The Karpenteers to perform the music of the Carpenters, Carly Simon and others at South Country Library

By Gary Haber

The 1970s was the decade when female performers like Carole King, Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt topped the charts and were a constant presence on the radio.

Fans will be able to relive those days later this month when The Karpenteers brings its show to South Country Library in Bellport on Friday, May 16.

Half a century later, the music still strikes a chord with fans, said Kristi Diaz, lead vocalist for the group, which also includes Diaz’s husband Henry on guitar and bass, Stu Waters on keyboards, and Jamie Betty on drums and percussion. The Diazs live in Shirley.

“It’s all about the memories,” Kristi said. “People will say, ‘That’s my wedding song’ or ‘I remember that song from high school.’’’

Kristi, 62, and Henry, 71, performed as a duo for several years before forming The Karpenteers in 2016.

In that time, they’ve become popular on the Long Island library circuit. They’ve performed at about 60 libraries across Long Island and do between 25 and 30 shows a year.

Their first gig was at South Country Library in 2016 and they’ve been back several times since.

“They’re one of the acts we make sure we have on a regular basis,” said Sean McDonald, the library’s assistant head of reference who also books the musical acts for the library. “They always put on a good show. They have a following. They’re professional and nice to work with.”The group will be performing 18 or 19 songs in their 75-minute set at South Country, which is billed as featuring iconic women of the ‘70s including King, Simon, Ronstadt and Roberta Flack.

They’ll also include songs from the Carpenters, the brother-sister duo of Richard and Karen Carpenter. The setlist for the South Country Library show includes classic Carpenters’ hits “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “Close to You.”

This is the music Kristi, a retired preschool teacher’s assistant, and Henry, a retired electrical technician at Brookhaven National Laboratory, listened to when they were in their teens and early 20s.

“It’s in our hearts,” Kristi said.

The music is in the hearts of a lot of other people, who turn out for the group’s shows and stick around after the show to share their memories of the Carpenters and other performers from that era.

“So many people are happy to hear it,” Henry said. “The music never gets old.”

If you miss the show at South Country Library, Kristi and Henry will be performing at Folkie Fest in Center Moriches on May 18. The full Karpenteers quartet will perform their “Classic Carpenters” show at the Bayport-Blue Point Public Library on Aug. 21.

The Karpenteers trio will also be performing at George S. King Memorial Park in Bay Shore on Aug. 19. 

Register on the library website, sctylib.org