Monday Night Jam Draws Local Musicians

WILDWOOD — Outside of the summer tourist season, Monday night is not a great night to find live music in a local club.
It may also be difficult to find a place to jam on stage if you are a local musician, professional or amateur.
In the off-season, a group of local musicians started an open jam session Monday nights at the Shamrock Café on Pacific Avenue.
Drummer Mike Dempsey, a member of the Stellar MoJo band, said the Man Cave Jam as it is titled, started in the home of the home of guitar player/singer Taos Skerett.
“We were there just making music, we were recording and we’d cook dinner just like a man cave, guys getting together,” said Dempsey.
The amount of people attending the jam session was growing. Guitar player/vocalist Jimmy Werba was playing at the Shamrock Café and suggested moving the Monday jam to that venue.
It has turned into an open mic jam session.
Dempsey met the other musicians, who are about 10 years older than himself, through Mike Rogers of the band the Waterbugs. He saw Dempsey playing in StellarMojo.
Dempsey said he did not know some of the classic rock the other “Man Cave” musicians were playing but found a solution using YouTube.
“I pride myself on trying to be a very versatile drummer,” he said.
Those who wish to perform with the band sign in and list the song they want to sing or play. Dempsey said if it’s a song he doesn’t know, he will search for it on YouTube on his phone, plug in headphones and listen to it on the spot during the Monday night jam.
Man Cave Jam is not the only open mic night in the area but the only one with a full production of lights and sound, said Dempsey.
Werba said he would like to keep the Monday jam going all summer.
“There’s a lot of musicians around that don’t get to play and that’s their chance to play,” said Dempsey.
Man Cave Monday is not just for guys. Several female vocalists have participated. The band with some guest musicians took the show to another venue as a sort of “all star” Man Cave group.
The Man Cave band also features Don Shough on guitar/vocals, Walter Sapsai on bass/vocals, and often Jim Fitapaldi on flute and sax. On a recent Monday night, in the first hour of the jam, the band played songs from America, the Eagles, Marshall Tucker Band and the brothers Allman and Doobie.
Dempsey may be the hardest working drummer in Cape May County. StellarMojo is booked in this county all summer as well as in Atlantic City and West Virginia.
Dempsey also played percussion for TRU and opened for Chaka Khan earlier this year.
StellarMojo opened a New Year’s Eve show in Philadelphia for Joan Jett. They also opened for the Dave Matthews Band, taking a busload of local fans to the show with them.
Dempsey said even though StellarMojo is a Top40/Pop band, it covers material from the 50s to 2012.
The Man Cave jams have widened his musical knowledge, he said.
The jams start between 8 and 9 p.m. and continue into the wee hours of the morning.