Great South Bay Music Festival: Everything you need to know about this year's 4-day Patchogue event

Jim Faith of Port Jefferson grew up attending concerts on the grass in Central Park and Prospect Park. When dreaming of becoming a concert promoter, he hoped to one day build his own festival with a diverse bill.

"I’ve always wanted to be the church of live music," Faith says. "My goal was to give people stuff they are not normally going to see on Long Island."

In 2007, Faith launched the Great South Bay Music Festival, which returns to Shorefront Park in Patchogue from July 23-26. The event will feature more than 50 acts spread across three stages.

"Our crowd is filled with real music lovers and we keep it non-political," Faith says. "They are not there to take selfies in front of the acts."

Check out who is on this year’s roster for the four-day festival.

THURSDAY: THE USED, BAYSIDE, MORE

Opening night sees The Used making its GSB debut on the Main Stage at 8:30 p.m.

"Our heavy stuff like ‘Sound Effects and Overdramatics,’ ‘A Box Full of Sharp Objects’ and ‘Blood on My Hands’ brings on circle pits and crowd surfing," bassist Jepha Howard says. "Another element is the sing-along songs where the crowd is singing every single word like on ‘The Taste of Ink.’ ”

Emo band Bayside delivers an opening set at 6:55 p.m. where songs like "Devotion and Desire," "Sick, Sick, Sick," "Duality" and "Blame It on Bad Luck" will fill the set.

"A lot of our lyrics center around personal strife and triumph," says lead singer/guitarist Anthony Raneri. "Everyone is going through those things. They are relatable and part of this collective consciousness that we are all in this together."

FRIDAY: SUBLIME REVIVES

Leading the reggae rock-themed evening on Friday at 9:30 p.m. is Sublime with Jakob Nowell taking over for his late father Bradley Nowell on vocals and guitar.

"At first, I was very nervous. It was immense pressure doing this. But I love my dad," Nowell says. "There’s an element of connecting with the past and a lost loved one that you never got to know. His personality is spelled out in these songs. It makes the job very tangible."

Before Sublime takes the stage, sets from Project Vibe (5:10 p.m.), The Ries Brothers (6:30 p.m.) and Common Kings (7:55 p.m.) will get the party going.

SATURDAY: BRUCE HORNSBY + GOV’T MULE

Riding high off the release of his new studio album, "Indigo Park," Bruce Hornsby brings his band The Noisemakers to Patchogue on Saturday at 7:55 p.m.

"The new songs lend themselves naturally to a festival situation," he says. "We hope to make it a dance party."

However, Hornsby still plans to deliver his 1986 classic, "The Way It Is."

"It ages well," Hornsby states. "I still enjoy playing it."

Gov’t Mule gets kicking again on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. with singer/guitarist Warren Haynes at the helm.

"The beauty of playing improvisational music is that a lot of the energy comes from the crowd, which pushes the band to heights it’s not capable of in rehearsal or a recording studio," Haynes says. "Sometimes we will do four shows in a row without repeating a song."

SUNDAY: MY MORNING JACKET, LITTLE FEAT

At 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, the psychedelic rock band from Kentucky, My Morning Jacket headlines the Main Stage for the first time.

Just prior, Little Feat is set to perform at 5:55 p.m. on the Main Stage as part of their "Last Farewell Tour."

"I look at this as a long embrace," says co-founder/pianist Bill Payne. "Having a point of where the ship is going to dock is something I embrace 100%. I think there’s a lot of validity to bringing an end point to this. It’s opened up our catalog tremendously."

There will also be a tribute to the late Bob Weir on the Main Stage at 4:20 p.m. featuring all-stars from various Grateful Dead-influenced and tribute bands including Andy Falco of The Infamous Stringdusters, Rob Eaton of Dark Star Orchestra, Alwyn Salmon of Leftover Salmon, Eric Finland of the Eric Krasno Band, Pat Falco of The Cosmic Orchestra, Leslie Mendelson and Dave Diamond.

FOR THE KIDS

On both Saturday and Sunday, the Kids Tent offers entertainment geared toward children. Each day will feature three acts in the afternoon.

Cheryl the One Woman Circus opens the Kids Tent on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Lucky Duck Puppets at 3:40 p.m. and magician Wowie Kazowie at 5 p.m.

Get ready for Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate to kick off the Kids Tent on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile magic juggler Lou Johnson arrives at 4:45 p.m. and the Magic of Alexo at 6 p.m. closes out the day.

Additionally, children can head over to the KidZone where a giant Art Wall awaits their contribution. All brushes and paints are provided to be used on the large wall tapestry.

FOOD COURT, BREWS, VENDOR’S MARKET

Rocking out can drum up an appetite. Hit the food court where there are more than 20 different cuisine options. This year includes Ginger Love Cafe serving Filipino style dishes, Oh My Deliciousness cooking Caribbean food, Lobster Rolls & More selling seafood treats (grilled shrimp, crabby fries, fillet sandwiches) and Bun'd Up making Asian steamed buns.

Grab a brew at the beer tent featuring Greenport Summer Ale, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Michelob Ultra, as well as non-alcoholic craft beer, Run Wild IPA. All customers must be 21 and older with valid ID.

Venture into the Merchant Village showcasing more than 40 local artisans selling handcrafted items like cornhole boards, tie-dye clothing, Henna tattoos, wall tapestries and hand-painted denim jackets.

"We stay away from flea market stuff," Faith notes. "There’s nobody selling tools or socks."