In my ongoing quest to explore the world of open mic events being held throughout the region this season, I set my eyes on one that occurred fairly close to home this past week. Hearing that Uriah Conklin and his nine-year-old son, Sebastian, have teamed up to host the new Friday night open mic at the Woodstock Way Groovy Eatery, my interest was piqued.

Located on Route 17B in Mongaup Valley, NY, the recently revamped restaurant and bar celebrates all things Woodstock and this father/son duo is here for it. Dad Uriah is an aficionado of the era—the ‘60s style, the look, the vibe and the music, of course. So it’s only natural that some of his enthusiasm has rubbed off on young Sebastian, who’s poised to take on the world, guitar in hand, mic in the stand.

I decided to pop in to the place a little early last weekend, hoping to grab an opportunity to chat with the dynamic duo before folks started signing up to do whatever they chose to do, since the invite to participate includes “sing, play, comedy, spoken word” and the all-inclusive “anything goes.”

After checking in with his dad, I asked the youngling if he had a minute to spare, and the pint-sized musician (becoming known around town as “The Jamboni—Sebastian Conklin Music”) happily agreed. So as Dad looked on, I peppered his young son with some pertinent questions, which he answered in between bites of his pre-show mac ‘n cheese.

“Correct me if I’m mistaken,” I said, “but I read that the open mic tonight is hosted by both you and your father. Did I get that right? Have you done this before? Are you also going to perform yourself?”

Nodding and eating, Sebastian quietly said “Yes, yes and yes” as his dad leaned in to tell me that he’s “saving his voice this time,” because “he has a gig coming up next week.”

When asked, Sebastian shared that he’s playing at Froggy Daze next weekend. Since 2014, the Froggy Daze Music Festival, held at Landers Campground in Narrowsburg, NY, has become an incredibly popular event, attracting musicians of all ages and fans from all walks of life, always promising “a weekend of live music and celebration.” 

This year, over the course of four days, more than 30 acts will perform on multiple stages and young Sebastian Conklin, who performed at Froggy Daze 2025, will be sharing the bill on Sunday, May 17, with the likes of Robert Tellefsen and the Johnny Jules Band.

When I inquired if he has a desire to write his own music one day, the response was a surprise. “I already did,” Sebastian said, before telling me that his preferred genre of music is classic rock and that he’s been performing since “just before” his seventh birthday. “Just before,” he repeated. “I was like, six and three-hundred-and-sixty days old.”

Beaming in the background, Dad leaned in. “He was the very first musician to perform here,” he said, adding that “it’s an amazing story. Sebastian was almost born here, back when it was still River Edge. His mom’s water broke here, and he was born the next day! He was the first performer to bless this place with music after they opened as the Woodstock Way.”

“Which came first? I then asked Dad. “Sebastian wanting to perform, or you wanting it for him?”

“So, he started bangin’ on pots and pans and empty coffee cans with spoons, when he was a little tyke,” Dad explained. “And once he got a toy xylophone, he started to have a penchant for music. When he was around two years old, he asked Santa Claus for drums. That ended up being way too loud, and he was wearing ear muffs while he was bangin’ on the drums—but that’s how he first learned to play a beat.” 

“Next instrument was a ukulele, and he started jammin’ on that, playing songs… and then for his seventh birthday, I bought him an electric guitar. So yeah, I encourage it for sure, and give him whatever he needs to keep progressing. He practices all of the time, and jams out on his own a lot. Every time I give him an inch of musical knowledge, he takes a whole mile, and winds up teaching himself. He likes it, he’s running with it—and so I give him all the tools he needs in order to help him as much as I can.”

“Being such a huge music lover yourself,” I said, “I can only imagine that your son’s interest in something that you also love is rewarding.”

“Of course; it’s a great bonding experience,” Conklin  replied. “We get to jam out at home, learn new stuff together, and now he shows me things! I love jammin’ with my son; it’s a great opportunity to spend more time together, outside of baseball, outside of school.  People love him, and I’m here to encourage it.”

As Sebastian busied himself playing a game on his tablet while folks drifted in to sign up for the open-mic night, I perused the T-shirts, pins and stickers available for purchase. 

“Your kid has merch?” I asked with a laugh. “And what’s behind the ‘Jamboni’ moniker? What does that mean?”

“I came up with it one day,” Conklin replied, “because he breaks the ice. He’s like a Zamboni” (a vehicle for cleaning and smoothing the surface of a sheet of ice, usually at a rink). “People open up when they see him—and they smile and dance and he loves seeing them respond like that.” 

“And I jam,” son Sebastian interjects, as dad Uriah concurred: “And he jams.” 

“OK, I get it now,” I said. “Jam plus Zamboni equals Jamboni. Looks like you’ve coined a new word.”

Already scheduled to perform at this year’s Yasgur Road Reunion in Bethel, NY (August 14-16); the 23rd annual Rowland Acoustic Revival concert on the GMC stage in Rowland, PA at the end of this month; and another Froggy Daze concert at summer’s end, it looks like the sky’s the limit for “The Jamboni—Sebastian Conklin Music,” and I can’t wait to see how far this kid can go. Because he jams.

To follow Sebastian Conklin’s rise to fame and fortune, follow him on TikTok (@sebastianconklin) and on the Facebook (@thejambonisebastianconklinmusic).

For more on the Froggy Daze music festival, go to www.peacepadproductions.com and check out The Woodstock Way Groovy Eatery Facebook page for more open mic info.