Jamming in a suburban dining room

Friday, October 18, 2002

BY LISA ROSE
Star-Ledger Staff

Heidi Rosen is at the stove cooking parsnip and dill soup. Parents, kids and hipsters mingle in the kitchen, munching on nachos and potato chips.

In the dining room, a man in a kilt stands blowing bagpipes. Next to him are a suspendered singer and a drummer who occasionally hauls out a Didgeridoo, a long Australian instrument that emits a sub-Vin Diesel groan. Resting on a stool next to the drummer is the fourth band member, a regal statue of the old Burger King mascot that travels everywhere with them.

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Welcome to MyDiningRoom.com, also known as the BiteTheWaxTadpole Concert Series, a homespun twist on a supper club. For nearly three years, Ira Rosen and his wife, Heidi, have been welcoming audiences into their Highland Park abode on Sunday afternoons for live rock, with a Kosher dinner served afterwards.

"With four kids and a day job, clubbing isn't easy," said Ira, 35, a telecom engineer by day and a former member of the punk band Snowed In. "A house concert is a thoroughly different experience than the clubs. The bands that play here, they become like family. If my son likes a group, I don't get the typical question, 'Dad, can we buy that CD?' It's, 'Dad, when are they playing the house?'"

Earlier this month, the Rosens hosted a show with Logs in the Mainstream, the aforementioned bagpiping trio. The Logs were paired with Planet Janet, a power pop act that plays sweet and loud, with punk volume and arresting melody. The Rosens can accommodate about 80 audience members per performance, with room for listeners in the furniture-cleared dining room, the sprawling kitchen area and the deck out back.

"I prefer the smaller setting," said Maria Raia, 32, who drove to the show from South Philadelphia with her 11-year-old son, Jon. "I went to a show here a couple of weeks ago because I'm a friend of the singer. I was absolutely enthralled."

Jon said, "I like this better than going to regular shows. You get snacks."

Dinner after the performance was hot dogs and hamburgers, grilled outside on the deck. During the warmer months the Rosens barbecue, but when the chill comes, they bake quiches and lasagna. They do not ask people to bring covered dishes because they keep strictly kosher.

"We ain't fancy, but you don't walk home hungry," said Ira.

House concerts are nothing new under the suburban sun. There are several places around Jersey where listeners can experience music in domestic environs. Most of them are folksy affairs with pensive sounds and unplugged guitars. MyDiningRoom.com, however, is unique in its emphasis on harder rock and amplified instruments.

"The house-concert scene grabs a whole different group of performers," said Ira. "I'm trying to talk people into venturing beyond folk music. It's a Sunday afternoon and it's inside so it doesn't bother anybody. It's just like having a stereo on loud."

One of the Rosens' neighbors, who did not want his name used, said he was aware of the Sunday concerts but "it doesn't bother me one bit. I can't even hear it most of the time."

MyDiningRoom.com began in 2000 with a performance by Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens. Since then, more than two dozen artists have riffed in the Rosen home, from Hoboken heroes, the Cucumbers, to new wave vet Richard X. Heyman. Occasionally, the Rosen kids, aged 1 to 9, jam with the bands.

Many artists donate their services. There are few rules, only that performers keep it family-friendly, toning down the rock-star debauchery and staying away from George Carlin's seven dirty words.

"The music speaks for itself here," said Ira. "There's no room for an big stage presentation. (The Logs) had a kilt and a Burger King head. That's as elaborate as it gets."

Club notes:

Guest DJ Denny Tsettos will be spinning at the Deko Lounge in Sayreville on Saturday. Call (732) 617-7756 ...The Bice Bar & Grill in West Orange recently debuted a late night lounge on Fridays, with a dance floor and DJ club music. Call (973) 243-7100.