News1: Spring Concerts at Clay on Main

Spring 2026 Music at Clay on Main

Date posted: 12/28/25

Clay on Main will host seven sets of concerts on Friday evenings between April 7 and June 19.

Usually the season has only six, but this year is bonus!

Each event will include a half-hour performance in the "Front Room" followed by a two-hour performance in the "Half Moon Cafe."

This concert series is now nearly 20 years old, and just keeps getting better.
Save these dates:

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April 7

7:15 - 7:45, Tim Harakal

https://www.facebook.com/TimHarakalOfficial/photos

Solo guitar and vocals

Tim Harakal, singer/songwriter from Whitehall, comes from a family full of music lovers. His grandfather

played in a four-piece band. “There was always a guitar in the corner.” “It was only a matter of time.”

He specializes in writing songs with optimistic meaningful lyrics delivered with guitar and vocals in a folk/pop

style. Maybe you've seen him playing out (sometimes up to nine times a week): Edge and Steel Stacks (Bethlehem),

The Shelby and The Hamilton Kitchen and Bar (Allentown), or long ago in Butch Imhoff’s Acoustic Roadshow

open mic in the KU food court,

Tim now pays that experience forward, working to help the budding musicians and the local scene along.

Check out HIS open mics at The Wooden Match and Tocci's Tailgater's (Bethlehem). timharakal.com

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: Sons of Phelan

https://sonsofphelan.com/home

Jeremy Green: Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Bass

Orin Strunk: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboard

John Hazel: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Mandolin

It all started when homeroom/English teacher John Phelan showed up to school with a

Fender amp. Jeremy & John (two members of Sons of Phelan) were students who happened

to be watching the band's namesake as he carried his equipment to the front of his room.

The boys were hooked.

Later that same year, when they heard an underclassmen Orin strum a Danelectro 12-string

in-front of the entire student body, Jeremy, John approached him, and the three devised a plan

with Mr. Phelan to create five-piece band: Jeremy on drums, Orin on bass, John on lead vocals,

Jimmy on keys and vocals. Phelan, on lead guitar (while he coached the boys on performance).

Though the boys went separate ways after high school, they cherished their memories

of performing together. Each continued to perform and learned to play new instruments,

but nothing felt the same as playing with the fellow Sons.

The stars aligned in 2023, when Jeremy's brother was looking for an opening act for a concert

he was putting on, and Jeremy, Orin, and John were in the area, able to do it. That performance reignited the fire, and they concluded their journey would last a lifetime.

Keeping true to John Phelan's coaching, the "boys" continue to encapsulate their life experiences in quality content for new songs that they share with anyone who will listen.

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May 1

7:15 - 7:45, Front Room: Michael Noecker

https://www.facebook.com/michael.noecker.77/

solo guitar and vocals

Michael Noecker has performed since he was 15, We had the pleasure of meeting him then, when he performed

regularly as part of Butch Imhoff’s Acoustic Roadshow. Former lead guitarist for Berks County's popular rock

band, Shame, Mike is also a solo performer and a session musician. Recently, he’s been playing in the duo

Rhythm Standard with Cloudparty’s Kevin Adams. When he’s not performing music, you can find him teaching

7th grade social studies at Exeter Junior High School or having adventures with his family.

He draws from all of this experience to deliver an eclectic mix of music… acoustic arrangements of top hits

from the past four decades.

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: CE Longenecker & Friends

https://www.celongeneckermusic.com/

Chuck Longenecker - guitar, harmonica, percussion, vocals

Dave Miller - guitar & vocals

Chuck often performs as "Street Box Strummer," a one-man band in which he creates

the energy and sound of a small combo. When he plays with his friends in this duo,

the energy is even greater. In another place and time, Dave Miller played in

Hank Williams Jr.'s band. Al brings the bottom. Come to this marvelous concert and

hear familiar selections from a repertoire of hundreds of songs that come out of

rock, country, folk, rhythm and blues, and more.

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May 15

7:15 - 7:45, Front Room: Scott Carl

https://www.Facebook.com/scott.carl.587

solo guitar and vocals

xxx - bio

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: Word Play

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063512543547

Charlie Farrell - guitar, vocals

Amy Forsyth - fiddle, keys, vocals

? - ?

Amy and Charlie are a husband/wife duo. They sometimes perform with

Mike Westendorp (bass)or others.

Charley, a prolific songwriter, wrote most of the songs they perform (Sister Coletta,

If I was a Dog , House, and Odd Bedfellows among the crowd favorites). Toe tapping

fiddletunes and sing-along covers find their way into the mix.

Warm, approachable, witty, fun. Come be part of it all.

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May 22

7:15 - 7:45, Front Room: TBD

xxx - bio

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: Whiskey Kreek.

https://www.facebook.com/p/Whiskey-Kreek-Acoustic-100063678895540/

Doug Babczak - lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals

Bob Hogan - harmonica, guitar, slide, vocals)

Tom Malafarina - rhythm guitar, vocals

Whiskey Kreek Acoustic is a three piece acoustic blues and

Americana band which performs at wineries, microbreweries,

festivals, and restaurants throughout Berks and surrounding PA

counties. They play all-acoustic Blues from Robert Johnson to the

Allman Brothers and beyond.

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May 29

7:15 - 7:45, Front Room: TBD

xxx - bio

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: Spirit Wing

https://www.spiritwing.net/?page_id=266

Barbara Andrews-Christy - Native American Flute, vocals

Barry Lee - guitar and vocals

Chris Hawley - bass

Spirit Wing is the contemporary Native American musical group

that plays during dancer’s breaks at Powwows and at festivals such

as: Bethlehem Musik Fest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Cultural

Survival, etc.

Our music draws from a the traditional music and contemporary

styles. We have been nominated for a Native American Music

Award seven times.

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June 5:

7:15 - 7:45, Front Room: Jason Nye

Solo Acoustic Guitar, vocals

A Reading, Pa. native, Jason was a drummer for over 25 years, but a few years ago, he put

the sticks down and picked up the guitar with the intention of writing his own music. After

several years, and a deep dive, Jason fell in love with the acoustic guitar. Jason plays solo acoustic

guitar with vocals, featuring a variety of covers of several different genres including songs from

Bob Seger, Johnny Cash, Billy Corgan, Jerry Cantrell, Rhett Akins and Aaron Lewis. Jason also

composes original pieces that reflect personal experiences and lessons learned in life.

On this evening, join Jason as he debuts in the Front Room at Clay on Main.

8:00 - 10:00, Half Moon: Mike, Paula, and Rich

www.meadowoodmusic.com

Mike Andrews - guitar, mandolin, & vocals

Paula Taylor - guitar, bass, & vocals

Rich Dodson - guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, & vocals.

Mike and Paula are a husband-wife pair that's played music

together for over twenty years — for the last ten in a trio with

their friend Rich Dodson. They play Scottish, Welsh, and Irish

ballads, early American tunes, covers of Dylan, James

Taylor, John Cougar Mellencamp, Janis Ian, Hoagy Carmichael,

the Grateful Dead… even a rare original.

Mike and Paula are the current "booking agents" for Clay on Main.

When Mike Petrauskas passed them the button, they kept the

once-a-month Monday evening open mics and the spring and

autumn Friday-night concerts in the Half Moon Cafe as similar to

their initial format as possible, but expanded upon it by adding a half-hour concert in the front room to the Friday evening musical events at Clay on Main. The 15-min sets at open mics, 30-min Front Room concerts, and 2-hour Half Moon Cafe concerts make Clay on Main even cooler than it already was as a clay arts studio and gallery. These musical events also provide a pathway for developing local musicians to grow from their first stage experience to full on concert performance. All of it helps build community.

Come join that community with Mike, Paula, and Rich. It's always a good time at the Half Moon when these three play. Come share the fun.

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June 19- Mike Holliday's Annual Song Swap at Clay on Main

This is the second annual song swap at Clay on Main. Mike Holliday invites

ten talented musical acts to perform in pairs. Each pair shares a half-hour set,

taking turns at playing songs and tunes .

The evening is a continually shifting mix of musical styles, original material,

covers, traditional roots music, instrumental and vocal. It's awesome! Click on

the artists names or photos to get more info on each. Join us for a great time!

Proceeds from the evening go to Clay on Main.

Front Room

7:00 - 7:30 Doug and Wendy McClure and Mike Holliday