The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) held its inaugural Americana Music Festival on Saturday, August 23rd, transforming the balcony of its Stony Brook Village home into a stage that honored Long Island’s rich musical heritage. From noon to 6 p.m., audiences braved the sweltering summer heat to enjoy a lineup that celebrated blues, bluegrass, folk, soul, and everything in between. Admission was free, and the atmosphere captured both the intimacy of a community gathering and the grandeur of a historic occasion.
“It felt like the Beatles — my ‘Get Back, Don’t Let Me Down’ moment,” said Lawrence “L.A.W.” Worrell, grandson of Blues and Soul legend Sam “Bluzman” Taylor. Performing with his aunt Sandra Taylor in A Band Called Sam, Worrell honored his grandfather’s legacy by blending blues staples with funk-driven tracks. He reminded the crowd that Taylor’s biggest success came with B.T. Express, whose music would go on to be sampled by hip-hop icons like Jay-Z, EPMD, and Lil’ Kim. “My grandfather was steeped in the blues but always had his ear to the street,” Worrell reflected. “Far none, he was the coolest grandfather in the world.”
The festival spotlighted multiple generations of Long Island talent. Rising singer-songwriter Camryn Quinlan shared a set of originals alongside classics, expressing pride in being one of the younger artists on the bill. “I don’t want to be a trend,” she said. “I want to be something you listen to 20 years from now.” Quinlan spoke of how Long Island’s beaches and music community have shaped her sound, while also citing Taylor Swift and Billy Joel as lasting inspirations.
Quinlan also appeared on Kerry Kearney’s new album, a point the veteran blues guitarist was eager to share before his fiery slide-guitar set. “Camryn’s on it, and she’s really great,” he said. With more than 30 years fronting his blues band, Kearney described his music as a blend of Delta, Chicago, New Orleans, and Texas styles. He also stressed the timelessness of the blues: “It never gets old… I can play things I did 40 years ago and a 19-year-old will ask if I just wrote it.”
Leslie Mendelson, another Long Island native, offered a heartfelt performance that included a reimagined version of Billy Joel’s “Summer, Highland Falls”. “I didn’t want to do it on piano because I’ll never beat Billy at his own game,” she explained, instead delivering the song on guitar. Mendelson also reflected on collaborations with Jackson Browne and Bob Weir, while speaking to the pride she feels honoring her Long Island roots.
The afternoon also featured Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, a group that has been keeping bluegrass alive on Long Island for nearly half a century. Merriam, who received the Long Island Sound Award years earlier, revealed that this performance marked his final year leading the band. “It means a lot to be recognized here,” said the Sound Beach native. “I believe I’m the only mandolin-playing bluegrasser that LIMEHOF has honored — and that really means a lot to me.” Though he admitted it was the “hottest gig of the year,” Merriam was proud to showcase original compositions alongside country standards and bluegrassed-up versions of rock and pop songs.
Adding a hip-hop edge to the day was DJ Johnny Juice, best known for his work with Public Enemy. Spinning songs by LIMEHOF inductees, he praised both the diversity of the festival and the institution itself. “In today’s microwave society where everything’s thrown away immediately, it’s so important to have a place like this that curates and preserves culture for the next generations.”
Despite the blazing sun that left performers joking about their faces turning “tomato red,” the festival succeeded in what it set out to do: celebrate the depth, diversity, and enduring power of American music on Long Island. The inaugural event not only spotlighted established legends and rising voices but also underscored the mission of LIMEHOF — to preserve and promote the region’s rich musical legacy.
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