The monthly HardLuckCafé concert series co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington) in the Cinema’s Sky Room continues on Wednesday, March 19 with a multimedia Tribute to Those We’ve Lost. Two-dozen Long Island-based artists will perform songs by/popularized by notable songwriters and recording artists who left our world over the past year. The concert will extend from 7 to 10 p.m., with a short intermission.
LI-based artists slated to perform include Candice Baranello, Janice Buckner, Eric Eaton & Jennifer Grace, Gathering Time (Stuart Markus, Christine Sweeney & Gerry McKeveny), Ray Lambiase and Kate Corrigan, Bill Lauter, Stuart Markus, Larry Moser and Max Rowland, James O’Malley, Princess Peapod (Dave Cook & Michele Frimmer), Denise Romas, Gary Schoenberger, Terry Seidl, Hank Stone, Suffolk Shuffle (Richard Parr & Joe Roccanova), Bob Westcott, Jim Whiteman, and Lindsay Whiteman.
They’ll be performing songs by/popularized by such artists as Mike Brewer (Brewer & Shipley), Eric Carmen, Barbara Dane, Roberta Flack, Garth Hudson (The Band), Bernice Johnson Reagon, Kris Krisfofferson, Linda LaFlamme (It’s A Beautiful Day), Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead), Dave Loggins, David Mallet, One Direction’s Liam Payne, Tom Prasada-Rao, John Roberts, JD Souther, Randy Sparks (The New Christy Minstrels), Libby Titus, and Peter Yarrow, among others.
Tickets are $20 ($15 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and may be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office through the evening of the show.
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will headline this year's festival.
By Melissa Arnold
As summer begins to wind down, September ushers in what could be considered the best of the season: Mellower weather, cooler nights, and still plenty of time for outdoor fun.
Benner’s Farm in East Setauket is an ideal spot for celebrating all things Americana when the Fiddle and Folk Festival returns on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Historical records show that the 15-acre property has functioned as a working family farm as far back as 1751, if not earlier. Seven families have called it home since then, with schoolteachers Bob and Jean Benner purchasing the property in 1974.
The concert line-up will include Eastbound Freight Bluegrass — John Brisotti on mandolin; Dave Thompson on guitar; Bill DeTurk on banjo; Bill Ayasse on fiddle and Bruce Barry on bass — who will be joined by two former members, singer Gene Yellin and fiddler Bill Christopherson.
Today, Benner’s Farm provides a much-needed respite from the frenetic pace of life on the North Shore. Visitors can enjoy the grounds and say hello to the sheep and goats, chickens and ducks, and Tippy the cow.
The Fiddle and Folk Festival was held for many years at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook. When those festivals were discontinued, Bob Benner found that he really missed attending.
“We’ve always had a love for music on the farm, whether that’s contra dancing or welcoming musicians to come and play,” Benner said.
At the Long Island Museum, a William Sidney Mount painting of a fiddler at a barn dance (“Dance of the Haymakers”) captured Benner’s imagination. And with a little encouragement from the late Gerry Riemer of WUSB Radio in Stony Brook, Benner made plans to reboot the festival on the farm.
In the years since then, the Long Island Traditional Music Association, Homestead Arts and the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council have helped Benner connect with a wide variety of folk, bluegrass, blues and roots musicians.
“The folk community might be smaller than others, but they are global and well-connected to each other,” said Amy Tuttle, the arts council’s program director. “I’ve gotten to know many performers simply through word of mouth from other musicians. They are all creative spirits that are excited to get to know new people, including their audiences.”
This year’s festival has four performance spaces situated around the farm, each with its own unique vibe. The heart of the action is on the Back Porch, a gorgeous hillside where headliners and larger groups will perform.
Headlining this year’s festival are Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, a married duo best known for their expressive roots tunes. Ungar’s Grammy Award-winning song “Ashokan Farewell” gained notoriety as the theme for the acclaimed Ken Burns documentary The Civil War.
The Sugar Maple Barn will host fiddle and banjo duo Brian Chabza and Bill Ayasse, plus the anticipated “Pick of the Crop” competition, where hopeful performers can step up to the mic. Impress the judges and you could be invited to play on the Back Porch. Keep your ears open for last year’s contest winners, Toby Tobias and Suzanne Ernst, as they make their Big Porch debuts.
If you have musical talent but don’t want to compete,the open mic “stage”— actually a 100-year-old Model T truck — awaits. And if you’re looking to jam with a group or sing along in the audience, head to the Shady Grove, an acoustic spot featuring the Eastern Long Island Old Time Jam. Beginners and seasoned performers alike are encouraged to pull up a chair and play.
Emceed by Bob Westcott, the lineup will also include The Roger Street Friedman Band, Claudia Jacob’s Say Hey Crew, and Eastbound Freight, among others.
Hot dogs, hamburgers and other picnic fare will be available for purchase. Kids can explore activities just for them, or take the whole family on a nature walk.
The festival is a fun opportunity to get some fresh air and explore new types of music you might not hear all the time, Tuttle said.
“The Fiddle and Folk Festival celebrates Americana in a number of forms, from very traditional old time sounds to contemporary songwriters putting their own spin on traditional instruments, or even Americana interpreted by people from other parts of the world. It’s all different, depending on how the artist approaches the music. You’re not going to be listening to six hours of the same thing,” she explained. “The performers care so deeply about the community and come out to intermingle and talk to people. There’s no ‘wall’ between the audience and the performers.”
As the day draws to a close and the sun begins to set, Benner said there’s nothing like listening to the music play on as the sun filters through the trees, filling the Back Porch area with amber light.
“It’s such a treat for me to do this every year, right here in my own backyard,” he said.
The 12th Annual Fiddle & Folk Festival will be held at Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket on Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets in advance are $22 adults, $18 seniors and $10 for children; tickets at the door are $25 adults, $22 seniors and $12 for children. Bring seating. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, visit fiddleandfolk.com or call 631 689-8172.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Called everything from ‘hillbilly-Pink Floyd’ to ‘folk-pop’ to ‘surreal Americana,’ the Slambovian Circus of Dreams returns to this year's festival. Photo by Tom Moore
By Julianne Mosher
If you have a love for folk music, head over to Benner’s Farm in East Setauket on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the 11th annual Fiddle and Folk Festival. Just in time for fall, the event will have a little something for everyone.
Held on the grounds of the historic farm, that has been owned by Bob Benner and his family since 1977, festival-goers can always expect the best in traditional and contemporary folk music plus other fun-filled farm activities suitable for all ages.
Singer-songwriter Cassandra House
“Bob Benner has been instrumental in the Fiddle and Folk Festival for years,” said Amy Tuttle, program director for the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council.
Tuttle added that the festival was held for many years at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook. Unfortunately, it stopped for a bit, until Benner “resurrected it.”
“It’s always on the first Sunday after Labor Day,” said Tuttle, who said that the GPJAC has been involved every year at Benner’s since — except for one year which was during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have an eclectic variety of music, so there’s something for everybody.”
This year’s performers include The Slambovian Circus of Dreams (back by popular demand), Cassandra House, BarbecueBruce and the Brisket Brothers, and last year’s “Pick of the Crop,” Stephen Robinson and Hank Stone. Bob Westcott will emcee and entertain between sets with stories and song.
With the exception of The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, who are popular regulars on the folk festival scene, the rest of the performers are all Long Island locals; Cassandra House is from the South Shore and BarbecueBruce and the Brisket Brothers (Bruce MacDonald, Dan Skabeikis and John Brisotti) hail from the North Fork.
Tuttle also mentioned the “Pick of the Crop,” a new contest that was implemented last year. The idea is for performers to virtually audition online before the festival with finalists performing in-person the day of the festival in front of a group of judges. Those judges then decide which of the finalists will perform on the main stage at next year’s festival.
Right now, there is an online submission page where musicians, singers and songwriters can submit their work. The first round of judges will then choose from those submissions who made it to the next round, performing on the Shady Grove Stage.
“It’s a really nice festival,” Tuttle said. “Everyone always has a great time.”
If the main stage and contest stages weren’t enough, there’s more. This year, an open mic stage will be presented on the back of Bob Benner’s old ’24 Model T Truck.
Benner said that other than the music and food that will be available to enjoy, there will be other fun things to do — especially for the little ones.
“We’ll have a kid’s corner and caricatures,” he said, adding Long Island’s largest swing will be available to play on. Visitors will also be available to visit with the farm’s many animals including sheep, goats and chickens.
“The Fiddle and Folk Festival is a perfect way to ease out of all the fun things we have been doing over the summer and head into the fall,” Tuttle said. “It’s relaxed and a great way to unwind before the start of the school year.”
Presented by Homestead Arts, the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council and Benner’s Farm, the music festival will be held rain or shine.
Benner’s Farm is located at 56 Gnarled Hollow Road in East Setauket. Advance sale tickets for the Fiddle & Folk Festival are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $10 for children. Tickets on the day of the event are$23 adults, $20 seniors and $10 for children.
Audience members are encouraged to bring their own seating. A full schedule of performances and events along with applications for the “Pick of the Crop” contest are available at www.fiddleandfolk.com. For more information, call 631-689-8172.
The Levins will perform at the Huntington Folk Festival on July 16 at 4:30 p.m.
The 16th annual Huntington Folk Festival is set for Saturday, July 16, on the Chapin Rainbow Stage at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Avenue, in Huntington.Extending from noon to 10 p.m., with a dinner break from 5 to 7:15 p.m., the free event is co-presented by the Huntington Arts Council, Folk Music Society of Huntington and AcousticMusicScene.com as part of the 57th Huntington Summer Arts Festival produced by the Town of Huntington.
The Festival will include a tribute to the late singer/songwriter Lois Morton.
“An Evening with Paula Cole and Sophie B. Hawkins” will be preceded by a series of amplified showcases and song swaps, along with a musical tribute to Lois Morton and an open mic, during the afternoon.
Artists slated to showcase their talents during the afternoon include Allison Leah, Brett Altman, The Levins, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, The Royal Yard, Alan Short, Hank Stone. Christine Sweeney, Us!, Drew Velting, Bob Westcott, and Scott Wolfson & Other Heroes.
Prior to the evening concert on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com (an online publication for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities), will conduct an on-stage conversational interview with the evening’s featured artists at 7:15 p.m.
Kornfeld will also host a series of amplified showcases and song swaps from 2 to 5 p.m.near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage. These will be preceded by an hour-long open mic hosted by singer-songwriter Toby Tobias, who runs the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM), an Acoustic Ally of FMSH, from noon to 1 p.m.
From 1 to 2 p.m, a number of artists will perform and share their reflections on Lois Morton, the late Huntington-based singer-songwriter who delighted audiences throughout the New York metropolitan area and beyond for years with her abundant charm and humorous songs of social commentary on such subjects as cell phones, clutter, diets, psychotherapy, and road rage. Participants in this tribute will include Josie Bello, Kirsten Maxwell, Larry Moser, Richard Parr, Glen Roethel, Dave Anthony Setteducati, Linda Sussman, and others.
Schedule of Events:
Noon — Open Mic
1 p.m. — Remembering Lois Morton: A Musical Tribute
2 p.m. —Song Swap: Hank Stone and Bob Westcott
2:30 p.m. — Us!
2:45 p.m. — Drew Velting
3 p.m. — Christine Sweeney
3:15 p.m. — Brett Altman
3:30 p.m. Allison Leah
3:45 p.m. — Sea Chanteys: The Royal Yard and Alan Short
4:15 p.m. — Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale
4:30 p.m. — The Levins
4:45 p.m. — Scott Wolfson & Other Heroes
5 p.m. —Dinner Break
7:15 p.m — On-Stage Conversation with Paula Cole and Sophie B. Hawkins
8 p.m. — Evening Concert on the Chapin Rainbow Stage: Paula Cole & Sophie B. Hawkins
Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).
The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A., with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.
Save the date! Grounds & Sounds Café, located at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket will welcome acoustic, folk, classical and blues singer/songwriter Bob Westcott, left,in concert on Friday, Sept. 14 at 9 p.m. The evening will be preceded by an open mic at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 per person at www.groundsandsounds.org or at the door. For more information, call 631-751-0297.
Folk rock duo The Kennedys perform on the Backstage Porch during last year’s Fiddle & Folk Festival. Photo from Bob Benner
By Rita J. Egan
The sounds of bluegrass, blues and folk music will fill the air at Benner’s Farm once again when the homestead hosts the fifth annual Fiddle & Folk Festival on Sept. 11. Presented by Homestead Arts, Benner’s Farm, the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council and WUSB Radio, the festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., rain or shine.
“It’s kind of a laid back, easy going, good sounding old-time festival,” Bob Benner, owner of the farm, said. The Benners began hosting the festival a few years ago after the owner and the late Gerry Riemer, a board member of Homestead Arts, were discussing the possibility of a September event on the property. The two remembered how much fun the Fiddle & Folk Fest, formerly held on the property of the Long Island Museum, was and began to ask people what they thought of the event being held at Benner’s. They received positive feedback, and Benner said that the first two years the Long Island Traditional Music Association (LITMA) worked with them on the event.
The combination of music and a farm setting has turned out to be a successful one, and Benner estimates the number of attendees last year to be around 500. “It’s completely different than any other concert I’ve ever been to, because it’s a farm and people can wander around,” the owner said.
Benner said attendees are welcome to explore the organic, solar-powered working farm while listening to the music, and with people so connected to their cell phones and other gadgets nowadays, he enjoys seeing people interacting with each other and connecting with nature. “Every time that people come here it is just so enjoyable to see them wandering around, looking at animals, looking at the garden,” he said. The farm owner enjoys the music at the festival, too. “I’m not a musician’s musician, so I enjoy very much listening to some of the groups that come that I don’t normally hear,” he said.
Amy Tuttle, program director of the Greater Port Jefferson-North Brookhaven Arts Council, said one of the things she loves about the festival is seeing family members and friends coming together and enjoying the music. “It’s easy to enjoy the festival. It’s not overcrowded, and it’s a chance to see not only some very talented local performers but internationally known performers in a very relaxed setting,” she said.
Sponsored by The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company and emceed by Bob Westcott, the festival will feature headliners Steve Forbert, the Feinberg Brothers Band, the Claudia Jacobs Band and Jeff Davis and Maria Fairchild playing on the Backporch Stage. Tuttle said Forbert is internationally known for his hits in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The singer of “Romeo’s Tune” recently released the album “Compromised,” which the program director said sounds terrific. “We’re reaching out to a bigger music community by bringing Steve Forbert in,” she said.
Reaching out to a bigger music community helps with the main goal of the festival. “The mission is to connect the artists with an audience that appreciates what they do — it’s pretty similar to what the arts council’s mission is and what WUSB’s mission is,” Tuttle said. According to the program director, Jeff Davis is also well known in the world of traditional folk music. On Sept. 11, he will be playing fiddle, and Maria Fairchild will be joining the musician on banjo. Tuttle says the duo has a big following of fans of old-time music. “I love it all. Most people who come to this festival like the folk songwriter music, but all the performers are very good in their own style,” Tuttle said.
The festival also offers a Contra Dance with a live band led by Rusty Ford as well as a Kids Corner where children can enjoy stories and music.
Benner said the featured artists will meet and hold workshops at the Shady Grove Stage close to the woods, and Charlie Backfish of WUSB radio will be on hand to host the activities. Attendees can participate in the Fiddle Workshop at Jam Hollow, too, and bring their own instruments to join in on the musical fun.
“It gives people a chance to either sit back and be entertained or participate wherever they feel comfortable,” added Tuttle.
Benners Farm is located at 56 Gnarled Hollow Road in East Setauket. Admission to the festival is $18 for adults and $13 for children and seniors. Bring seating. For more information, please call 631-689-8172 or visit www.fiddleandfolk.com.
