Middlesex Music Festival

02/10/2026

We're excited to announce this years festival date! Stay tuned for our lineup. We can't wait to see you this summer!

08/27/2025

What a great day! So many familiar faces, so much sun and warmth, so many amazing musicians, and all in one amazing spot in Middlesex, NY. We are so grateful to everyone who came out to enjoy the day with us! We couldnt have done this without you. Thank you so much for being a part of our little festival and making it a tradition once again. We can’t wait to see you all next year!

08/20/2025

Here’s the schedule for the 2025 Middlesex Music Fest.

Good Weather 12:00-1:30
Sutton String 2:00-3:30
Henrie Brothers 4:00-5:30
Mustard Tigers 6:00-7:30
EBWS 8:00-9:30
Flying Object. 10:00-12:00

We’re so excited to see everyone and to enjoy the amazing music.

08/17/2025

Born unto the sagebrush like a wild buffalo calf on the plains, EBWS formed many moons ago in the hills of Middlesex NY, a band of brothers planted within the banks of the great south hill.
Matt Duffy (guitar, vocals), Logan Rockcastle (accordion, bass, vocals), Colin Swider (drums, keys, vibes), spent the majority of their formative years jamming with Gary Swider (drums, percussion) and a host of other local musicians and family friends in their hand-built home-grown “Jam Room” in Vine Valley. Adam Smith (bass) and Nick Smarto (keys) are other long-time members, and Sharon Sanford (vocals, percussion) is a more recent addition. The band also often plays with Shaun Jones, who was part of the band from the early years.

Over the years they've hit on all sorts of musical genres (reggae, funk, blues) but in the past few years have taken a zydeco focus in large part due to their love and appreciation for this style of music, experienced at events like the Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman NY, which many of them have attended since they were children. They were also present in the very first years of MMF and the years throughout. EBWS is thrilled to be playing again at the “biggest little festival in the world”.

08/16/2025

MMF FOUNDING BAND: The Henrie Brothers!!
The Henrie Brothers, from Middlesex NY, first formed (1974) when eldest brother Bill took up the Fiddle and assigned instruments to his siblings (Doug-bass, Tom-mandolin, John-fiddle, Bobby-guitar) for this “new” Oldtime Stringband music. Inspired mostly by the southern oldtime fiddle tradition from regional stringbands and classic recordings.
Over years, their repertoire has expanded to embrace a pantheon of traditional Fiddle, American roots and contemporary music. Celtic, Cajun, classic Country, Flatpick guitar, Bluegrass, Rockabilly, Swing and everything in between.
The Henrie Brothers have performed numerous events, venues, concerts, and Festivals including: Wheatland music Festival, Hiawatha trad music festival, Hudson River revival, GrassRoots Festival and 16 years at Cornhill Arts festival.
In 1976, they won 1st place in Oldtime band at the prestigious Galax (Va) Fiddlers Convention. Also, 1st place in Band, Fiddle and Guitar at Mecklenburg (NC) in 1978.
The Henrie Brothers are honored to be Part of the MMF this year. An entity they helped start some 45 years ago behind the Friendship House in Middlesex.

08/15/2025

MMF BAND SPOTLIGHT: Good Weather String Band!

We’re a group of friends with a shared love for blending old-time jams with original roots & americana music. Our sound brings together vocal harmonies, banjo, mandolin, guitar, dobro, upright bass, and cajón.

Band members are Chris & Cordelia (mandolin, guitar, banjo), also of the bluegrass band Mulberry Soul. Collin Bay (dobro, pedal-steel), a multi-instrumentalist coming from a storied musical family, has collaborated with Becca Stevens, Michaela Anne, Anthony Lamarca, and others. Aaron Oldweiler (upright bass), has been a staple of the upstate scene in both Dirty Blanket and Mulberry Soul. Fabio Garote (cajón), was a founding member of Chilean band Wentru which performed at SXSW. We're sometimes joined by guests including fiddler Jason Richards, hailing from Houston, TX.

In 2024-25 we provided support for The Honey Smugglers and performed at The Middlesex Music Festival, Abilene Bar & Lounge, The Little Theatre Cafe, Naples Brewing Company, Faircraft Breuhaus, and Iron Smoke Distillery. This winter we recorded 5 live songs at 1809 Studios for our self-titled E.P.

https://nysmusic.com/2025/08/01/good-weather-string-band-release-self-titled-ep/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/17zcBzJy4MEfJ0ZtSuWZng?si=TKE7_0OaRUGNM6LXL6Mk4w

Good Weather String Band

08/14/2025

Flying Object is cinematic, psychedelic, song based Americana rock ‘n’ roll. The brainchild of Matt O’Brian, Flying Object has a body of Chris O’Brian (GPGDS), Max Flansburg (Dirty Blanket/SGP), Elliot Schwartzman (frmr. Imagine Dragons, Dwight Yokum), and Mike Martinez, with a rotating cast of guests.

“Like 22nd-century beat poetry in a cocktail of roots/pop/funk, Flying Object’s ‘Homesick’ is for when windows are down and defenses are up... Flying Object lands ‘Homesick’ with honey soul as on-the-nose as the romantics it depicts,” said Ryan Yarmel of Rochester City Magazine of Flying Object’s debut full length record.

“Homesick” is available in vinyl and online.

08/14/2025

Brian Elam founded The Mustard Tigers as a bluegrass trio in 2021, but the following year he put down his acoustic guitar and plugged in his sparkly red Telecaster and has been torching stages since. Today, The Mustard Tigers stand as a 6-piece electric country and blues band based primarily out of Naples, NY that play a blend of covers (classic country, outlaw country, blues, etc) and originals. The Tigers have that classic country sound, yet the influence of groups like The Grateful Dead and The Band becomes very apparent to the spectator. In the bands short lifespan, they have played many venues and local festivals and have teamed up with their good friends Dirty Blanket for some truly memorable evenings. The band consists of Brian Elam (guitar, vocals), Matt Herrmann (guitar, keys, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Dylan Bloom (drums), Kyle Ingalls (bass), Sadie Frederick (fiddle), and the most recent addition to complete that country sound is Jake Penna (pedal steel). The Tigers strive to bring energy and a fresh setlist every time they take the stage and have no plans of slowing down.

06/19/2025