Taking Back Sunday, moe., Colin Hay will rock this year's Great South Bay Music Festival

Concert tickets have become quite expensive these days. For many shows, prices can soar above $100 per person for a single act with an unknown opening band. However, for 17 years, one Long Island summer concert tradition has kept prices affordable ($76.71-$81.95) while delivering not just one night, but four days of live entertainment. The Great South Bay Music Festival, which comes to Shorefront Park in Patchogue on July 24-27, has consistently given Long Islanders the most bang for their buck. The summertime festival will feature sets from more than 50 acts across three stages.

“We are trying to stay ahead of the curve and give people what they want,” festival founder-promoter Jim Faith said. “But the focus will always be on the music. This year, each day is different, offering a wide variety of music genres. There will be something for everybody.”

Here is what’s on the GSB roster for 2025.

TAKING BACK SUNDAY RETURNS

Get ready for an evening of indie rock on the Main Stage for opening night, Thursday with Head Automatica from Brooklyn (4:30 p.m.), rap-rock unit Gym Class Heroes (5:50 p.m.) and West Coast emo band Say Anything (7:15 p.m.). However, the headlining band will be hometown heroes Taking Back Sunday (8:50 p.m.), who return to the festival after a six-year absence.

“There’s a certain familiarity during our Long Island shows. We naturally feel more comfortable because of it,” lead singer Adam Lazzara said. “When you’re feeling comfortable, you’re more likely to let go of your inhibitions. That right there is where the good stuff is.”

TBS is known for conjuring up an intense energy that gets stirred up on songs like “Make Damn Sure,” “Cute Without the ‘E,’ ” “You’re So Last Summer” and “Flicker, Fade.”

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world. That really started with a gig we did at Ground Zero in Bellmore in 2001 before our debut album, ‘Tell All Your Friends,’ was released,” guitarist John Nolan recalled. “The crowd’s energy showed up for the first time. People were going crazy, singing along at the top of their lungs, jumping all over each other and stage diving. Once that energy started, it never stopped.”

REGGAE VIBES BEACH PARTY

Rock-reggae will rule the day on Friday at the Main Stage with Project Vibe (5:10 p.m.), J Boog (6:30 p.m.), The Elovaters (7:55 p.m.) plus Damian and Stephen Marley, sons of late reggae legend Bob Marley (9:30 p.m.).

“We started dedicating Friday as a rock-reggae night years ago with 311 and the response was so good that we decided to continue with it,” Faith said. “It’s a good fit for the groove of the festival and something people look forward to. The environment on the water is perfect for a rock-reggae beach party.”

HEY, MOE.!

Jam band Saturday kicks off on the Main Stage with Kerry Kearney New Or-Lin’s Gumbo (2:30 p.m.), Eggy (3:45 p.m.), Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (5:20 p.m.) and Umphrey’s McGee (6:55 p.m.). The day will culminate with a two-hour set from moe.(9 p.m.), which is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

“The band has always prided itself on not having any guardrails or rules,” guitarist Al Schnier said. “We’ve always played whatever style of music we wanted from super hard rock to very spacey stuff to Americana and some of that could all be in one song! Over the years that direction has remained.”

The Buffalo-based band recently released its 14th studio album, “Circle of Giants,” so fans can expect to hear new songs in the set plus plenty of extended jams.

“There’s no rule for the jams. We let them go until they’re done,” Schnier said. “You don’t want to pull the ripcord until it has reached its peak and explored all the spaces. After playing together for 35 years, we’ve gotten pretty good at gauging that.”

SMOOTH SAILING WITH YACHT ROCK 

Fans of yacht rock can dust off their captain’s hats and smoking jackets as some of the bands on the Main Stage on Sunday will feature the soft rock sound of the West Coast.

At 5:40 p.m., Ambrosia takes the stage armed with crowd-pleasing hits like “How Much I Feel,” “Biggest Part of Me,” “You’re the Only Woman” and “Holdin’ on to Yesterday.”

“It’s surprising for us to see so many young people at our shows. We’re drawing fans who weren’t even born when this music was made,” bassist-vocalist Joe Puerta said. “The band started off playing progressive rock, moving into art rock with some singles that were more pop-oriented. All those elements of music are part of our DNA. We wanted to go wherever our muse took us.”

 Yacht Rock Revue, which plays at 7:15 p.m., delivers covers of adult-oriented hits from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, such as Gerry Rafferty's “Baker Street,” Toto's “Africa” and Rupert Holmes' “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).”

“Our show is a combination of nostalgia and surprise,” lead singer Nick Niespodziani said. “It takes everybody back to a simpler time when songs are about being in love or having fun. Plus, there’s a certain sense of discovery when you come to see us because we could surprise you with a song that you forgot about but somehow in the back of your memory you know every word.”

NEW WAVE REVIVAL

The Main Stage gets a shot of New Wave on Sunday with the triple play of Depeche Mode tribute band Strangelove (2:50 p.m.), which puts an emphasis on DM’s mid-1980s to early 1990s era including the band’s anthem, “Just Can’t Get Enough.”

“The second we start that song the crowd always erupts,” singer-keyboardist-guitarist Brent Meyer said. “No matter what the context, everybody gets happy, smiley and bouncy for that tune. We never tire of playing it.”

Expect to hear ’80s hits “Promises Promises” and the Burt Bacharach cover, “Always Something There to Remind Me” during Naked Eyes’ set (4:15 p.m.).

“Burt gave us a huge compliment, saying that it wasn’t a cover, but rather a ‘reimagining of the song.’ I was so blown away by that,” singer Pete Byrne said. “As soon as it came out, America loved it. It was a stroke of luck just like so many things in life are.”

Singer-songwriter Colin Hay revives the Men at Work catalog (8:50 p.m.) playing tracks off the band’s trio of 1980s albums, “Business as Usual” (1981), “Cargo” (1983) and “Two Hearts” (1985) including the No. 1 single, “Down Under.”

“People seem to have connected with it. It’s a very simple song that’s rooted to the Earth,” Hay said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re from Bolivia, Australia, Canada or Switzerland, it has transcended language and culture. Sometimes that happens and you just go with it.”

EAT, DRINK & SHOP

For those 21 and older, the Beer Tent will be open serving brews from Voodoo Ranger, Dogfish Head, Modelo, Blue Moon, Coors Light and Sun Cruiser.

Getting hungry? An array of food trucks make up the food court featuring quesadillas and stir fry noodles from Solar Cafe, hot chicken sandwiches from DAG Concessions, sausages, burgers, hot dogs and fries from Frankie’s Famous, barbecue from Bar-B-Q, smoothies, sorbet and acai bowls from Groovy Smoothie, iced tea and lemonade from Subtle Tea and passion fruit drinks from Tania’s Kitchen.

Stroll through the Vendors Market showcasing local artisans like World of Wool who sells hand-painted mini-wooden guitars, embroidered dresses, dream catchers and wood marionette puppets; purchase Mayan ponchos and tribal jewelry from Culture Cross; Freebird Henna offers henna tattoos, body glitter and hair extensions; pick up handmade clothing, bags and accessories from Nordan Arts & Handcrafts and get a psychic reading, tarot reading or palm reading by Village Astrology.