The Moriches Folkie Fest begins its new season on Saturday, Jan. 11, inviting Long Islanders to experience performances from emerging artists.
The season kicks off with five artists performing under the theme Ringing out the Old, Singing in the New from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Moriches Community Center, located at 313 Frowein Road in Center Moriches. Tickets are available at the door or in advance.
With each concert series, Folkie Fest strives to stay true to its mission of presenting folk music in the spirit of the late Pete Seeger in a comfortable setting that nurtures both beginning and established artists.
In light of the recently released film biography of Bob Dylan, whose road to stardom began with the chords of an acoustic guitar, Moriches Folkie Fest should be one to watch, said Gail Field, festival coordinator.
“With all the interest in the new Bob Dylan biography, you need to come out and see the new people doing it. Bob Dylan wasn’t an overnight success. He did a bunch of these first,” she told the South Shore Press. “It’s very exciting to hear new people that you want to hear again and again and how they have changed over the years.”
Field’s passion for acoustic music inspired her to launch Folkie Fest in 2017, when local “guitar maven” Kerry Kearney decided, “I needed something to keep me out of trouble,” after retiring from her 30-plus-year teaching career at Eastern Suffolk BOCES.
“He was one of the artists I started following, and it just kind of snowballed from that because he noticed how much I preferred the acoustic and folkier type music,” Field said, recalling earlier haunts like the Eastenders Coffee House in Riverhead.
Of her admitted preference for folk, Field said, “It is easier to listen to than loud rock ‘n’ roll, which I do listen to sometimes, but it’s more relaxing… sometimes just listening to the tunes is very soothing and when you get into listening to the lyrics they’re quite interesting stories that give you insight either into what’s going on in a person’s life or has been happening in the world. It just speaks to me.”
In organizing each annual Folkie Fest, Field finds no shortage of local talent to put on stage, and she tries to present a mix of experience levels, styles, and genres when she arranges the lineup for upcoming shows. This particular show gives each artist the chance to illustrate the progression of their work with a new and an older piece.
The debut show of the season will feature Bob Westcott, a Long Island Music Award nominee known for his guitar playing and songwriting. He’s opened for numerous national performers, including country legend Merle Haggard, and is known for telling stories with his craft.
“He’s been all over and on tour with many big-name people,” Field said.
Another performer is Son Stone (Ben Diamond), a new-age beat poet and two-time finalist in American Songwriter magazine’s national songwriting contest.
Also new to Moriches is singer/songwriter Emily I Sing (Eisen), a member of Ben Diamond’s 21 Club of Songwriters, who is excited about the studio launch of her song Gotta Put Your Line in the Water.
Joining the lineup will be Long Island musician and songwriter John (Sap) Sapienza, former lead singer of Toka, now a familiar feature at local breweries; and Scott Rose, a veteran-turned-musician who expresses grit, vulnerability, and passion in his writing.
Those interested in performing at future events should contact Field at folkiefest@gmail.com. This year's season runs until May, followed by summer concerts at Moriches Field Brewing Co. Some of the proceeds will benefit the community center, while a 50/50 raffle raises revenue for Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank.