“I’d walk for miles, I’d walk for miles just to see you smile again
Give away all I have if I thought it would bring you back
Dreaming calls you to my mind, every day I wait to find
in the garden that we grew there’s a rose there just for you
Down the path we used to walk there’s a place where i still stop
there’s a rose there just for you in the garden that we grew”
In The Garden That We Grew- Laura Mann (2009)
Last night we attended the final show at Laura Mann’s Living Room and Cricket Cafe in Ardmore PA. It was bittersweet, but what a great night- a sold out show, featuring some of our favorite musicians- Ben Arnold, Jim Boggia, Erik Sayles, Phil D’Agostino, Matt Muir, Allison Kershner, and Jim Verdeur. It was a night to remember, with so many of our friends in the crowd.
I’m not sure why or how I came to “friend” Laura Mann on Facebook in December 2017- I suppose it was a connection from mutual friends. But I do remember hearing that in March 2018, Wally Smith and Greg Davis would be playing at the Grand Opening of her new intimate music venue in Ardmore called “The Living Room at 35 East”, right down the block from the Ardmore Music Hall, and I got to meet her in person. The Living Room soon became my favorite place to see a show, and Laura became a dear friend. Going to the Living Room with our friends became a regular activity for Eva and me.
While I initially knew Laura as the proprietor of a music venue, I soon learned she was also an awesome singer-songwriter in her own right. I recalled seeing the “Laura Mann Band” advertised back in the day, but never got a chance to see her live. I then discovered she had worked closely with another one of our favorite performers, Robert Hazard, and she had also appeared on the precursor to “American Idol”- “Star Search”. My late friend Adrian Hickman also loved Laura and the Living Room. Laura was so supportive to Adrian and his family I will be forever grateful. The benefit that she had for him at the Living Room with some of the biggest names in the Philly music scene shortly before he passed was a show I’ll never forget. I get teary eyed whenever I listen to her beautiful song “In the Garden”, which she sang at Adrian’s funeral.
With CoVid, the old Living Room closed, but Laura opened a new bigger and better “Living Room at 35 East” on Ardmore Avenue. (The first Living Room was at 35 East Lancaster Avenue, and the second one, ironically, was at 35 East Ardmore Avenue.) Another great venue! It seemed like we were there almost every week, in our usual seats This one has plenty of room, comfy chairs and sofas, delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, and an amazing schedule of musicians.
We continued to be regulars at the new Living Room. It became a home-away-from-home. In fact, I was there so frequently that in March 2022, Laura surprised me with a “Platinum Patron” plaque which she displayed at the venue.
Then in November 2022, the Living Room moved again, this time to Cricket Avenue. It was another great spot. This time included a nice cafe where you could gather and grab a bite to eat before the show. With Laura’s great decorating touch, it was a fun place to hang out, and it made you feel right at home. It was my favorite of all the Living Room locations. The Grand Opening was a special night. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, as Laura decided to follow through on some new adventures in her life. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors, and certainly hope to see her perform again some time soon. Thanks for the friendship and great music. The Living Room has certainly been one of the highlights of living life in my “Golden Years”.
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