“Just Wild About Harry” Chapin Tribute

Port Washington’s Landmark on Main Street will go “Just Wild About Harry” for a third year in a row on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:30pm, as nearly three dozen of Long Island’s top musicians and songwriters will pay tribute to Harry Chapin, the late Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter and social activist, on the stage of the Jeanne Rimsky Theater.

The tribute concert will feature 18 acts – including concert organizer Stuart Markus and his trio, Gathering Time – performing some of Chapin’s classics including “Taxi” and “Cat’s in the Cradle,” plus many lesser hits and fan favorites like “Mr. Tanner” and “Shooting Star.”

Markus calls the concert a “Birthday Bash,” as Chapin would have turned 83 on December 7. As they’ve done for the past 20 years, participating artists will be encouraged to put their own interpretations on his songs. “We’ve had some amazing arrangements, from old-time fiddle-folk to country, from torch-song style to hard rock,” Markus added.

While this will be a ticketed event, all revenues above the cost of producing the show will be donated to Long Island Cares, the food bank founded by Chapin. The past two years’ shows at Landmark raised approximately $15,000 total, plus over half a ton of food.

No named benefactor has come forward this year, so the theatre would welcome sponsorships for the show, said Floryn Glass Stock, Landmark’s new programming director. “This show celebrates everything beautiful about the arts and what community can do together — a foundation of Landmark’s mission. Please come, donate as generously as you are able to, and feel the joy that only music can bring us!” she added.

A minimum $20 donation per ticket is suggested, although additional donations are greatly appreciated. As always, the performers will be donating their talents. Long Island Cares will also be collecting non-perishable food donations, and selling T-shirts and other merchandise.

Long Island music royalty is turning out in force to support this most worthy cause. Confirmed to date are: Wonderous Stories, Gathering Time, Roger Street Friedman, Martha Trachtenberg, Patricia Shih, Christine Solimeno, Media Crime, Roger Silverberg, Grand Folk Railroad, Robin Greenstein, Lora Kendall, Terry Seidl, Karen Bella, Debra Lynne, Matthew Ponsot, and Gerald Bair, plus newcomers Princess Peapod and Mountain Maidens with James O’Malley.

As in past years, the Just Wild About Harry concert is being co-promoted by the Folk Music Society of Huntington, of which Markus is a board member. Harry Chapin lived in Huntington with his family.

For more information, visit www.landmarkonmainstreet.org.