then but there are so many talented people out there now; so I've always been into music."
The Jersey Shore Arts Center sits at 66 South Main Street (Rte. 71) where Ocean Grove, Neptune and Asbury Park converge in a tributary of options for those seeking entertainment. Unfortunately the current structure was not always as it is now; years of neglect and political wrangling allowed the building to fall into disrepair and it almost suffered the fate of the wrecking ball had it not been for a concerned group of alumni along with Janet and her father's vision.
"I started at the Art Center because of my father; he bought it for a dollar in 1997 because they were going to tear it down," she said with a tone of mild disbelief. "The people from the class of 1940 Neptune High School didn't want that to happen because it was their high school so they approached my father and asked him to make it an art center. So my father went and got grants and with the help of volunteers he was able to get it started and now there's dance and guitar rooms and every room has an artist in it but what wasn't here was music; so I said to my father that we needed film and music so that's when I started Cafe Artiste."
"This is my baby, I wanted to bring original music here, I am the director of special events for the center so I started by bringing in a movie on the Saturday after Thanksgiving; a sing along and then we had some film shows but music is what I love. So I thought; what can I do and why not start showcasing songwriters? A friend of mine was with me as I was sitting around deciding what to call this and they said, "Well we don't want to call it the dining room; why not call it Cafe Artiste?"
So with the building secured and a background in music, film and a love of art; Rothstein continued to develop her plan and the room once used for meals to boot.
"There was a banister and windows and a chandelier; as I said, this whole building was bought for a dollar and all of the volunteers did the woodwork. That platform over there was a dining area but if you look at it that shouldn't be anything other than a stage. So I thought, OK for two months we're going to try doing original music and see what happens and then; OK how can we make it special so that the artists are treated with respect and the audience really listens? So that's why I thought about every little detail that would make that happen, even to the point where there is no crunchy food (laughs). When you have a vision, I believe that you stick with it just like my father did with this building; this building had snow on the first floor because it was supposed to be torn down and the roof was open but he had a vision. I had a vision as to how this ought to be and I said to the others, just trust me and that's basically how I got it started."
Janet paid attention to details that many may never notice as she set her vision into motion. Maybe it's a product of her sound engineering days or maybe it's just great instinct but the design is akin to layering music tracks so that each supports the other; noticeable only if removed.
"There was no original music here so I brought in film and decided to bring in original artists. We don't have prints of famous artists on the wall, we have original art. I decided to make it a show with five artists, only original music, every artist gets four or five songs and we give them an audience to listen. The chairs are arranged so that they all face the stage; you're sending a message to the people as soon as they walk in that the artist is the focus. There's no bar, no coffee grinder, we sell things on the side, everything is two dollars, everything is quiet, water is free but it's not about the food although we like to make money to support ourselves; we keep it a little more artisan. We serve coffee in a mug not a paper cup, so it is all about respect for the artist and to have created a room where their whole song gets heard. Artists like George Wirth and Frank Lombardi who write music that are stories; it would be a shame to miss part of their songs because what they and others do are create images and that's basically my passion. I'm a songwriter myself and I think, if I wanted to play my original music; how would I want it to be? That's what this is about, everything is designed to be quiet so that the music is heard."
"Our first show was July 11, 2017 and the first couple of months I had three artists but now five seems like a good number in case someone backs out; which has only happened twice and the one called me from the hospital with appendicitis and said she couldn't make it. So I put it out there that the artists are going to get respected and they consider it an honor to play here which is lovely because I want them to feel that way. We charge five dollars at the door just so we can cover our expenses and people can come as early as 5:30 p.m. for the sound check; everything is acoustic based, no drum sets. This is about their music and how they wrote it in its purest form."
Rothstein estimates that she's, "Read over 350 bios from more than 200 artists," because she believes that the audience should know a bit about who they are watching perform.
"I like to say something before each artist takes the stage, I ask them to send me a bio. If you go to see Billy Joel everyone knows about the band and knows about his life so I like to say something about the artists so you can connect with them; artists like Dave Vargo who has performed with so many people such as Whitney Houston. I wanted to make it a show, not just an open mic so I branded it, "Cafe Artiste The Listening Room" but I'm kind of the "Lone Ranger" out here because we haven't really advertised and it's acoustic based, no drums, I want it to be based on hearing the music and the melodies and the lyrics."
Now a year and a half in from its inception, the word is spreading and more and more people are sharing Janet's vision; as she and it continue to grow she stresses the importance of the venue's mission.
"There's an online form that the artists can use to sign up and I make sure that I check everyone out; not that I discriminate but that's how I determine the order of the show and I also mix up the styles of each performer. It took a while to get where we are now; at first it was just the artists paying the five bucks but I knew that if it I could get it out on social media that it would catch on. So once I have my five artists I promote the show on social media and I tell the artists that they can do four or maybe five songs or 15 minutes of their original music only; no cover material here. This is a chance for you to play your own music. Every time one of these artists gets up on stage and I look around during the event and everyone is engaged and I know that they got something out of it; I get a thrill and it makes me happy."
Not one to rest on her laurels, Rothstein is constantly seeking ways to enhance the experience for the audiences.
"We might have a professional dancer from downstairs come up and start a show, I like to shake things up; we may have a magician, a comedian, I don't know. Every artist gets video recorded, we shoot their performance but I'm doing this alone so I think I need to hire an intern because I have over 400 videos (laughs) but no matter what we do it's about promoting original music."
"I see this going into social media and promoting artists with live feeds, I see other acts coming in here and using this space for other nights; I think it's my calling card and it's a good thing to do for other artists. We've got requests to hold CD release parties here and I'm hoping that by the end of fall in 2019 to put together all of this audio and video and having something in a theater like a gala; sounds good right? I would like to have three cameras recording in here and make a live YouTube feed, possibly a recording studio if I can make it happen."
Part of the charm of the room is its links to the past. One such connection is a very large painting of the venue itself with an artist's depiction of the elder Rothstein in the foreground. Janet is quick to mention that many of the things in the venue were recycled; including this unique work of art as well as some of the interesting side/opening acts that the Cafe` has brought forth.
"Molly Johnson; that picture used to be a table and she turned it into a painting. Every week we have a live artist here; some paint the show and some paint during the show. We've had a rock 'n' roll doll maker, origami, fabric art, oils; something different because I don't want it to be boring and these aren't just average artists."
Some people have a knack for getting things done and obviously Rothstein is one of them. The fervor with which she attacks this project is incomparable and her accomplishments thus far should be rightfully lauded but like all else she strives to make it better and can not always do it alone.
"I've booked speakers like Oprah, I've had a recording studio, I've worked with David Geffen, I went on tour doing sound for Phoebe Snow but what I am is an organizer; I love to put things together. I like being healthy and I cherish every day, I value feeling good; if I'm at the club I want to be the DJ, I find it hard to go somewhere and just be there because I like to be involved and do things; it's a personality thing" and after taking a moment to laugh at herself she stated the obvious. "We ask for donations because we are looking to buy sound equipment because right now we are relying on the generosity of others. I'm so busy trying to get it to work, we could use some sponsors; I'm just so busy trying to get it up, running and ready to go; this is about people and their stories. We have a Cafe Artiste Go Fund Me page if anyone wants to help us with a donation and in turn help the artists as well."
Plans, plans and more plans are formulated but for the moment she is focused on creating the best possible experience she can once a week and watching it blossom.
"Right now I've only got Tuesdays covered, I figure if you do it and you do it well and do it consistently then the people will come. I've got performers asking to come back and I just think that the energy in this whole building is great; who knows where we will go from here!"
To discover more about the Jersey Shore Arts Center and Cafe` Artiste, please visitwww.jerseyshoreartscenter.org.
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
