This past week, I had the pleasure of making my first ever press appearance for a music festival on Long Island. I picked a great one to pop my cherry as I attended the 12th annual Great South Bay Music Festival which took place at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY.
The 4 day event started on Thursday July 12 & featured 2 stages which alternated between acts which was fantastic as it gave spectators the chance to not miss any performances. The 2 stages were the Clamshell Bandshell sponsored by Five Towns College & the Coors Light Main Stage.
Opening up the festival was the Long Island based foursome of Luke Lotardo, Eric Milton, Perry Ladouceur & Eric Pubins better known as Bohemians. The band put on a fun & festive set that was a great way to kick off the day. I found myself enjoying a number of the songs they played & I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.
Now it was time to make my way to the Main Stage which was opened by another foursome based on Long Island. The foursome of Gabrielle Ross, Chris “Trippz” Michaud, Joey Castellani, and Ian Biggs make up the group Whatever We Are. The group put on a very entertaining set that showcased their ability to mix multiple genres without any of it ever sounding out of place. This is not an easy task as artists have tried this unsuccessfully in the past but Whatever We Are definitely passed the test.
While I enjoyed my time checking out the Main Stage all day and catching engaging & intense sets from Envy On The Coast, Get Up Kids, Thrice & The Front Bottoms, I found my most enjoyment from the time spent at the Clamshell Bandshell where the local bands from Long Island killed it! Staleworth showcased their quality grasp of the melodic punk/post hardcore sound while featuring songs from their debut EP Covalence.
If I had to pick only one act as my favorite of the day, it would be King Neptune. I found myself enjoying pretty much every song of their set. I definitely plan on seeing more of them in the future.
Another band that was high up on my list of most entertaining for the day was the punk band GutterLIFE who put together an in your face intense 10 song set in under 30 minutes that had the crowd into it. I especially enjoyed their rendition of my favorite Pixies song Where Is My Mind. I am excited to find out they will be playing Warped Tour when it comes to Jones Beach as I will be there shooting the event & will try my best to see them again.
Overall the first day & my first actual time experience the Great South Bay Music Festival left a great impression on me. I am glad to have had the opportunity to take it all in. Here is a small taste of some of the sights from day 1. Look for full galleries on my soon to open concert photography site Capture The Show!
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