GSB 2026: Day 3 Live Blog

9:30 PM

Warren Haynes talks to FTC’s Amanda Penny and Tyler McCready ahead of Gov’t Mule’s 2026 performance at the Great South Bay Music Festival

After a busy day of blogging at the Great South Bay Music Festival, Amanda sure earned this photo with Warren Hayes.

9:00 PM

The atmosphere is enthralling for everyone who showed up to Bruce Hornsby’s performance on the Main Stage. The crowd is massive with people huddled around the stage to listen. The Grammy winning musician has been performing music since 1974, mixing genres like folks and jazz together for his fans to enjoy.  “He’s great!” said Rob Block from Ballston Spa, NY  when talking about the musician, “I think he’s very creative still, I’m so glad to be able to see him.” Hornsby’s fanbase are more than happy to get another opportunity to see him perform live, and Great South Bay is a unique venue to enjoy his music.  It was hard to get close to the stage, but you get the point….🎵

7:45 PM

The Jambalaya area is full of life even late into Day 3 and vendors like Peace, Love, and Halos are still getting business. While shopping, people were serenaded with sweet tunes from the Allmost Bros. set on the nearby Jambalaya Stage. “Fabulous day. Loved the community here. Fabulous people,” said Tom Russo from White Plains, NY said while leaving the Allmost Bros. performance. There’s still more to come in the night, with Robinson Treacher’s 8:30 PM performance coming soon.

7:30 PM

It’s golden hour at Shorefront Park. Today’s breeze finally died down, music fans are vibing to Ernie & the Band,  and the Five Towns College crew is still working hard under the production tent.

Rising Senior Sammi Rooney, Crew Head for Electrics, is broadening her already extensive experience. “I normally do the theatrical productions so it’s a completely different world to do concerts.  It’s really exciting to do this. I did the whole Oogee Wawa show last night and just finished this show (Ernie & the Band).”

Here’s a look at Sammi’s lighting work on the stage. Fans sure appreciated the performance. “Ernie & the Band shaped me to my soul….beautiful music medicine, spiritual healing. A talented musician and so much fun. What more can I say? Thank you, Ernie & the Band,” said Heidi Harmony.

Head the Five Towns College YouTube Channel to watch the livestream.

7:00 PM

Amanda: I was really excited to see Soundswell‘s performance because I got to meet them earlier in the day. They were really chill and mentioned that in addition to looking forward to playing on the FTC Stage, they were excited to see Gov’t Mule after their set.

As you can see the crowd, including me, really enjoyed this performance on the Five Towns College Stage. “I hear these guys play a lot because I work at Blue Point Brewing and that’s like a second home for Soundswell,” said Patrick Cummings,” who called their Great South Bay performance “awesome and Brady (Wilkins) on the drums is always a fantastic performer to watch.”

6:00 PM

The FTC Sound Stream has kept us updated all day with band and vendor interviews in between the live music from the Five Towns College Stage.  We’re about to switch up anchor teams and coming up…. two Five Towns alums who were integral parts of previous year’s broadcasts are back on the mic, Fernando Gomez (’25) and Aaron McLaughlin (’24).  Fernando is working for Fox News and Aaron is working for the Baltimore Orioles and we’re lucky that this is where they chose to spend their day off! 

Fernando and Aaron will be joined on the air by current FTC Film & TV student Stephen Hlatkey, who spent the last two days reporting from the festival grounds.  The trio will finish up the Day 3 Coverage.

“Coming up (at 6:45 PM), we have interviews with Great South Bay Festival Producer Jim Faith, FTC President David Cohen, and more conversations with the bands, along with coverage of everything that’s happening,” said FTC Sound Stream Co-Manager Andre Doughty.

Listen in to the Five Towns Sound Stream to stay updated!

5:30 PM

After interviewing so many people at the festival, I got hungry and decided to try Hot Box Catering because my Five Towns friends were all raving about this shop.  A few of them were actually waiting on line when I went to order.  I decided to try a chicken Caesar wrap with lettuce, ranch, bacon, and onions. It was the size of my head and was definitely delicious so go check it out if you are hungry. 

5:00 PM

Just wrapping up on the Five Towns College Stage is Circus Mind, a  New York based rock band led by keyboard player and singer Mark Rechler. They have been performing since the late 1990s and are known for blending funk, jazz, soul, and reggae into their energetic live performances. “The singer, I don’t know his name—he has so much life to him, and I didn’t expect that when I first saw them come out,” said Alex K., an audience member in the front.

Circus Mind is often compared to artists like Steely Dan, Little Feat, and Traffic. They’re also widely known in the festival scene as a common name on local lineups. Take a look…..

4:30 PM

(Amanda) Penny for your thoughts…… What is cool about what you’re selling in your booth at the Great South Bay Music Festival?

4:00 PM

FTC Reporter Jack Barton meets Phil Verso, a festival attendee who has been coming for 30 years.

3:30 PM

The second act of the day and the first to perform on the FTC Stage is Orchyd, a six-piece rock band from Long Island, New York, whose drummer, Anthony Sabino, is a Five Towns College graduate. Formed in 2020, the group began as an acoustic trio before expanding into a full band. Their sound blends classic rock, indie rock, and psychedelic rock influences, with guitar-driven jams inspired by the jam band tradition.

Orchyd hit the stage with plenty of energy, and it didn’t take long for a crowd to gather as their set got underway. “This is my first time seeing them, but they’re pretty funky. I can definitely hear the Pink Floyd influence,” said audience member Mike G..

3:00 PM

(Amanda) Penny for your thoughts…… What band are you most excited to see on Day 3 of the Great South Bay Music Festival?

2:30 PM

While festival gates didn’t open until 1 PM, boats were already beginning to line up offshore to catch the music when I arrived at Shorefront Park at 12:30 PM. Now, crowds on the water are gathering to listen to School of Rock kick off today’s performances on the Jambalaya Stage. Today’s weather calls for a high of 78° and a low of 58°, making it the warmest day of this year’s festival so far.  But even so, an afternoon bay breeze with winds around 13 mph will keep everything feeling slightly cooler along the shore.

The Festival’s waterfront setting at Shorefront Park usually means the weather often feels noticeably different than it does just a few blocks down from the water. Because of the bay breeze, temperatures along the shore stay a bit cooler, making it a good idea to bring a light jacket, especially if you’re planning to stick around for the evening bands’ performances.  Here’s a look at the wind on the festival grounds.

2:00 PM

Here’s a look at what’s going on at the Five Towns College Stage today.

1:45 PM

Hi all, what’s up? Chris Scappatore  and Amanda Penny over here and we are taking over the blogging reins today for the FTC Record Online. We are are both new to this festival! 

Chris: As a Mass Comm student, I enjoy working behind the scenes, which is what I have done here at the festival for the last two days. Today, I’ll be around the festival grounds covering everything from the weather to the acts performing on the Five Towns College Stage.

Amanda: I’m a sophomore and run a radio show on the FTC Sound Stream called Penny for your Thoughts. I am having the time of my life here at Great South Bay, making content, interviewing the bands, and co-hosting on the FTC Sound Stream.  I can’t wait for you all to join me today.