Folkie Fest is presenting some of Long Island’s premier singer/songwriters sharing some back-story on their original works. Telling stories in song is part of the tradition of folk music. Established and emerging artists will be performing for us. There is something special when an artist performs their stories in their own voice. These talented artists have quite a repertoire, and if you know any of them you may be familiar with some of the stories. Tales of adventure, love, loss and social issues are often in the topics. Sometimes, just the artist’s observations of everyday life… all set to music.
In order to protect those who may need it, we ask the audience to wear their masks while indoors.
Our line-up includes some newcomers to our live stage as well as some Folkie Fest favorites.
Nick Russell is joining us for the first time in a while, is a singer songwriter from Long Island. Nick released his latest full-length album in January 2019, produced by Grammy award-winning guitarist Andy Falco of The Infamous Stringdusters. Talisman was well received by the Long Island community, and Nick looks forward to taking these songs on the road and sharing them with a broader audience.
10% of all proceeds from the album Talisman are donated to save the Great South Bay (savethegreatsouthbay.org)
Nick continues to write new songs collaborating with a host of local area and nationally respected musicians. His latest songs have been recorded and produced by acclaimed Grammy0winning producer/engineer Ben Wisch.
Matt Levine a singer /songwriter for the last 40 yrs, He plays mandolin, banjo, lap steel and bass as well. His songs all tell a story that we all can relate to. Other bands have recorded his songs on their CD such as Same old Story as recorded by the band The other Shoe and Fred's Body Shop in North Carolina perform one of his tunes in their set. He has played with many of Long islands musicians and was in the Matt and Amy band, and now is the leader of Deal . His music is timeless and resonates to the issues of yesterday and today.
Anne O’Rourke, for the first time in-person, is a singer-songwriter from the North Fork of Long Island (NY). Her music blends her love of indie, folk, and musical theater into a unique way of storytelling. Her songs are about personal growth and reshaping the narrative into something positive. Her debut self-titled EP was released December 2018. In November 2020, she released These Moments EP, a collection of songs produced by friend and fellow musician, Frankie Matos, created with just one condenser microphone and a basic DAW program. She is finished with her latest project, produced at Silo Recordings in Brookhaven, NY, and is set to release her third EP this fall.
One of our returning favorites, Fred Raimondo is an accomplished singer-songwriter based on Long Island’s East End. He is a regular performer at many of the Island’s musical venues including clubs such as the Stephen Talkhouse, 89 North and 230 Down as well as many songwriter showcases and house concerts. Fred has been hosting the WPAC Songwriting Circle, sharing his expertise with the next generation of songwriters. Fred has been writing songs for over 30 years. As a member of the original acoustic trio Damaged Goods, Fred shared the stage with acts as iconic and diverse as Jorma Kaukonen, Taj Mahal, Rick Danko, Maria Muldar, Joe Ely, Suzanne Vega, Roger McGuinn, Donovan, Aztec Two Step and The Marshal Tucker Band.
Finally, a hometown favorite, James O’Malley, considered by many to be the consummate songwriter will round out the lineup. His songs take the listener on an emotional journey. Family, relationships, human nature or contemplation of life's choices. O'Malley's songs are universal, often written with a subtle humor. His music and songs have been featured on scores of radio stations nationwide and around the world, including, WFUV, WSHU, WFDU, WNTI, WVIA, WFCR and WUSB, in the east, to KRCL (Salt Lake City, Utah), KZSC (Santa Cruz, Ca.), in the west....as well as, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Germany!
