Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale and Chicks With Dip Livestream Concert

The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s Virtual Hard Luck Café concert series, held in partnership with the Cinema Arts Centre on the third Thursday of each month, continues on Oct. 15. Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale share the bill with Chicks with Dip from 8-9:30 p.m. EST.
“Although the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Folk Music Society of Huntington to cancel its spring season and prevents us from hosting in-person concerts this fall, the FMSH board of directors recognizes the importance of music in these challenging times and believes that the show must go on-line,” said Michael Kornfeld, FMSH’s board president. Accordingly, artists are being booked for both the monthly Hard Luck Café and First Saturday Concerts series, and will livestream concerts from their homes to yours via various social media platforms.

“Unlike our concerts at the Cinema, there is no admission charge on Oct. 15.” Kornfeld noted. “However, tips for the artists — who have lost many gigs and are unable to tour due the ongoing health crisis — would be most appreciated.” Information about online tipping via PayPal will appear on your screens during the concert that may be viewed online at any of these three links:

http://www.facebook.com/CinemaArtsCentre/
http://www.facebook.com/MilesandMafale/
http://www.facebook.com/ChicksWithDip/

Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale are married co-conspirators in song. They are word nerds and recovering actors. They are two scoops of modern folk with a generous sprinkling of pop-catchiness, topped off with the wit and flair that comes of their theater backgrounds.

Catherine’s voice – resonant, expressive, a powerhouse. She’s got range and she’s not afraid to use it. Jay’s guitar – percussive, melodic, thoughtful. He propels and punctuates the narrative. Their shared experience has taught them about perseverance and perspective, and those strengths are evident in their song craft. They invite folks inside their songs with a story to be told, a friend they want you to meet, a villain or hero presented with a flourish.

In addition to appearing on venerable stages and festivals across the country, their songwriting has earned them recognition as Most Wanted Emerging Artists at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, three-time Kerrville New Folk finalists, South Florida Folk Festival/Vic Heyman Award finalists, and Honorable Mentions in Mid-Atlantic and Braver Angels song contests. They have performed as juried showcase artists at the Northeast Regional (NERFA), Southeast Regional (SERFA), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), and Southwest Regional (SWRFA) Conferences.

Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale bring a candidness and playful approachability to the stage, disarming audiences and opening hearts wide enough to let some light in.

Here are links to view a couple of videos by Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRsI0brTNBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypj6Ka_AGQ

Chicks With Dip is an informal collective of songwriting women who enjoy mutual respect and the pleasure of each other’s company around good conversation, good songs, and good dip. The Chicks have been gathering in friendship and professional support for nearly two decades.

The Chicks’ expansive and resoundingly successful tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s Blue (2012-2014) began with humble roots at a fundraiser for one NYC coffeehouse. That tour clearly demonstrated their collaborative power. A global pandemic and all the societal flaws it exposed has inspired these accomplished women to publicly join forces again in a substantial way.

In May 2020, Chicks With Dip collaborated on a remotely recorded video of “What a Wonderful World” (mixed and edited by Chicks member Katherine Etzel). Though delighted by the positive response to their soothing take on an American classic, they were eager to dig deeper, feeling called to even more meaningful action in an environment that felt increasingly unstable.

As our divided nation faces perhaps the most consequential election season in living memory, Chicks With Dip have combined their skills once again to release a new collection, Stomping on Eggshells. The eight songs featured on Stomping on Eggshells comment on multiple aspects of the current socio-political climate. Chicks With Dip believe music is a strong and potent healer with the power to rise against injustice, stand for what is right, and inspire positive change.

Don’t sit this one out. Make your voice heard. VOTE!
Here’s a link to view the Chicks With Dip video of “What A Wonderful World”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBHoBr4jvZc

More information about the featured artists may be found at http://www.milesandmafale.com/ and http://chickswithdip.bandcamp.com .

Established in 1973, the Cinema Arts Centre (www.cinemaartscentre.org)
seeks to bring the best of cinematic artistry to Long Island and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community. Long island’s only not-for-profit, viewer-supported independent cinema presents a wide array of films that are often accompanied by discussions and guest speakers.

Founded in the late 1960s, the Folk Music Society of Huntington (www.fmsh.org) generally presents two monthly concert series, a monthly folk jam, and an annual folk festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council. Like the Cinema, FMSH is a member of the Huntington Arts Council and the Long Island Arts Alliance. Several FMSH leaders are active in Folk Alliance International and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), with which the organization is also affiliated.