Hi, I’m Caroline Romanelli. I’ve been organizing shows, hosting open mics, and fostering communities since 2015 as Embrace DIY Productions.

I love bringing people together who also love music and finding new bands/artists. Warped Tour and The Bamboozle Festival were my happy places as a teen. It was the best place to discover new bands and see so many artists in one place. They had tons of merch vendors too which was always fun to shop around and talk to all of them.

New Brunswick, NJ is where I started my journey, organizing weekly indie rock shows at dive bars on Easton Ave & George St. I made flyers, promoted, hauled my equipment around & did the sound for each show, and really stayed true to the DIY ethics New Brunswick holds tight. I immersed myself in its long-lived underground arts community, where people young and old came together in many college student's basements for music, art, and community. It was liberating to be able to connect with so many amazing artists and people in the same place where some of my favorite bands came out of, like Thursday and Midtown. 

I was lucky enough to work at The House of Independents in Asbury Park for 2 years until it flooded. That place has the best staff and it was so cool to work in a 500 capacity music venue and see all sorts of national and local acts. 

I organize the monthly Come Original Showcases and Music Open Mic at The Madison Community Arts Center since 2022 after taking a little break due to COVID. I love finding new and exciting bands and artists, curating the perfect event, and collaborating on fundraisers. My events are all community based and inclusive. These events focus on supporting local artists, businesses, and entrepreneurs. I love including pop up shops at the Come Original Showcases to help local artists and makers connect with new people and reach more communities. You'll always find new music at an Embrace DIY event; that’s something that will never change as long as y’all keep making music. 

I am the Director of Arts & Events at the The Madison Community Arts Center. We hold all sorts of events here from Comedy Shows to Drag Show Competitions to Show us Your Shorts (for filmmakers to showcase their short films) to Vegan Pop Up Markets, and so much more.

I’ve also been booking a monthly show at The Asbury Hotel, “4th Fridays Unplugged” since 2019 (took a COVID break, and started again in 2021).

Hope to see you at an event soon! Community is calling you!

Learn more:  NB Today Article   |  CanvasRebel Interview | NEW Madison Eagle Article | Drew Acorn Article