The Great South Bay Music Festival Offers Something for Everyone
by Elianne Halbersberg
Forty bands over a three-day period for $20 (or $10 per day) sounds like something your parents remember, but the annual Great South Bay Music Festival offers all that and more. Along with a host of activities including a Kidzone for youngsters, the GSBMF is unique in what it has to offer.
"The Festival began two years ago as an Irish Cultural Festival, a continuation and relocation of a festival that ran in Port Jefferson for two years," explains James Faith, organizer and promoter of the event. "We decided that what we really wanted to do was create an American music festival featuring artists from contemporary and classic rock, folk, jam band, blues, country and jazz. We felt that the Long Island public was underserved regarding festivals. We needed a no-nonsense, full day—or three—of serious artists celebrating not only American music, but heavily slanted toward Long Island artists."
Faith is an active and experienced part of the local music scene. He produces the September Port Jefferson American Music Festival and manages, books and promotes concerts at the 7000-seat Brookhaven Amphitheatre in Farmingville.
Organizing the GSBMF requires time, dedication, thought and teamwork. "One area that's important to me is who I need to work with," he says. "I have a great partner whom I have been involved with for over 14 years. We get along comfortably, and we both bring very different ingredients to the table and balance each other out. My daughter Jamie is also a big part of the mix; she's been with me for years and will always tell me what's what—even if I don't want to hear it!
"An event of this size is impossible to run from one person's vision. You need people to get along, be patient with each other and listen to each other's perspectives without an arm-wrestle. Some people just want to win the argument. We don't play that. We really do want to get it right."
One of Faith's goals when selecting talent was to book artists from all genres. "First and foremost, I wanted to give our ticket buyers a diverse musical menu," he says. "The three days on three stages are each a bit different musically, while still remaining true to the American roots-music theme. Friday is heavier on blues and folk, Saturday leans heavier on jam bands, improvisational music and folk, and Sunday leans heavier toward rock, with contemporary rock earlier in the day and some of Long Island's best up-and-coming original bands, into some killer blues-rock, progressing into the melodic subdudes. And then of course we end with Foghat. It's their 'return home' performance after a very long time away and will be their only New York appearance. Blues, folk and rock still appear throughout the weekend, as well as clinics and acoustic music in the Cultural tent.
"I think that audiences today are more open to hearing their music with other influences, whether those influences are ethnic or improvisational. Most festivals today, even though they may be called a jazz festival or jam band festival, don't stick to one kind of music. Obviously, the music at Great South Bay is based in American roots music. I wanted bands that were respected, that have staying power, that are into their music more than into the business. Bands like Railroad Earth, subdudes, Bernard Allison and Nine Days are amazing talents, very musical, very into their craft. We have folk legends such as Richie Havens and Tom Rush—both so important to our musical heritage. Songs like Richie Havens' "Freedom," and specifically Richie's voice and guitar approach, is such a sound of the 1960s. It's important not only to the 1960s peace movement, but a sound that still resonates today … especially today.
"When everyone sees Foghat perform, they will understand why they are one of the most no-nonsense, kick-ass rock bands touring today. In their proud history they have recorded seven Gold records, one Platinum and a double-Platinum album, and their new album may be the best one yet."
In the midst of all the music and delightful mayhem is … a Civil War encampment? Not exactly what one would expect in Long Island. "It's all a very sly and Machiavellian plan," Faith confesses. "We wanted a way to keep the little tykes occupied, while programming their brains with good music! What better way for us to get boys and girls to sit still? Have the boys hang out with an authentic American Indian family, or experience a living Civil War encampment, and the girls will be in the Kidzone tent singing educational, fun songs and participating in a drum circle. [Meanwhile], I will feed them Railroad Earth, Tom Rush and Richie Havens' peace music, Bernard Allison's soaring blues lines and Jack Licitras' "Calling All Angels." They will never know why they love the sound of a fiddle, are sensitive to folk, want to squeeze out a very loud note on guitar, or why R&B feels so damn good!"
The Great South Bay Music Festival will be held July 13-15 on Smith Street, Shorefront Park in Patchogue. For more information, visit www.greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com.
CM Performing Arts Center Offers Youngsters a Chance to Shine
The CM Performing Arts Center opened 10 years ago in the old Oakdale movie theater on Montauk Highway. The theater had been empty for many years, and its renovation from a single-screen movie house to a live performance space marked not only the 10-year anniversary of CM, but also the culmination of a huge fundraising initiative to find a permanent home for the nonprofit theater arts organization.
CM began as a touring theater troupe, performing a living Passion Play at churches all over Long Island and New York City. Various other touring productions followed, performed in schools and churches, with the actors setting and striking the sets, sound and lighting equipment, and loading and unloading costumes and props. Eventually, a studio space was rented to serve as office and rehearsal space. The first non-touring production, a one-month run of Oliver in the summer of 1990, was performed at St. Joseph's College in Patchogue. Over the next few years, the organization continued to tour and realized it could grow no further without its own performance space.
The CM Performing Arts Center opened on May 23, 1987, with a production of Man of La Mancha. As the organization marks its 20th anniversary, it offers 11 children's theater productions per year on Saturday afternoons, year-round educational programs for children and teens, CM Teens mainstage productions, concerts and special events, and 11 mainstage productions each year.
Numerous past performers have gone on to careers on Broadway and in national and international tours, as well careers in recording, television and films.
Visit www.cmpac.com for a schedule of upcoming performances.
