{"id":1961734,"date":"2025-08-15T09:08:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1961734"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:08:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:08:20","slug":"long-island-bluegrass-roots-music-festival-is-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/long-island-bluegrass-roots-music-festival-is-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Island Bluegrass & Roots Music Festival is back"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Most music festivals on Long Island choose to focus on rock, jam bands, blues or country. But there\u2019s only one that spotlights bluegrass, the music genre that mixes\u00a0acoustic instruments with high-energy harmonies and instrumental solos.<\/p>\n

Presented by the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts, the 23rd annual Long Island Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival<\/a> comes to Tanner Park in Copiague Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. (rain or shine).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe event has gotten bigger because we\u2019ve expanded its scope. This festival now blends bluegrass with roots music like traditional American folk, blues, rock-n-roll, rockabilly, country and Americana,\u201d BACCA executive director Jason Jenkins says. \u201cThis is the type of event you would see down South, and the fact that it\u2019s here is something to value.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day will feature sets from various bands as well as workshops and even a jam tent. Here\u2019s how the schedule will flow.<\/p>\n

Mountain Echo<\/h2>\n

A new band called Mountain Echo, featuring Nora Nadire (vocals), Jeff Schmich (mandolin\/banjo) and Ben Littenberg (bass), will make its festival debut.\u00a0Hailing from the Adirondacks, the trio likes to swirl indie pop, funk, blues, country and jazz.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a joyful and lighthearted show,\u201d Nadire says.<\/p>\n

Schmich adds, \u201cWe don\u2019t take things so seriously. It\u2019s a causal vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expect to hear diverse covers that range from old-time Appalachian tunes like \u201cCold Rain and Snow\u201d to Juice Newton’s \u201cQueens of Hearts\u201d and Adele’s \u201cSend My Love (to Your New Lover).\u201d<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> Noon<\/p>\n

Fiddle Mania<\/h2>\n

Watch what happens when eight fiddlers play together on one stage during Fiddle Mania.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be a fiddle geekfest,\u201d festival manager Bill Ayasse of the Bluegrass Club of Long Island says. \u201cSomeone will come up with a lick then another fiddler will try to outplay that lick and it goes on. It\u2019s all in good fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

SET\u00a0TIME<\/strong> 12:55 p.m.<\/p>\n

Greg McMullen’s Bluegrass Fiasco<\/h2>\n

The four-member unit that makes up Greg McMullen\u2019s Bluegrass Fiasco will present an acoustic set with bluegrass and country feels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis band plays with intensity. It\u2019s a vocal-forward ensemble with harmonies and instrumental prowess,\u201d McMullen of Islip says. \u201cWe use the bluegrass instrumentation but push the boundaries sonically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Look out for the song, \u201cFictitious Blues\u201d to get the crowd going.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want everyone to forget about their troubles and just vibe with the music,\u201d McMullen says.<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> 1:50 p.m.<\/p>\n

Buddy Merriam and Back Roads<\/h2>\n
\n

Catch Buddy Merriam, center, in his final performance with\u00a0Back Roads. Credit: Kathy DeVine<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps the most dedicated bluegrass performer on the bill is Buddy Merriam of Sound Beach, a 72-year-old mandolin player who will be delivering his final performance with his band, Back Roads.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m working on a new project,\u201d Merriam says. \u201cCurrently, I\u2019m building a mandolin quintet featuring two mandolins, a mandola, a mando-cello and a mando-bass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merriam served as artistic director for the first 15 years of the festival and has performed nearly every year since its inception.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings have really opened up in bluegrass music. It\u2019s loud and plugged in. The younger folks are into it,\u201d Merriam says. \u201cThings have to keep growing and evolving or else you will end up playing in a museum.\u201d<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> 2:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

Cole Quest and the City Pickers<\/h2>\n
\n

Cole Quest and the City Pickers will perform everything from Woody Guthrie songs to a Brazilian folk rock tune. Credit: Thomas Neumann<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In celebration of their new album, \u201cHomegrown,\u201d Cole Quest and the City Pickers will be performing Woody Guthrie songs, traditional bluegrass numbers by John Hartford and even a Brazilian folk rock tune.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to get our new music out into the world,\u201d guitarist Quest of Brooklyn says. \u201cIt\u2019s a energetic\u00a0show with Appalachian clogging and our harmonica player dances while he plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> 3:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

Compton and Newberry<\/h2>\n
\n

Mike Compton, left, and Joe Newberry have been performing together for 15 years. Credit: Scott Simontacchi<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mike Compton and Joe Newberry joined forces 15 years ago and the duo has been going strong ever since. Newberry of North Carolina plays banjo and guitar, Compton of Mississippi plays mandolin and both sing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe noticed from the beginning that we had a good blend that came natural to us,\u201d Newberry says.<\/p>\n

Compton adds, \u201cIt\u2019s even hard to tell us apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

They will be performing songs from their latest album, \u201cHome in My Heart\u201d featuring originals like the title track and \u201cSweet Shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s an audience of 100 or 4,000, we just like playing for folks,\u201d Newberry claims. \u201cAt the festival, we see old friends and we make new friends. That\u2019s a great place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> 4:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

Williamson Branch<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a family affair as parents Kevin (guitar) and Debbie (vocals) Williamson are joined on stage by their daughters Melody (fiddle\/vocals), Cadence (bass\/vocals) and Caroline (mandolin\/vocals) plus banjo player Mason Crone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a traditional bluegrass sound, but we write a lot of original music putting our own spin on the genre,\u201d Melody says of the group, Williamson Branch, from\u00a0Nashville. \u201cOur harmonies are very tight. We even do some clogging and square dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s acoustic live music experience will center on cuts from its new album, \u201cSouthern Sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur aim is to make people smile, laugh and touch their hearts,\u201d Melody says. \u201cWe want to create something unforgettable and interactive at each venue by making the audience feel like they are part of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

SET TIME<\/strong> 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

More highlights<\/h2>\n

A special tent will be set up for musicians to get up and jam.<\/p>\n

\u201cBluegrass people love to play just as much as seeing the live bands. Some people come just to jam for six hours in the shade,\u201d Ayasse says. \u201cWe play songs that are bluegrass centric with three\u00a0to four chords. It\u2019s simple once you get the style and the tunes down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Performing musicians will\u00a0also host a workshop in an area between the stage and the jam tent where they will give lessons on specific instruments.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople get to ask all kinds of intricate questions like \u2018what pick are you using?\u2019 or \u2018what type of strings are on your guitar?,\u2019 \u201d Ayasse says.<\/p>\n

Anyone can purchase a ticket ($5) for the acoustic guitar raffle from Murphy\u2019s Music in Melville. Additionally, various food trucks will be set up and a merchandise booth will be selling wares from all the bands.<\/p>\n

\n

Long Island\u00a0Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival<\/h2>\n

WHEN | WHERE<\/strong> 12-7 p.m., Tanner Park, Kerrigan Road, Copiague<\/p>\n

MORE INFO<\/strong> libluegrassfestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n

COST<\/strong> $15-$20 (rain or shine)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"David<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tDavid J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday’s exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.newsday.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most music festivals on Long Island choose to focus on rock, jam bands, blues or country. But there\u2019s only one that spotlights bluegrass, the music genre that mixes\u00a0acoustic instruments with high-energy harmonies and instrumental solos. Presented by the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts, the 23rd annual Long Island Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival comes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1961735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[22034,345682,21800],"class_list":["post-1961734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-events","tag-fairs-and-festivals","tag-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Long-Island-Bluegrass-Roots-Music-Festival-is-back.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1961734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1961735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1961734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1961734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1961734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}