Folk Music Society of Huntington

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-08-28 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
Ray Lambiase & Lanny Sichel will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, August 28. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-08-14 19:00 - 22:00
Bryan Gallo will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, August 14. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-08-07 19:00 - 22:00
Fred Raimondo will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, August 7. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-07-31 19:00 - 22:00
Karin Wagner will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, July 31. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-07-24 19:00 - 22:00
Mike Nugent will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, July 24. Mike will be joined by Diane Lotny. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

"Just Wild About Harry" Chapin Tribute Concert
2024-07-21
Annual Harry Chapin Tribute Concert Moves to Huntington’s Heckscher Park, July 21
The annual “Just Wild About Harry” Chapin tribute concert performed by Long Island songwriters and original bands will have a new venue this year: The Chapin Rainbow Stage in Huntington’s Heckscher Park, located off Main Street (Route 25A) and Prime Avenue. The free concert is slated for Sunday, July 21, at 7 p.m. Presented by the Huntington Arts Council, with promotional assistance from the Folk Music Society of Huntington, it is part of the 59th Huntington Summer Arts Festival produced by the Town of Huntington.
“I’ve long thought it would be wonderful and extremely appropriate to do the show in Huntington, where Harry and Sandy lived and raised their family,” said Stuart Markus, the concert’s organizer. “Harry is still held in such beloved regard by residents of the town and public officials at all levels.”
Eighteen acts — comprised of nearly three dozen of Long Island’s top musicians and songwriters — will take to the stage that bears his name to honor the late Grammy-Award-winning songwriter, humanitarian and anti-hunger activist. They’ll perform his breakthrough hit, “Taxi,” his best-known song, “Cat’s in the Cradle,” fan favorites like “Flowers Are Red” and “Mr. Tanner,” and some of Chapin’s more obscure songs, as well. Concertgoers are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food to support Long Island Cares, Inc., the regional food bank founded by Chapin in 1980.
“All the performers are pro-caliber full-time and part-time musicians who perform regularly at local venues and/or tour on the folk circuit,” Markus said. “Throughout the two decades that we’ve been presenting the show, I’ve always encouraged them to treat the songs as their own — however they imagine them. The results have been some very creative interpretations,” he added.
“We’re very excited that the annual Just Wild About Harry concert is being held at Heckscher Park in Huntington this year,” said Paule Pachter, President & CEO of Long Island Cares, Inc. “This event has been held for the past two decades to support Long Island Cares and it’s raised more than a half-million pounds of food and thousands of dollars in donations to support The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank. It’s very meaningful that the concert will take place on The Chapin Rainbow Stage, and our volunteers and staff are looking forward to being there with the talented musicians that have kept Harry Chapin’s legacy alive for all these years.”
Besides Markus and his folk-rock harmony trio Gathering Time, this year’s roster of performers includes Karen Bella; John Cardone; Mike Christian; Robin Eve; Roger Street Friedman; Grand Folk Railroad; Robin Greenstein; Mara Levine; Vicky Liotta; Debra Lynne & Lora Kendall; Media Crime; Judy Merrick; Miles & Mafale; Matthew Ponsot; Patricia Shih & Stephen Fricker; Roger Silverberg; Talya Smilowitz; Christine Solimeno; Hank Stone; Martha Trachtenberg; Frank Walker; Lisa Ann Wharton & Akiva the Believer; and Judith Zweiman & Duane Michael Tucker. Jen Chapin, Harry’s daughter and a touring artist in her own right, also will perform.
Long Island Cares’ staff and volunteers will be collecting donations of non-perishable food at a tent at the entrance to the Chapin Rainbow Stage and also selling t-shirts and Harry Chapin CDs, as well as distributing literature about the nonprofit organization’s programs and services.
Concertgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A. provides additional support, along with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, and the Huntington Village Business Improvement District (BID).

If you are unable to attend the concert in-person, it will also be livestreamed via a number of social media channels that follow. Although the concert is set for 7 p.m. ET, log on earlier since there may be a few pre-show interviews with performing artists and members of the Chapin family.

Harry Chapin Foundation YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/dFZjPTrpqLo

Harry Chapin Foundation Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/488328867019092/

Harry Chapin Music Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/812448574320945/

Harry Chapin Memories Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/835691325191299/

Just Wild About Harry Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/1495851031039195/

Long Live Harry Chapin Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/849747593717608/

L.I. Fans & Friends of Folk Music Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/1029824552128240/

Harry Chapin Fans Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/954037953400184/

I Grew Up in Huntington Township NY USA 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/events/1731745810691338/

Long Island Cares Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1604518290389306/

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-07-10 19:00 - 22:00
Mike Meehan will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, July 10. Mike will be accompanied by Shawn Barron on acoustic guitar and vocals and Josie Bello accordion. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-07-03 19:00 - 22:00
Chio will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, July 3. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted. The event will also be livestreamed via the Northshore Original Open Mic Facebook group.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-06-26 19:00 - 22:00
Karen Kellers will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, June 26. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

Hard Luck Café: The Black Feathers
2024-06-19 19:00 - 22:00
The Black Feathers (theblackfeathers.com) will take the stage during the monthly Hard Luck Café 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 on Wednesday, June 19, from 7pm-10pm.
An open mic, for which sign-up is at 6:30pm, precedes the concert. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.

Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler of The Black Feathers
The Black Feathers (Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler) is a Gloucestershire, UK-based husband and wife folk and roots music duo who have drawn comparisons to Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings and The Civil Wars. Their original songs weave in traditional influences so thoroughly that they become the warp and weft of fresh creations, while their on-stage chemistry is riveting. Americana, folk, and acoustic indie rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands.

Together as both as a musical duo and life partners since 2012, The Black Feathers have amassed a loyal fan base on the other side of the pond and a growing one here. The duo has performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and AmericanaFest and secured coveted official showcases at the 2023 Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City and those of two of its regional affiliates. The Black Feathers previously performed an online Hard Luck Café concert in June 2021.

FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
2024-06-16 13:00 - 16:00
June 16 FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Folk Jam & Sing-Along will take place on June 16 at the South Huntington Public Library (145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station) from 1-4 p.m. This free Sunday afternoon event affords musicians and singers of all experience levels an opportunity to play, sing, and hone their performance skills in a supportive and welcoming environment.
The monthly Folk Jams are completely acoustic, unplugged events attended primarily by amateur musicians and those who love to sing, although visitors who just want to listen are also welcome. Song selections can range across the broad folk milieu.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-06-12 19:00 - 22:00
Dave Diamond will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, June 12. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-06-05 19:00 - 22:00
Dustin Lowman will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, June 5. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-05-29 19:00 - 22:00
Edie Wernersbach will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, May 29. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-05-22 19:00 - 22:00
Em I-Sing & Friends will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, May 22. Emily Eisen will be joined by Janice Buckner, Ritchie Carolina Cecilia, Suzanne Ernst, Jen Grace, Zach Mandernach, Annie Mark, and Terry Seidl. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

Hard Luck Café: Rod Abernethy -and- Abigail Dowd
2024-05-15 19:00 - 22:00
Rod Abernethy (rodabernethyguitar.com) -and- Abigail Dowd (abigaildowd.com) will take the stage during the monthly Hard Luck Café 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 on Wednesday, May 15, from 7pm-10pm.
An open mic, for which sign-up is at 6:30pm, precedes the concert. Tickets are $20 ($15 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.

Rod Abernethy (Photo: Jonathan Byrd)
Rod Abernethy is an authentic southern folk troubadour, master acoustic guitarist, and award-winning songwriter and composer for film, TV and video games. He was the Overall Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 International Acoustic Music Awards and the 2019 Grand Prize winner of American Songwriter’s Bob Dylan Song Contest. His album Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore received rave reviews from Americana Highways, No Depression and The Wall Street Journal. At #11, it was among the most-played albums of 2021 on folk radio according to charts compiled by Folk Alliance International.

Abigail Dowd
Abigail Dowd grew up under the longleaf pines in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. A singer-songwriter and guitarist known for her storytelling and command of an audience, she has been called “a writer of the highest caliber” (The All Scene Eye). Pulling from her heritage of storytelling and determination, Dowd weaves hints of Celtic melodies with the soulful gospel of the south to create a sound that dances between folk, rock and blues.

FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
2024-05-12 13:00 - 16:00
May 12 FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Folk Jam & Sing-Along will take place on May 12 at the South Huntington Public Library (145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station) from 1-4 p.m. This free Sunday afternoon event affords musicians and singers of all experience levels an opportunity to play, sing, and hone their performance skills in a supportive and welcoming environment.
The monthly Folk Jams are completely acoustic, unplugged events attended primarily by amateur musicians and those who love to sing, although visitors who just want to listen are also welcome. Song selections can range across the broad folk milieu.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-05-08 19:00 - 22:00
Joe Perricone will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, May 8. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-05-01 19:00 - 22:00
James O’Malley will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, May 1. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-04-24 19:00 - 22:00
Ben Diamond and Terry Seidl will be the featured performers at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, April 24. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

Hard Luck Café: Jon Shain -and- Casey Baron
2024-04-17 19:00 - 22:00
Piedmont Blues & More: Durham, North Carolina based singer-songwriter and guitarist Jon Shain shares the bill with Long Island’s own Casey Baron during the monthly Hard Luck Café 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 on Wednesday, April 17, from 7-10 p.m. An open mic, for which sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m., precedes the concert. Tickets are $20 ($15 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.

Jon Shain (Photo: Jeff Fasano)
Jon Shain (jonshain.com) is a Durham, North Carolina-based singer-songwriter & guitarist and a 2019 International Blues Challenge winner in the solo duo category. Shain, who had the good fortune to learn directly from a number of NC’s older blues players, has been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and a musical style that combines improvised Piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime.
Shain has released nine solo albums to date, as well as two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and an album of co-writes with Joe Newberry. Shain’s newest album, Restless Soul Syndrome, will be released on April 9. Besides performing and recording, he is the author of the music books Gettin’ Handy With the Blues – a Tribute to the Legacy of W.C. Handy and Jon Shain’s Fingerstyle Guitar Method, both published by Mel Bay Publications.
Shain, who has previously performed for the Hard Luck Café series both live and online, also teaches Piedmont blues guitar and produces albums for other artists. Joining him on harmonica will be Bill Newton, a founding member of three notable musical groups in NC, who has also recorded with the Indigo Girls and Big Mama E and the Cool, among others.

Casey Baron
Casey Baron has been playing guitar since the age of eight. He developed a passion to build his own custom guitars at the age of ten after learning about the delta blues and cigar box guitars. Since then, he has continued to build cigar box guitars, solid body guitars, and banjos, while playing piedmont blues and folk music influenced by the styles of Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, and Bukka White.
In October 2013, Crossroads Music Store in Amagansett agreed to sell Baron’s guitars. As it happened, it was the same day that local blues musician Kerry Kearney was holding a workshop there. It was Baron’s good fortune that Kearney was immediately taken with the young talent, whom he dubbed “The Cigar Box Kid.” Since then, Baron been a featured guest at some of Kearney’s shows, as well as having performed at the York, Pennsylvania Cigar Box Guitar Festival and at My Father’s Place here on LI.

FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
2024-04-14 13:00 - 16:00
April 14 FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Folk Jam & Sing-Along will take place on April 14 at the South Huntington Public Library (145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station) from 1-4 p.m. This free Sunday afternoon event affords musicians and singers of all experience levels an opportunity to play, sing, and hone their performance skills in a supportive and welcoming environment.
The monthly Folk Jams are completely acoustic, unplugged events attended primarily by amateur musicians and those who love to sing, although visitors who just want to listen are also welcome. Song selections can range across the broad folk milieu.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-04-10 19:00 - 22:00
Christie Baker will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, April 10. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-04-03 19:00 - 22:00
The Suffolk Shuffle will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, April 3. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-03-27 19:00 - 22:00
Dave K will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, March 27. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

Hard Luck Café: The Scooches
2024-03-20 19:00 - 22:00
The Scooches (thescooches.com) will take the stage during the monthly Hard Luck Café 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 on Wednesday, March 20, from 7pm-10pm.
An open mic, for which sign-up is at 6:30pm, precedes the concert. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.
The Scooches electrify audiences with an eclectic mix of Roaring ‘20s, global folk, blues, gospel, New Orleans jazz, Americana, and more. Curated sets of toe-tapping, hand-clapping music leave audiences with no choice but to dance along. The Scooches’ performances are like master classes in musicology that embody joy and excellent musicianship.
Led by vocalist Betina Hershey and multi-instrumentalist Nick Russo, The Scooches, formerly known as Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, assembled a world-class lineup of musicians from New York, Suriname, Sapelo Island (Georgia), Mexico, and the Caribbean on their 2023 album release, Lift You Up. The 12-song collection builds upon the exuberance that made 2018’s Get Us Out Of Fearland the #2 album on international folk radio (according to charts compiled by Folk Alliance International) and Very Next Thing (2016) a transcendent breath of fresh air.
Inspired by the current social climate, the songs on Lift You Up — including “Stop This Climate Change,” “Spread Your Wings and Fly,” and “Open A Door” — call upon society and the human race to believe that we, collectively, can make a difference — a change for the better.
“A heart as big as the sky…full of high energy and higher spirits.” — Elmore Magazine
“This is a band that has to be seen to be believed.” — John Platt (WFUV)
“Americana music at its purest and most impressive” — No Depression
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thescooches

Harvey Wirht, Nick Russo, Betina Hershey, and Milles Griffith of The Scooches
The Scooches will perform on March 20 in quartet configuration; member bios are below:
Nick Russo leads the charge as bandleader and composer. Russo plays guitar, banjo, and resonator and has appeared on Good Morning America as well as the Sam Mendes film, Away We Go, and was a sideman with the greats — Jimmy McGriff, Teddy Charles and Sonny
Dallas. Russo had the honor to jam with Sir Paul McCartney while performing at Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s home; he regularly accompanies Antonique Smith and Jon Batiste, and recently performed for actor/comedian/composer Jim Dale in Jon Weber’s band.
Betina Hershey appears as the principal dancer in featured films–Disney’s Enchanted and Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts. Hershey performed on international and national tours of Broadway shows such as West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, The Fantasticks, and
Pump Boys & Dinettes, to name a few. She composes music and plays guitar.
Miles Griffith’s (vocals/scats) non-traditional use of the voice as a percussive instrument, combined with an uncanny harmonic sense, rounds out the band beautifully. He is a composer and has performed with Max Roach, Reggie Workman, T.S. Monk, Barry Harris and others. He played the lead role in Wynton Marsalis’ jazz oratorio, Blood On The Fields, which premiered at
Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
Harvey Wirht (drums/percusstion) has performed alongside Grammy Award artist Angelique
Kidjo, appeared on The Jay Leno Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, the NAACP Image Awards, Good Morning America, and
the Peace Ball for the inauguration of President Obama. He has also performed at the Kora Awards with Best East African Artist Winner Eric Wainaina and Lionel Loueke. He tours internationally with renowned world music artists, and with his own musical projects.

Photos by Aidan Grant

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-03-13 19:00 - 22:00
Cole Fortier will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, March 13. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
2024-03-10 13:00 - 16:00
March 10 FMSH Folk Jam & Sing-Along
The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Folk Jam & Sing-Along will take place on March 10 at the South Huntington Public Library (145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station) from 1-4 p.m. This free Sunday afternoon event affords musicians and singers of all experience levels an opportunity to play, sing, and hone their performance skills in a supportive and welcoming environment.
The monthly Folk Jams are completely acoustic, unplugged events attended primarily by amateur musicians and those who love to sing, although visitors who just want to listen are also welcome. Song selections can range across the broad folk milieu.

NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) in the Sky Room at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre
2024-03-06 19:00 - 22:00
Steven Dee Harris will be the featured performer at the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) on Wednesday, March 6. Co-presented by the Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington in the Cinema’s Sky Room (423 Park Avenue, Huntington), the open mic runs from 7-10 p.m., with a featured artist performing a 30-minute set beginning around 8:30 p.m. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Although NOOM is free to attend, donations will be gratefully accepted.

MELANIE: Rock Legends Live!
2024-03-04 19:30 - 21:00
The Cinema Arts Centre and the Folk Music Society of Huntington will co-present a Rock Legends Live! tribute to the legendary singer Melanie, featuring numerous rare concert performances, on Monday, March 4, at 7:30pm, at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington).
Tickets are $16 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre/FMSH members) and can be purchased online at cinemaartscentre.org or at the box office now through the evening of the event.

Melanie Safka began her career as a folk singer-songwriter in the mid-60s. Blessed with a powerful voice and strong guitar playing, she began performing in the folk clubs of Greenwich Village.
Signed to Buddah Records in 1968, Melanie found success with her original song, “Beautiful People.” After several more singles, her big break came when she was invited to play the 1969 Woodstock Festival. After that performance, she had a hit with “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain),“ written about the audience raising candles to honor her during her set. It established her with worldwide success, and more concerts at the Isle Of Wight and Glastonbury Festival followed. Other hits followed, including “Peace Will Come (According To Plan),“ and an acoustic version of the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.”
In 1971, Melanie formed her own record label, Neighborhood Records, which produced the classic, “Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Ma!” In 1972 she wrote her biggest hit, with the #1 gold song, “Brand New Key.” Often interpreted as being sexually suggestive, the novelty song was banned by a wide number of radio stations, but sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Melanie was awarded Billboard’s No.1 Top Female Vocalist Award for 1972.
Melanie continued a busy schedule of touring and recording throughout the Disco era 70s, while also finding time to begin raising a family. She continued to have sold out concerts into the 1980s, and in 1989 won an Emmy Award for writing the theme song to the television show, Beauty and the Beast in 1989, as well as a musical about Annie Oakley, which she performed at Lincoln Center in New York City. In later years she often toured and performed with her son, guitarist Beau-Jarred. Melanie passed away in her sleep on January 23, 2024.
This Rock Legends tribute will honor the great folk performer with rare concert footage, television performances, interviews from around the world.
Presented by Shelley Archives Inc.
Approximately 90 minutes
Guest Speaker: Bill Shelley
