Monthly open-mic event spotlights musical pros and amateurs

By Brett Wittenberg

In Spanish, “loma” means rising ground in the midst of a plain. In Lincoln, LOMA means Lincoln Open Mic Acoustic, and once a month at the Lincoln Public Library, a small hill of musical talent rises.

LOMA has its origins in the annual Lincoln Winter Carnival, where residents have been demonstrating their acoustic musical skills for years. This coffeehouse-type performance has been a Lincoln favorite for the better part of a decade.

Over the years, more musicians performed and larger audiences listened, and three years ago, LOMA outgrew Winter Carnival. “It was hard to find space for all the people who actually wanted to attend—we were getting over 200 people,” said current LOMA organizer Rich Eilbert. It was clear that to continue, LOMA was going to need a bigger space and some dedicated management. Help came in the form of Rich Eilbert, a Lincoln resident for nearly 25 years and seasoned open mic’er as both an audience member and performer. Eilbert (who has a PhD in physics and has worked on designing X-ray equipment for airport security) offered to organize the events moving forward, and the Lincoln Public Library was settled on as the new venue.

Under Eilbert’s management, LOMA has continued to expand, even bringing in some professional acts to generate more buzz, including internationally known folk musician Geoff Bartley.

“We were really glad to get Geoff Bartley. We had a big crowd for him—maybe the biggest crowd ever. He’s a very fine musician,” said Eilbert.

Of the musician’s newest CD, folk legend Tom Paxton wrote, “Geoff Bartley has hit another one out of the park.”

Whether it’s an internationally known musician or your neighbor’s kid, what makes open-mic performances like LOMA special is audience involvement. LOMA is a community-sponsored event, and it’s the community that keeps it going. No promises can be made for the quality of the music, but the performers and the audience are guaranteed to have fun.

“There are a lot of talented people in this town,” Eilbert said, and some of them can be found at the library on the second Monday of each month. The next Lincoln Open Mic Acoustic night will be February 11 and will feature Nancy Beaudette. Other performers and spectators are welcome, and free refreshments will be served.

Brett Wittenberg is a resident of Lexington, Mass.