Mayday Music Festival at Bald Hill stars Blues Traveler, Wallfowers, Wheatus, John Hampson 

Before Jones Beach Theater opens in June and prior to the arrival of the Great South Bay Music Festival in July, a 10-hour rock show will usher in the outdoor concert season at Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill in Farmingville when the 3rd Annual Mayday Music Festival takes place on May 13.

Presented by the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees, the event serves as a celebration of Long Island workers and raising awareness for the labor movement.

Here’s a rundown of who will be playing on the main stage this year.

BLUES TRAVELER

After more than 35 years together, Blues Traveler still has a lot of gas left in the tank.

“One of the nicest things about being around this long is that we now have fans ranging from 15 to 65,” says guitarist Chan Kinchla. “We are a friendly, happy-go-lucky bunch and our crowd reflects that.”

The band changes its set every show, playing a mix of hits, deep cuts and fan favorites. Expect to hear BT classics like “Hook,” “But Anyway” and top-10 single “Run-Around.”

“Back in the '90s, we were kind of like a punk jam band because we had so much energy and our music was very much in your face,” says Kinchla, 53. “Now our playing has a lot more dynamics. We don’t pre-plan, we simply feel the vibe of the room and follow our muse.”

THE WALLFLOWERS

Back in 1992, Bob Dylan’s son Jakob broke onto the music scene with his band, The Wallflowers, immediately escaping his father’s long shadow. By 1996, the younger Dylan's band scored a hit with “One Headlight,” which simultaneously topped Billboard’s alternative, adult top 40 and mainstream rock charts. The success of this song plus three other singles (“6th Avenue Heartache,” “Three Marlenas” and “The Difference”) drove the band's sophomore effort, “Bringing Down the Horse” to multi-platinum status cementing Dylan’s career.

In 2023, The Wallflowers are currently touring behind their seventh album, “Exit Wounds.” The 10-song set, produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Weezer), finds Dylan very introspective at age 53.

“I think everybody — no matter what side of the aisle you’re on — wherever we’re going to next, we’re all taking a lot of exit wounds with us. Nobody is the same as they were four years ago,” Dylan said in a statement. “And it’s not wherever you’re headed, even if it’s to a better place, you leave people and things behind, and you think about those people and those things and you carry them with you. Those are your exit wounds. And right now, we’re swimming in them.”

WHEATUS

Straight out of Northport, Wheatus turned its first single, “Teenage Dirtbag,” into a millennium youth anthem in 2000.

“It’s like a comic book strip inside a song,” says vocalist/guitarist Brendan B. Brown. “Very often people see themselves in the tune. It’s renewable because there are certain aspects of growing up that are still the same on some level.”

The band doesn’t like to make a planned set list but typically stays on their toes by taking requests from the crowd. However, “Teenage Dirtbag” always finds its way into the mix.

“We always love playing that song. It’s never a burden. That song always tells us where we stand with people,” says Brown, 49. “There’s a change in the molecules when we play ‘Dirtbag’ — some atomic shift occurs. The band is no longer in control of the presentation. We try hard to deliver what people expect and it really pays off.”

JOHN HAMPSON

Back in the summer of 1998, singer/songwriter John Hampson of St. James got into a tiff with his girlfriend, spurring him to write a song. Today that girlfriend is his wife and the song, “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” is a perennial hit, which recently enjoyed a resurgence from the Oscar-winning film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

“It was lightning in a bottle. There are probably 100 things that happened in that song that made it a hit. It’s pop confection,” says Hampson, 51, who teaches English at Wantagh High School. “Nothing was planned. It just kind of happened.”

Although he recorded the song with his band, Nine Days, Hampson is currently flying solo and ready to debut some new songs at Bald Hill.

“I ended up writing a lot of material during the whole quarantine period,” he says. “There’s a certain thrill to playing something new.”

PETE MANCINI & THE HILLSIDE AIRMEN

Singer/songwriter Pete Mancini will celebrate the release of his new EP, “The Commonwealth Sessions,” by playing cuts such as his new single, “Golden Hour.”

“The chorus just came to me and it was pretty catchy, so it stuck,” says Mancini, 36, of Bellerose. “It’s about being burnt out on the social media mindset. I was listening to a lot of Lou Reed at the time, which might have impacted the lyrics.”

Inspired by Wilco, the Jayhawks and Drive-By Truckers,  Mancini has learned a great deal working with legendary songwriter and fellow Long Islander Jimmy Webb.

“It’s been amazing getting to know the guy,” he says. “Jimmy’s given me a whole new confidence. Hearing all his stories, you pick up different tips and pointers along the way. I’m honored to call him a friend.”

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.