Howdy folks! Mike McDonald here. It’s that time of year again. Actually, it was people from the community that got this old ass in gear on what’s becoming an underground tradition. What I’m talking about, of course, is the:

6^th ANNUAL ROSEBOWL SANTA’S ANONYMOUS JAM

Sunday, December 13

In case you’re new in town, the Rosebowl has been my office for years. Not just the best pizza place on the planet, the proprietors and customers of the ‘Bowl are some of the most sincere patrons of the arts in Edmonton. You won’t see any music halls or museums named after them, but they do what they can for the purest of reasons. The Rosebowl generously provides their space once a year for this humane and honest cause. I choose Santa’s Anonymous to devote my energies, because the gifts given go directly to the children. I don’t know any clerical worker who accepts stuffed animals as wages, therefore it follows that very little of what’s collected goes to abstracts like administration costs, etc… Contributions to 630CHED’s Santa’s Anonymous go directly to the needy children in town. It may not change anything, but imagine the times when life and the world were compressing you and making everything a struggle. In my personal experience, I’ve had small kindness’ bestowed upon me whilst in the throes of the terrors of life, small insignificant things like someone buying me a good cup of coffee when I’m down. Now, that didn’t eliminate or diminish my problems in any way, but it was a momentary respite from the dreary routine of being me. Those small kindnesses sometimes prevented me from rash decision. Stopped me from self-destruction. It made me feel good for a few minutes, and that was enough to give me hope. Now, no one is pretending they can stop poverty, but we can cut the kids a little slack. It just might do some real good.

Right. Those are the motives. Here is what I propose to do. Usually I run the quirky and still happening Open Stage there, but one night a year we "formalize" it somewhat by planning the evening as opposed to the usual "show up and see what happens" method. Here is the plan:

MIKE McDONALD PRESENTS:

THE 6^TH ANNUAL ROSEBOWL SANTA’S ANONYMOUS JAM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13

HOSTS: ANGUS WYATT (of Capt. Nemo) and WINSTON HERBERT (of no fixed address)

FEATURING (in no particular order yet):

JEN KRAATZ

TWANG

THE MIKE McDONALD BAND

HARWILL

THE SWAMPFLOWERS

LESTER QUITZAU AND BILL BOURNE

PAUL BELLOWS

KENNY ROTTEN

GREYHOUND TRAGEDY

SHOW AROUND 9ish

(it really packs out, so if you hope to sit, come early)

10111-117 St

482-2589

There is no cover charge. We raise funds by selling raffle tickets for a buck. The local music scene in general donates lots of CD’s etc…the breweries do their bit with Ski Jackets and caps and stuff, Walmac (the billiards people) always give up something cool, some employees at TELUS pool dough together for long distance cards, all kinds of stuff. On top of all that it’s really fun.

I am available to deliver more info, or do interviews, or connect you with members of the evening’s line-up, just call me anytime at:

482-4646

Thank you…Mike McDonald