Despite the weekend of record-breaking heat that was accompanied with a thick layer of humidity, thousands of attendees still showed up in full force at this year’s Great South Bay Music Festival, held on the south shore of Long Island. The annual festival featured a picturesque summer setting, offering a sample of the beauty the island bestows to those who came from both near and far to enjoy a weekend filled with great music.
While sharing the commonality of featuring a number of outstanding musical acts, the crowds certainly varied by day, as the weekend’s menu spanned a wide range of genres such as Alternative, Reggae, Americana, Folk and Hip-Hop. Headliners for the weekend included L.I. natives Glassjaw and Taking Back Sunday, who both drew massive crowds of twenty-somethings eager to scream out songs from their teenage years, and Folk-Rock Icons America, whose soft tunes brought widespread smiles to their massive lawn-chair crowd.
In addition to the festival’s main stage, a number of sub-stages were scattered throughout the grounds to feature a mixture of both local and touring acts alike. These smaller setups featured spliff-induced jams from Reggae-rockers Oogee Wawa, a series of beautiful, reverb-soaked songs courtesy of Fern Dells and the soothing acoustic tunes of south shore native Nick Russell.
When the attendees weren’t busy enjoying some of their favorite musical acts, everyone was encouraged to roam the festival grounds and explore what the dozens of vendors and tents set up throughout had to offer. I was glad to see that the artisans and local businesses alike were booming with visitors every day, proving that the severe weather conditions weren’t enough to shy people away from showing their support.
Based on the successes of this year’s festival, it’s safe to say that the shining display of love and culture is still alive and well on Long island, and that the Great South Bay Festival will be back for many years to come.