The Wait

Back in the summer of 1992, John McGah, Shawn Norton, Domenic Botolino, and Vin Dipiero did what many young people do: They started a band. For six years, they worked hard at music, playing clubs, opening for the Charlie Daniels Band, and getting a song on an MTV reality show. Twelve years later, they’re reuniting on their home turf of.... - The Boston Globe

The Wait & Friends Benefit: Back in the summer of 1992, John McGah, Shawn Norton, Domenic Botolino, and Vin Dipiero did what many young people do. They started a band. For six years, they worked hard at music, playing clubs, opening for the Charlie Daniels Band, and getting a song on an MTV reality show. Twelve years later, they're reuniting on their home turf of Arlington to benefit Give US Your Poor: The Campaign to End Homelessness. This concert features The Wait's original rock, with emcee Jimmy Tingle and a special guest performance by Mighty Sam McClain. 7 p.m. $12, $25 VIP ticket. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 781-646-4849, regenttheatre.com - The Boston Globe

ARLINGTON

The Wait, a band that was popular in the greater Boston area in the 1990s, will throw a concert party this Sunday afternoon at the Regent Theatre on Medford Street to raise money for the Arlington Food Pantry.

Arlington teenagers founded the band was founded by Arlington teenagers back then who gave the music business a try in the early 1990s, but then the members married, had children and pursued careers in other areas.

The Wait is a rock'n roll band that plays its own compositions as well as cover tunes of the Beatles, Tom Petty and Neil Young.

While growing up in East Arlington, band member Domenic Botolino knew of the Arlington Food Pantry as he was growing up, but didn’t necessarily think about how many hungry people there were in town.
One of Botolino’s best friends and another band member, John McGah, also grew up in East Arlington down the down the street from the Church of Our Saviour on Marathon Street, the longtime home of the pantry.

"I was aware of homelessness in the ‘80s when it became very visible," McGah said. "I really didn’t know at the time that in Arlington there were people who needed help with food."

Of course these days both men are very aware that people go hungry in Arlington and in other communities all across the state and the country. Botolino is now a teacher and lives in Wayland, where he knows hunger exists amongst a wealthy population.

McGah is now a senior associate at the National Center for Family Homelessness and the founder and executive director of Give Us Your Poor: The Campaign to End Homelessness, which is based UMass Boston’s McCormack Graduate School of Policy Global Studies. Give Us Your Poor works to raise awareness about homelessness, and he has worked closely with homeless people, community leaders here in Massachusetts and across the country, developing relationships with national homeless organizations, shelter directors and staff, homeless advocates, nationally-known scholars and policy makers. The National Center for Family Homelessness in Waltham is part of the American Institute for Research.

And now both of them, as well as other members of The Wait will be making music to help hungry people at the Arlington Food Pantry. The pantry has an opportunity to lease the former Broadway Diner on Broadway as an additional location for the pantry. The plans are to get additional refrigerators and freezer for the property, which the Housing Corporation of Arlington has purchased.

Their loan agreement with a bank allows them to pay just the interest as they fundraise to so they can pull down the diner and build a larger building with affordable apartments as well as commercial and retail space. The town will pay $12,000, Calvary Church will pay $12,000 from an endowment to help Arlington’s working poor and the last $12.000 will come from a number of other churches and fundraising events, such as The Wait’s performance this Sunday.

"We see this project as assisting the community pretty dramatically, with so many groups and volunteers coming together," said HCA Director Pam Hallett. It’s very exciting to see this model – to watch it happen and celebrate it."

For Bartolino, his mother’s longtime membership of Calvary Church's congregation and his knowledge of that church’s pastor, Rev. Christine Elliott, made the decision to hold the fundraiser a very easy one.

"We like Reverend Christine and we really respect the work she does every day," he said, so when she and his mother asked, he and the band said yes.

"There are so many people coming together to make this happen," said Arlington’s Health and Human Services Director Christine Bongiorno, whose department oversees the pantry. "Whole Foods has given us money for a refrigerator or a freezer, the Arlington Center for the Arts has offered to help us get a mural painted, the Arlington Garden Club is going to spruce up the window boxes and I’m hoping the community will want to donate their time, services or make a donation to get this up and running."

Comedian Mike Prior will also be performing. Donatios of nonperishable food items will also be accepted. - The Arlington Advocate

Artist of the Day

The Wait

Now when we say Classic Rock, some may think “old”, some may hear “original”, you may even interpret (if you are a bit older)”what I listened to in high school”. Go ahead and call me crazy, but what if I told you there was a band out there, from the cold Boston streets, that are playing new Classic Rock. The Wait & Friends formed in 1992 and are still killing it to this day with their Classic Rock sound, though they are ringing true to form with their own original work. Even as I listen to them now, if someone fired it up on a radio and told me they got their start opening for Tom Petty in ’78 I would have bought it hook, line, and sinker.

The Wait & Friends have an awesome sound, bringing back the roots movement, with a rockabilly guitar that just doesn’t quit. The drums keep driving the tap in your foot, and for the most part their original work has the up beat catchy hooks that made the late 70’s a great time for rock and roll.

They’re a 5 piece rock band, which started in Boston and since have traveled and performed in a number of big cities across the country. Whose current members are: John McGah (Guitar and Vocals), Domenic Botolino (Guitar and Vocals), Shawn Norton (Back up Vocals and Drums), Greg Scapicchio (Bassist), and Kevin Faller (Keyboard), though that doesn’t limit the names there, as their name would suggest, they have an impressive list of guest talent that joins them from time to time.

As I was listening to their work the song “Soul Searching Man” (which you can listen to as one of their sample songs at their website http://www.sonicbids.com/band/the-wait/audio/ ) really popped out to me, the cohesiveness of the band is very impressive. It’s the kind of song that when you hear it, you know these five guys love to play together, it’s got great energy and doesn’t lose a beat throughout the whole 3:48.

I have to say, these guys are worth saluting! Rocking hard with a sound come and gone, but here they are gifting it to the modern day. If you need any more proof that rock will never die, take a listen to their original song “Go On” bringing down the house at the Regent Theater in Arlington, Massachusetts. - Bacon and Music

“Friday's band, the Wait, showed promise. They played straight-ahead, guitar rock with a mix of originals and covers by the Stones, Beatles and Buffalo Tom. Singers Dom Botolino and John McGah were skilled, bar-band crowd-pleasers. They also have a new CD, "Need More Time," which is radio-friendly.”

Steve Morse - The Boston Globe - The Boston Globe

MEDFORD

On Sunday, Oct. 26, The Wait will perform at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, at 3 p.m. to benefit the Arlington Food Pantry.
The event will also feature comedian Mike Prior.

The Wait is a local, original rock and roll band founded in 1992. Local musicians John McGah (Arlington High School Class President 1987), Shawn Norton (Somerville High School grad, current Medford Police officer) and Domenic Botolino (Matignon High School 1987, former Arlington resident and teacher in Arlington) started The Wait in the summer of 1992 to write and play their music.

For the next six years the band worked their way up to headlining clubs around Boston, Maine, Tennessee and beyond. They shared the stage with local acts such as Guster, Tom Hambridge, Charlie Farren and The Swinging Steaks and got one of their songs played on “The Real World Boston” on MTV.

They received a glowing review in those days by legendary Boston Globe music critic, Steve Morse.

The recent lineup saw the addition of two stellar musicians: Greg Scapicchio, owner of GS Music in Medford, who joined in 2010 as bassist extraordinaire, and Kevin Faller, a member of the Medford Police Department, who joined in 2014 and plays keyboards.
It has been four years since the band played in Arlington and they are thrilled to play the Regent Theatre. They are excited to have comedian Mike Prior (Arlington High School Class of 1986) opening up the show.

Prior has toured with several national recording artists such as Weird Al Yankovick, and Randy Travis. He was one of the featured performers on a Comedy Central special in 2004, and has played supporting roles in commercials for the New England Aquarium and Boston Center for the Arts.

The Arlington Food Pantry strives to provide food to every Arlington resident in need with a goal to end hunger in Arlington.
General admission to the show is $15 (includes $1 facility fee). Donations of non-persishables welcome.

For more information, contact the Regent Theatre at 781-646-4849. - Medford Wicked Local