The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, joins with the Folk Music Society of Huntington in presenting the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) three Wednesday nights each month, beginning October 12.  The open mic series, to be held in the Cinema’s Sky Room, is set for 7 p.m. with open mic sign-up beginning at 6:30 p.m. Although it is free to attend, donations will be sought and gratefully accepted.

“It’s our pleasure to continue the ever-deepening partnership between the Cinema Arts Centre and two pillars of Long Island music scene – the Folk Music Society of Huntington and NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM),” said Dylan Skolnick, co-director of the Cinema Arts Centre.

“The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Hard Luck Café series has been a mainstay of our programming for many years, bringing some of the country’s best folk music performers to dedicated folk fans here in Huntington. With the introduction of a weekly open mic night we are delighted to offer even more opportunities for music lovers and artists to come together, as well as a space where seasoned performers can try out their newest original pieces and where up-and-coming musicians can get used to performing for a crowd,” Skolnick added.

“NOOM is thrilled to partner with the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre and lay the groundwork for a weekly opportunity for original songwriters and performers to present their original songs in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere,” said Toby Tobias, a Huntington-based singer-songwriter who launched the open mic series at a small coffee shop in Northport in the fall of 2013.

One of the longest running weekly original open mics on Long Island, NOOM has reincarnated itself at quite a few North Shore locations through the years — most recently at Finley’s in Huntington.  Although the COVID-19 pandemic precluded NOOM from taking place in-person since March 2020, songwriter Richard Parr has been livestreaming the open mic every week since then and will also be playing a major role when it resumes in-person.

“We invite singer-songwriters of varying skill levels and those who love live music, to gather at the Cinema Arts Centre to listen to songwriters, dedicated to the craft of writing and singing their songs, play and talk about their original music in an environment of goodwill and open-mindedness,” said Tobias. He noted that each NOOM will also include a featured 20-minute performance by a known/emerging local or touring songwriter starting at around 8 p.m. “I am very excited to be a part of this,” he said.

Michael Kornfeld, longtime president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, shares their excitement. “FMSH is delighted to extend its partnerships with both NOOM and the Cinema Arts Centre and to help provide opportunities for local singer-songwriters to share their music with our community,” he said. “NOOM has been an Acoustic Ally of FMSH for a number of years. We’ve cross-promoted each other’s events and presented a couple of joint livestreams over the past two years.”

Affording local artists opportunities to share their talents with appreciative audiences in an intimate listening room atmosphere was the initial impetus behind the nonprofit presenting organization’s Hard Luck Café concert series many years ago, Kornfeld noted.  That series now features a mix of local, regional and national touring artists. The Cinema Arts Centre has partnered with the Folk Music Society of Huntington and hosted the monthly Hard Luck Café concerts in its Sky Room for more than a decade. That series resumes on October 19 with featured act No Fuss and Feathers and will take place on the third Wednesday of each month, from 7-9:30/10 p.m. An open mic also precedes most Hard Luck Café concerts.

Upcoming dates include:

October 12, 26

November 2, 9, 30

December 7, 14, 28

Sign up here.

For more information, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.