The Barley Boys: Bringing Their A-Game to Southampton Days

Bringing a wealth of talent and decades of experience with them to the Midway Stage, The Barley Boys will be making their return to Southampton Days on Friday, July 8th. 

Start with a base of Celtic and classic rock, throw in a touch of Canadian and Newfoundland folk, and then top it off with a hint of bluegrass and you have The Barley Boys' recipe for a good time. 

"The band's actually been around for about 15 years now, in many different configurations," said vocalist and guitar player Mike Babick.  "It started with two guys from Newfoundland who liked bluegrass music.  Since then it's grown from traditional bluegrass with this folky Newfoundland thing into what it is now."  

Currently a quartet comprised of Babick, Arty Artymiw on fiddle, Mike Kurman on bass, and Andy Meyer on drums, The Barley Boys are something like a test tube baby made from the DNA of nearly every genre of music out there.  

Name something you want to hear and, chances are, they can play it.  Celtic, country, rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass - it's all on the menu for these guys.   

Babick, the group's primary songwriter, has been playing professionally for over two decades now.  And as for the rest of the band, he had nothing but nice things to say. 

"I like to call these guys the "A" group," he said.  "This is the best set-up of guys I think we've ever had."

Babick called Meyer and Artymiw very talented, noting that Meyer "very groove-oriented." He said Artymiw is a Juilliard graduate, who has played with the likes of Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and Pavarotti.

"He's throwing charts at me all the time, getting me to learn some intense music," said Babick. "It keeps you healthy."

He said Kurman keeps on his toes by playing out everywhere, including with a lot of singer-songwriters in Philadelphia.  

"(This ensures Mike) sounds really good when he’s out playing with the band," said Babick.  

The group has big plans for Southampton Days, a venue they’re pretty familiar with.  

“We’re probably going to have our fiddle player on some Charlie Daniels stuff,” he said.  “We’ll be playing some Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. and we’ll feature Arty on The Beatles’ In My Life, Led Zeppelin’s All My Love, and the Tommy Overture."

Babick said the band also plans to play some original tunes as well.

“It’s a fun group of people,” Babick said of Southampton Days.  “They treat us well.  We’re just thankful they’re having us back and looking forward to a great time.”                  

The Barley Boys’ set begins at 8:30 PM on the Midway Stage, Friday, July 8th.