Warm weather is inching its way back as Spring is under way, and live music begins to head back outside this month. Several early season festivals have already been announced, and the outdoor music season is already shaping up to be a busy one. I’m looking forward to all of it!
The arrival of some late winter celebrations sparked some live music in recent weeks. For Fat Tuesday last month, Johnstown’s Venue Of Merging Arts (VOMA) celebrated by presenting a special evening of live jazz courtesy of Jazz In Your Face. While a full house enjoyed Po’ Boy sandwiches and jambalaya, Jazz In Your Face – director, drummer and singer Mike Bodolosky, Josh Hillard on trumpet, Matt Brown on trombone, Bob Scholl on clarinet, Mike Meketa on keys and Mike Alberts on acoustic bass – played a variety of New Orleans and classic-styled jazz, blues and standards. Some of their numbers this night included Jelly Roll Morton’s “Kansas City Stomp” and Duke Ellington’s “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be”; also New Orleans favorites like the traditional “Iko Iko,” a request for Louis Armstrong’s “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” and the joyous night-ending rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” These musicians were clearly having fun, and the audience fed off that enthusiasm to elevate the mood and energy of the night.
During St. Patrick’s weekend last month, the Venue Of Merging Arts welcomed York-based folk performers The Wild Hymns. Folk award winners at the 2025 Central PA Music Awards (CPMA’s), The Wild Hymns duo of singer Megan Woodland and guitarist Jeff Hewitt demonstrated their style of traditional folk sounds, mixing original songs with select covers. With Jeff providing delicate acoustic guitar textures and Megan singing with a gentle, smooth voice, The Wild Hymns introduced original numbers such as “Five Dollars,” “Skeleton Woman,” “You Should Love Her” (dedicated to Mother Earth), “S**t Show” and “I Wonder. They also performed renditions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” the English folk tune “So Early in the Spring,” Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” Bob Marley’s “Waiting In Vain” and The Carter Family’s “Wildwood Flower.” Through it all, Megan and Jeff played off one another with gentle, minimal arrangements, and were well-received by the VOMA audience.
Last month’s St. Patrick’s season brought about Dauber’s 15th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party, which again took place at the Gallitzin American Legion’s Oriental Ballroom, with proceeds helping out the legion and the Gallitzin Fire Company. (The event is named after its founder, Christopher “Dauber” Cox, a longtime member and officer with the Gallitzin Fire Company who passed away in 2022 after a valiant fight against cancer.) Hundreds of green-clad attendees again filled the room to celebrate Dauber, St. Patrick’s Day, food, libations, friends, and live music from Full Kilt and the Giants Of Science. As dinner was served, Full Kilt kicked off the music with their mix of Irish and Celtic rock, traditional Irish folk and drinking songs, Irish takes on popular rock songs and more. Singer and guitarist Mike Zerbee, bassist and singer Chris Myers, fiddler Mandy Passmore-Ott and drummer Jake Yarnish played two sets, keeping people and inflatable leprechauns dancing as they did numbers from Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, Carbon Leaf, Steve Earle, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, U2, Van Morrison and many others. Some of their highlights included Mandy’s fiddle fireworks during “An Irish Party on Third Class” (from the film “Titanic”), the annual clapping contest during “Whiskey in the Jar,” the group’s Irish takes on the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” and Charlie (Mc)Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to (Dublin), and their closing sing-along rendition of Smokie’s 1977 hit “Living Next Door to Alice.” After prize baskets were given away, the Giants Of Science immediately packed the dance floor, starting with Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning” and continuing with their nonstop mixture of 1980s, 70s, 90s and other favorites. Singer and guitarist Mick, singer and keyboardist Scotty B, bassist and singer Johnny 5 and drummer Shumac kept the party going with songs from Green Day, the Cars, Violent Femmes, Ramones, Simple Minds, Men At Work, Georgia Satellites, Soft Cell, Sublime, The Killers, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and more. The Giants welcomed a few guests onto the stage along the way, including Second Hand Monkey’s JR “The Worm” West, Full Kilt’s Chris Myers, “Spiderman” behind the drum kit, audience members and more.
I then finished up my St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans at Molly’s Pub in Altoona, who celebrated the occasion with Irish food specials and libations plus live music. West Virginia-based singer and songwriter Nick Price was wrapping up his performance as I arrived, and he had the crowd happy and hollering with his version of Rehab’s “Sittin’ at a Bar” and more. As I ordered up some seasonal shepherd’s pie, Lauren & Joe Acoustic continued the acoustic festivities with a wide mixture of classics and favorites. The wife-and-husband duo of singer Lauren and guitarist and singer Joe George provided the music backdrop to the festive crowd with numbers from George Michael, Gin Blossoms, CCR, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Bonnie Raitt, Ben E. King, Cranberries, Lady Gaga, Fleetwood Mac and others.
My original game plan on a Friday last month was to head to Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale (north of Pittsburgh) to see Vandenberg namesake and former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg in concert, with Pittsburgh’s Radio 45 as one of the openers. However, Vandenberg’s singer took ill and they had to cancel out of the concert. But the show must go on, and Radio 45 played the entire night with free admission. Since I had already booked a nearby hotel room and it was non-refundable, I stuck to my plan and proceeded to Jergel’s (on a snowy night) to take in Radio 45’s performance. I’m glad I did; this group is evolving into something unique and special. Besides developing an arsenal of their own songs, Radio 45 – singer and guitarist Gary Bickerstaff, lead guitarist and singer Aaron Greer, bassist C. Scott Gilbert and drummer Mark “M-Sexy” Wesesky – have developed three different tribute acts: Echo (Tom Petty tribute), Streets (U2 tribute) and Budokan (Cheap Trick tribute). This night’s show blended music from all four projects, with a few extra surprises thrown in. Opening with Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police,” Radio 45 mixed numbers from all three of their tributes plus a couple of their originals. They introduced their newest original, “Good Dawg,” which they are using to raise awareness for Animal Friends, a Pittsburgh area pet rescue; and they performed a popular song from their 2023 “Transcendence” EP, “Come Alive.” As Radio 45 delivered crisp and on-target renditions of the music of Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and U2, they precisely coordinated concert footage of all three bands on adjacent video screens. The group occasionally included songs from other artists, doing the Journey double-shot of “Stone in Love” into “Lights” early in the show, later doing a Van Halen tribute with Aaron in the spotlight as he scorched on his own version of Eddie’s “Eruption” solo into “You Really Got Me,” and – for the finale – closing out the night with Prince’s “Purple Rain,” again with Aaron’s guitar solo work taking the spotlight. Radio 45 will issue their first full-length album, “Art Is War,” later this spring.
State College’s Astral Shakedown made their first visit to Altoona’s Levity Brewing Co. last month. Seven members strong, Astral Shakedown took the Levity audience on a journey through jazz, jam, rock, soul and funk frontiers, crafting and riding catchy grooves along the way. Lead singer Kate Terry and backing singer Christine Zoerner blend their voices for some captivating harmonies, backed by guitarist Dipak Sahoo, bassist Ed Colby, keyboardist Lorn Ray, saxophonist and percussionist Erik Paredes, and drummer Ben Tolton. Their original numbers blend soulful melodies and groovy rhythms, often stretching into energetic, immersive jams. Their cover repertoire offers variety, and the group’s own arrangements makes their cover selections their own. This night, Astral Shakedown captivated the Levity audience with their renditions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and “The Chain,” Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” the Classics 4’s “Spooky,” Paul McCartney & Wings’ “Let Me Roll It,” the Beatles’ “Oh Darling,” Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle,” Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Astral Shakedown’s performance left a good impression on the Levity audience, and a return visit would appear likely.
Altoona’s Ryan Matthew brought his country sounds to Levity Brewing Co. late last month. Armed with his acoustic guitar, Ryan entertained onlookers with his upbeat blend of modern country, folk, pop, rock and other favorites. He played multiple numbers from Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith, and also did favorites from the Zac Brown Band, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, David Lee Murphy, Morgan Wallen and more. He honored several requests along the way, including Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” Jordan Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” and Kenny Chesney’s “All The Pretty Girls” and others. And besides the music, Ryan tested the audience’s knowledge of TV show theme songs, rewarding first correct answers with free beer tokens. Ryan’s personable and casual approach plus his steady and sturdy voice kept the audience happy and engaged through the evening. Ryan returns to Levity Brewing on July 26 for a special Jimmy Buffett-themed night with fellow acoustic performer Cousin Mike.
I caught several shows at McGarvey’s in recent weeks, including the late February “Friday 5” bash. Five bands were involved; work duties prevented me from seeing openers The Daylight Society, but I did arrive in time for the last few songs from Clearfield horror-punk rockers Less Than Zero. This was the group’s final appearance for the time being as they go on indefinite hiatus. Next was The BSXpress with their rampaging brand of original punk rock. Celebrating his birthday this night, singer and guitarist Brian Walker led the group with his throaty roar, accompanied by guitarist Nick Bayer, bassist Sam Edgar and drummer Dean Kepner. The BSXpress fired off multiple short and sweet punk anthems from their latest album “Round THE Bend” such as “Fascist Theology,” “Your Life,” “What Do You Know,” “Gas Station Chicken Salad,” “Lobbyist,” “Hometown Curse,” “You Make My Eyes Wanna Puke” and “Soulcrusher.” State College’s Owned By A**holes followed with their all-out, hard-hitting punk blast. Guitarists and singers Kyle and Pissed Off Christoff, bassist Balls and drummer Josh delivered no-holds-barred, slamming punk assaults; including their title song “Owned By A**holes,” “Plastic Bong,” “Wind Bag,” “Verbal Vomit,” “What’s It All For,” “I Quit” and more. Celebrating their five-year anniversary as a band this night, Altoona’s Abstentious closed out the night with their feverish brand of punk-fueled rock. It’s been cool to witness this group’s growth in five years; the founding pair of singer and bassist Noah Keller and drummer Jake Hicks, plus guitarists Jaxon Swisher and Gage Ickes have evolved their sound from fast and furious punk rock into numbers with more tempo shifts and varying intensities. Abstentious can still deliver lots of velocity – evidenced this night by their earlier assaults “Off the Wall” and “Means Well, Oh Well” – but they’re bringing more variations to the table. Abstentious had a good-sized crowd going delirious over their tunes, and appropriately slammed the lid on this night.
I also caught two-thirds of a triple-performer bill at McGarvey’s early last month. I arrived too late to see opener Kevo Can’t Dance, but did get there in time to see Altoona ska-rockers Tom Nevers Field. Eight members strong this night, Tom Nevers Field delivered a powerful set as they blended newer and older original songs. Some of their songs included “Hey Mr. Newsman,” “Impossible,” the recently-released “Not My Enemy,” “Keep It Safe,” “Ticking Timebomb,” “Perfect Eyes” and “Truth.” All elements of this group, from guitars to rhythm section to horns, executed strongly and sounded balanced. Finishing up this bill was The JW Project. John Brehm sings lead vocals while Wes Shriner plays acoustic guitar. This pair played heartfelt, darker-toned original numbers such as “This Cancer,” “Letters Home,” “Mind Games,” “Dying,” “On The River Bank” and more. John offered a gritty howl out front, backed by Wes’ intense strums on the guitar. Overall, an impressive set.
The Bomb Cyclones churned the stage at McGarvey’s at full strength late last month. Mellissa Vella is back on the lead microphone, joining guitarist and singer Kenny Karlheim, bassist and singer Doug Cruse, lead guitarist Rich Johnson and drummer Paul Caracciolo II. Bomb Cyclones performed a variety of hard rock and soul, with an emphasis on the 1990s; they sounded strong on numbers from Chris Isaak, Royal Blood, The Refreshments, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Stone Temple Pilots, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Fuel, Heart, Collective Soul, Velvet Revolver and many more. Mellissa delivered a strong and soul-laden voice up front, and Kenny and Doug also sounded strong in the vocal roles, especially during the final set when Mellissa rested her voice and let them show what they could do. Watch for increased sightings of Bomb Cyclones on area stages in coming months.
And I saw the father-and-son tandem of Rhyne & Tabyn McCormick early last month at the Spring Dam Brewing Co. in Roaring Spring. As I arrived, the pair – Rhyne on guitar and lead vocals and Tabyn on guitar – was joined by Randy Servello on drums and vocals, plus Michael Gassler on bass. Rhyne and Tabyn introduced several new original songs as they work on a new album; one of them this night was “The Secret.” The final set featured a wide variety of covers, done in Rhyne & Tabyn’s own distinctive flavor. They did renditions of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” a blues/jazz version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” a bluesy rock’n’roll take on Van Halen’s “Ice Cream Man,” plus songs from Tom Petty, Black Crowes, Rolling Stones, John Mellencamp, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, and for the encore, an Americana rock version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Rhyne, Tabyn and Randy return to Spring Dam Brewing Co. on April 12.
News and notes…Altoona-based heavy blues-rockers Sweet Desire have hooked up with Pittsburgh-based booking and promotion agency Bald Hippie Productions; the group has announced a series of show dates throughout the country through most of this year, including various parts of Pennsylvania, also Nashville, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Florida and more…Clearfield-based contemporary Christian band On The Mend has been nominated to win Kindred Ministries’ “Contemporary Band” award after first winning the award last year. The Kindred Awards recognize groups and performers from a five-state area in a variety of Christian music categories and genres; the 10th annual Kindred Awards will be presented on June 21 in Norristown…Blair County rockers Jack Squat have decided to go their separate ways after a six-year run on area stages…Party rockers Second Hand Monkey have also disbanded; several group members are assembling a new band project…Bob Helbig, Aaron Wolf and John Shimko have assembled a new band called Booby Trap; performing hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, their debut performance happens in early July…Former Stix and Stones frontman and guitarist Morgan James has announced his new band; the name of the new project is Jagstone…Singer Matt Stoyanoff is parting ways with popular area heavy rock and metal group Avenue Of Kings; the group is currently seeking a new frontman to replace him.
Please send correspondence and recordings to: Jim Price, 1104 S. Catherine St., Altoona, PA 16602. You can also e-mail me at jptheprofessor@gmail.com. And if you’re into social networking, look me up on Facebook. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!
