A singer-songwriter with a national following and a compelling story is scheduled to present a 90-minute benefit concert in Bedford on Sunday, Aug. 7.
Jesse Ruben will perform at the First Parish Church on the Common at 4 p.m., with all proceeds going to the organization Ukraine Forward. Tickets at $20 are available online through https://ukraineforward.ticketspice.com/benefit-concert-for-ukraine-in-bedford-ma
or at the door; children under 12 will be admitted free.
The show was arranged by local resident Dr. Jonathan Inz, a longtime psychologist and a former instructor at Harvard Medical School, who has seen Ruben at area venues. “I noticed he does some small concerts, even home concerts, and he said he’d be willing to do it,” Inz related. “So I thought it would make sense to do something as a benefit.”
He added, “We stayed in touch, and had more of a connection because I am a clinical psychologist who works in the medical psychology area, and I wanted to talk to him about Lyme disease.”
Ruben, on his website (www.jesseruben.com), says that as a result of a long bout with the tick-borne illness, “my entire demeanor and personality changed.”
A Brooklyn resident, Ruben, 36, has been spreading an inspirational message through his music for more than a decade, typified by the song “We Can” and lyrics like, “So make a list and do not make it brief. Write down every single wish and every little thing that you want, don’t sell yourself short; don’t ever hesitate if people turn you down, do not settle, do not wait, don’t ever turn around.”
“I think of myself as a folk-pop singer and songwriter; I have an emphasis on storytelling and lyrics,” Ruben said Tuesday in a phone interview. “My goal is to make people feel heard and seen and connected.”
A 2008 graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Ruben started playing guitar at age 16 and performing publicly two years later. His experience with Lyme disease, he said, ultimately sharpened that message.
“I started feeling sick at the end of 2012, and was diagnosed with Lyme in September of 2013, so I had nine months of not knowing the cause of my symptoms. It was a scary, hopeless time,” Ruben writes on his website.
“Having Lyme was the most difficult experience of my life. It really takes a physical and emotional toll on you, not feeling well for that long, waking up not knowing how you’ll feel or when you’ll feel better. I was tired, sick to my stomach, dizzy, had headaches, brain fog, memory loss.”
“After I was diagnosed, I went through almost two years of treatment: supplements, vitamins, powders, tinctures, the whole nine. My symptoms slowly lifted and I started to feel better. After two years of treatment, my physical transformation back to health was truly amazing.”
Inz, director of the Medical Psychology Center at Beverly Hospital, said all proceeds will benefit the organization Ukraine Forward to purchase medical supplies for the people of Ukraine. The organization (ukraineforward.org) supports the Ukrainian people affected by the Russian invasion with urgent resources.
Ruben, who returned to the Northeast this week after a concert in Oregon, said he is scheduled to play at some summer camps in New Hampshire and Maine after the Bedford fundraiser. He said he likes to “do a lot of work with kids.”
He said he is looking forward to playing and singing in Bedford. “It’s a weird time in the world right now, and it’s nice to be together and have a positive experience,” he remarked Tuesday. “It’s going to be really fun, and the cause is so important. I hope we can get a lot of people and do a little bit of good and have a good time.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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