We’re here! The craziness of the summer season! Music is everywhere – outdoor, indoor, small town, large town, in the backwoods and more! Enjoy this season while you can!
The Pennsylvania Roundhouse Rally roared back into action during Memorial Day weekend at Roundhouse Harley-Davidson near Duncansville. Temperatures were chillier than hoped for, but it didn’t chill the fun vibes that Shallow 9 delivered on the Thursday night Rally kickoff. Singers Erika Ankeny and Mike Stanley; singer, guitarist and keyboard man Ryan Weaver, bassist Mitch Neuder, lead guitarist John Barrett and drummer Todd Harshbarger brought smiles from all ages as they generated their dance party with hits from Tom Petty, Wheatus, OutKast, The Killers, Billy Idol; funk, hip-hop and emo medleys and more…Friday’s Roundhouse Rally festivities included a rock doubleheader, kicked into action by Altoona favorites Half Tempted. Singer and guitarist Ron Dalansky, guitarist and singer Jim Mincin, bassist Todd Batzel and drummer Dan McConnell served up their classic rocking mix over two sets; including tunes from Grand Funk Railroad, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest and more. I liked how Half Tempted started and ended their show with “Hello There” and “Goodnight Now,” the opening and closing numbers from Cheap Trick’s 1978 “At Budokan” live album. Headliners BatterY “The Masters of Metallica” then slammed the lid on the night with their celebration of Metallica, doing numbers from throughout the group’s career. Opening with “Fuel,” BatterY convincingly rocked Metallica’s classics, including “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Sad But True,” “Seek and Destroy,” “Wherever I May Roam,” “Master of Puppets,” “One,” the finale “Creeping Death” and more…And Saturday’s Roundhouse Rally featured a tripleheader, starting with solo artist Bree Gearhart. As always, Bree sang out with total heart as she did original songs plus select covers from Nirvana, Green Day, Nickelback, Lumineers, Journey, 4 Non Blondes and more. Johnstown’s Octane then returned to deliver their brand of powerful rock and hits. Singer Mike Prebehalla, guitarists Kenny Murdick and Ian Kordish-Murdick, bassist Dave Bambino and drummer Chris Jimerson kept the music and pace constant as they fired off numbers from Good Charlotte, Volbeat, Theory Of A Deadman, Skid Row, the Rolling Stones, Shinedown, Whitesnake, a Van Halen medley, Guns N’Roses and more. New England-based Poison tribute Shot Of Poison closed out the PA Roundhouse Rally with a rousing celebration of Poison and their hits. Opening with a 10-minute video telling Poison’s story and including comments from Bret Michaels himself, Shot Of Poison – singer Frank “Fret Michaels” Pupillo, guitarist Bruce “B.B. Seville” Bennett, drummer Phil “Philthy Rokkit” Cefalo and bassist Deano Coolness played all the vital hits – “Ride the Wind,” “I Want Action,” “I Won’t Forget You,” “Unskinny Bop,” “Something to Believe In,” “Fallen Angel,” “Talk Dirty to Me,” “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” where Fret and B.B. handed out roses to the ladies in the crowd. Shot Of Poison delivered their Poison favorites with enthusiasm, pulling all stops to bring the Roundhouse Rally crowd into the party, and sticking around to greet and hang out with fans afterward.
On Memorial Day, I journeyed to Hoffer’s BBQ near Ligonier to catch my first-ever look at the Woods Family Band. Headed by band family patriarch Tim Woods, this group also this day included Tim’s son Derek Woods sharing singing and guitar duties, along with Derek’s bandmate Chris Schaney on bass, Joe Cunningham on drums and Joel Tischuk on keys. With trees shading much of the viewing area and a quiet creek running alongside the stage, the Woods Family Band played lots of blues-rooted rock and classics before a happy and receptive audience. Tim and Derek alternated singing duties throughout the set, and also blended for good-sounding harmonies on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” They also did numbers from CCR, Bob Dylan, the Doors, Rolling Stones, Rascals, The Band and others. The group welcomed guest drummer Matt Zimmerman (who works for Hoffer’s BBQ) on versions of the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” and Rufus Thomas/Aerosmith’s “Walkin’ the Dog.” The natural setting of the Hoffer’s BBQ complex along with the laid-back vibe of the Woods Family Band made this a very pleasant Memorial Day afternoon, and well worth the hour-plus roadtrip!
National 90s-era recording group Sponge returned to McGarvey’s in late May, headlining a triple-bill. Altoona ska-punk celebrants Tom Nevers Field kicked off the night with a feisty set of original tunes. Armed with their horn section this night, these guys triggered some vigorous dancing up front as they fired through such numbers as “Impossible,” “A Night Like This,” “Truth in the Face of Lies” and more. Next was Shallow 9; sans singer Erika this night, the guys broke out a 90s rock set and donned themselves ‘Shallow 90s,” doing numbers from Harvey Danger, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Weezer, Cracker, Blur, Beck and more. From the get-go, it was clear that Sponge was happy to be back on the stage at McGarvey’s. Singer Vinnie Dombroski addressed the crowd early and often, leading Sponge on their mixture of hits and newer numbers – flanked by guitarists Andy Patalan and Kyle Neely, bassist Tim Patalan and drummer Dave Coughlin (formerly of Taproot). Sponge did a number of songs off their “Rotting Piñata” and “Wax Ecstatic” albums, both which are hovering around their 30th anniversaries of release; they did the hits “Wax Ecstatic,” “Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain),” “Have You Seen Mary,” “Rotting Piñata,” “Got to Be a Bore,” and to close the show, “Plowed.” Sponge was driving and high-energy from start to end, and gave the crowd a truly memorable night.
Below normal late May and early June temperatures didn’t chill the spirits at the 27th annual 1st Summit Johnstown Polkafest at People’s Natural Gas Park. As bands and announcers both said on the microphones, dancing to the polka music was one surefire way to stay warm (along with the hot “polka cuisine” of kolbassi sandwiches, halushki, pierogies, pigs-in-the-blanket and more). I got to see three groups perform during my time there, starting with Youngstown, Ohio’s The Zolkas. Though I only saw a few songs, this group’s presentation was bright and had a few folks up and dancing. Next was Chicago-based Tony Blazonczyk’s New Phaze. Celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, they too triggered some dancing with their punchy style of polka music, doing such numbers as the “Happy Summer Polka” (in low 40’s temperatures), “Good Time Charlie Polka,” “Girls Girls Girls Polka” (no, not a polka version of a Motley Crue number, although that would be interesting to hear) and more. And Cleveland’s Don Wojtila Band also heated up the crowd with their bright polka sounds. A highlight of this group is singer Christine Hibbs, who demonstrated an excellent voice on numbers such as “The World Smiles with You” and the ”Red Roses” waltz.
After departing Polkafest, I made my way to Johnstown’s Venue Of Merging Arts (VOMA) to enjoy blues with the Charlie Barath Blues Band. Based around the Pittsburgh vicinity, this group – namesake Charlie on vocals and harmonica, Andrew Sherer on guitar, Joe “Q” Quinlan on upright bass and drummer Bert Lerini – provided an excellent mixture of blues styles over their two sets of music. The group mixed original songs and select covers; the covers frequently tapped classic blues territory, such as Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Keep It to Yourself,” Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s “Kidney Stew,” Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips,” Louis Jordan’s “Knock Me a Kiss,” Jimmy Rogers’ “You’re the One” and more. Charlie also led the group on a few songs from his 2021 album “Just Me and My Friend(s)” such as “Travlin’ Woman” and “High Ball and a Covered Dish,” and introduced new songs from his next album. The musicianship was off the chart; Charlie’s masterful harmonica playing ran the gamut from soft to loud, and from warble to wail, and the group’s song arrangements allowed all four members to shine. This was bright blues music that got heads bobbing, watch for Charlie and his band to return to VOMA soon.
After a seven-month hiatus, the full band roster of the PennSoulvanians returned to action in late May at Altoona’s 4D’s Lounge. Vocalists Michael “DuVille” Thomas and acoustic guitarist Chet Denny, lead guitarist Nate Nagle, saxophonist Lyndsay Reilly, bassist Aaron Kenawell and drummer Randy Sciarrillo returned with swagger as they did their captivating musical stew of soul, funk, hip-hop, reggae, rock and blues. The PennSoulvanians filled the 4D’s dance floor with their popular original songs like “Now,” “Pilgrimage,” “Bounce Back,” “ I Wanna Be Your Man,” “40 Acres,” “Crime to Be Curious,” “Swagger,” “Last Call” and more. This group was happy to be back, and the crowd was ecstatic for their return. The PennSoulvanians play at the Route 22 Rock-n-Blues Festival near Huntingdon on July 12th, and open for Go Go Gadjet at the WingFest at Tussey Mountain finals on August 7.
Steadily rising in popularity on area stages since 2022 has been the Rocket Blasters, who I saw for the first time last month at Altoona’s historic Baker Mansion during the Mansion’s “Sunday on the Lawn” summer concert series. This group brought abundant energy and enthusiasm to the stage – especially guitarist Nash, who provided nonstop movement and frequently jammed on his instrument onstage and in the lawn with the audience; he even did an “Evel Knievel” leap off the stage to launch the group’s rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” Nash, lead singer Stefanie, bassist Martin and drummer Bernie mixed a wide variety of favorites spanning the 1960s to today, delivered with a brisk, new wave-ish edge. The Rocket Blasters entertained the audience with numbers from Pat Benatar, the Byrds, Black Keys, Gin Blossoms, Joan Jett, Donna Summer, Lady Gaga, the Beatles and many more. The Rocket Blasters play at the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College on July 13.
I experienced part of State College’s Rhoneymeade Festival early last month. Named and presented in honor of Centre County pioneer Michael Rhone and his son Leonard Rhone, who founded the Centre Grange Fair in 1874, the Rhoneymeade Festival celebrates people, art, nature and agriculture. Part of the celebration occurred in conjunction with State College’s “First Friday” in the area of Heister Street in State College, with the Heister Street Fair and entertainment happening at Manny’s Live Performance Space (formerly The Saloon). I saw three performing acts during the Heister Street Fair, starting with The Messthetics with James Brandon Lewis. The Messthetics feature two members of Fugazi, drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally, along with guitarist Anthony Pirog; James Brandon Lewis is a solo jazz saxophonist. Together, they fused together jazz and punk stylings to create a unique and captivating sound on several intriguing and intense instrumentals. Next was Combo Chimbita, exhibiting an innovative fusion of Latin and African styles and rhythms with a psychedelic, progressive edge. Four members strong and fronted by Carolina Oliveros, Combo Chimbita blended different musical worlds with their performance, coming up with a new and captivating flavor. Closing the Heister Street Fair was Cleveland, Ohio’s Mourning [A] BLKstar, who also delivered a unique and energetic style and sound. They merged elements of soul and hip-hop with tense arrangements and social commentary lyrics, resulting in a powerful presentation. Mourning [A] BLKstar had the large crowd grooving on their original song selection, including such numbers as “Stop the Liar,” “Can We,” “Flowers for the Living” and more. Inside Manny’s, I witnessed sets by New York-based digital/EDM artist F***ing Machines, a performer called Problems that merged digital backdrops with humorous and nonsensical lyrics, and a three-piece group from Seattle called Terror/Cactus who merged elements of Latin music with electronic music and a touch of the American southwest.
I took in an evening of the annual South Fork Heritage Days festival last month, and got to see two groups in action. I arrived while Krazy Kat Daddies were in the latter stages of their performance. Singer and guitarist Billy Stoppe, bassist Ron Yancey (filling in for Gary Lee Faidley) and drummer Mike Curry sounded very good on their versions of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309/Jenny,” the merger of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine” with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy” (Billy’s guitar solo display was stunning) and Tom Petty’s “American Girl.” Next was my first look at Pittsburgh-based rock group 90 Second Knockout. Singer Lisa Yeloushan was once a member of Altoona punk rockers Coffin Peg; she is joined by guitarists Garry Simmons and Matthew Wilmot, drummer Dana Bish and bassist Marty Ulrich. 90 Second Knockout specializes in punk-geared 90s rock with a touch of 80’s new wave. They entertained onlookers with a wide mixture of tunes from such names as Blink-182, Black Keys, Nena, Weezer, Better Than Ezra, R.E.M., Hole, Rancid, Ramones, Nick Lowe, Cheap Trick and many more. This group sharp and exciting, and triggered some dancing as their two sets progressed.
In spite of an arriving torrential downpour, I braved the elements to check out last month’s Juneteenth Freedom Fest at Altoona’s Heritage Plaza. When I arrived, Altoona’s RighteousNow was ‘singing in the rain’ while a few onlookers stayed dry under a pavilion. Fortunately, the rain soon tapered off. RighteousNow – singer and guitarist Andrae Halsey, his sister Natalie on lead vocals, guitarist Matt Markham, bassist Wes Shriner and drummer Zach Hepner – played a mixture of classic soul favorites plus a few original tunes. Several of the originals showcased Natalie’s potent voice, which displayed passionate soulfulness and range. The group also did numbers from Chris Stapleton, Al Green, Bill Withers, Couch, and – with Phil “Philly Grooves” Wagner joining in on guitar – versions of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” Clearfield’s Innocent Sin continued the music with their soul-driven sounds. The group did numbers from their forthcoming debut album, including the first single, “Smooth Conversation,” which will be issued next month. Singer Carli Jones again displayed a smooth and soulful voice, flanked by singer and guitarist Adam Caldwell, bassist Robert Misho and drummer Adam Moore. Innocent Sin plays at the Route 22 Rock-n-Blues Festival near Huntingdon on July 12.
With Levity Brewing Co.’s Altoona location mere footsteps away from Heritage Plaza, I headed there after the Juneteenth festivities to catch area Celtic rockers Full Kilt in action. A large audience was on hand as lead singer and guitarist Mike Zerbee, bassist and singer Chris Myers, fiddler Mandy Passmore-Ott and drummer Jake Yarnish fired up the crowd with Irish folk and pub favorites, plus their own Irish takes on popular rock and pop songs. Mike was orchestrating the clapping competition on “Whiskey in the Jar” as I entered the room, and the group rallied singalongs on such favorites as “Wagon Wheel,” “Whiskey You’re the Devil,” “Johnny Jump Up,” U2’s “With or Without You,” the requested night-ending version of Smokie’s “Living Next Door to Alice” and more.
Longtime regional jam music specialists Mysterytrain hosted a special weekend event last month near Tipton to remember a fallen friend and member of their extended band family. The “Everybody Loves Head” event celebrated the memory of Tim “Head” Glass, who passed away in December. A number of bands and performers took part in the celebration throughout the weekend; I arrived on Saturday night just in time to see Mysterytrain. This group always amazes me with their instrumental skills, improvisation and ability to generate unique adventures any time they hit the stage. Mysterytrain did several songs from their self-titled studio album such as “Over the Stones,” the Jacob Misra-fronted “Saturday,” “Wheelman,” “What Would It Take” and more. My favorite part of the performance was on one of the longer exercises, when drummer Chuck Bailey and Jacob on percussion engaged in a wild percussion jam, each answering the other with their rhythms, making for an exciting ride! After Mysterytrain, I watched most of the Nick Miller Experience’s performance. Nick again showed his knack for creating backdrops from looping his instrumental components, and then singing and playing guitar melodies over the backdrops. Some of his songs this night included his unique spin on Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks,” Janes’ Addiction’s “Jane Says” and “Been Caught Stealing,” “All Along the Watchtower” and more.
Other performances I saw included Shallow 9’s Memorial Day eve parking lot party outside of Altoona’s Levity Brewing Co…Felix & the Hurricanes twice on Memorial Day eve, first at a private backyard party in Altoona (Thanks Dave for inviting me, I had a great time!) and later at Altoona’s Black & Gold Tavern, and both Greg Burley and Stephanie & the Wild Hearts as they entertained during last month’s “Live at the Museum” event at Altoona’s Railroaders Museum.
News and notes…Festival season is in full swing; 13 bands and artists – including host band Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree – will take part in the 12th annual Wam Bam Mountain Jam, happening on July 5 at a location along East Mountain Road near Port Matilda – admission is free…The annual Route 22 Rock-n-Blues Festival returns July 11-12 to the Lincoln Caverns Campground hear Huntingdon, with 20 bands and performers over both days…Eight bands and performers will partake at this year’s “We Care Music Fest,” happening July 19 at Shawnee Park in Roaring Spring with proceeds benefiting the We Care Foundation of Central PA… The “Rachel Fest” benefit will take place on July 13 at the Community Foundation Oilhouse at People’s Natural Gas Park in Johnstown; the event will help out area musician and healing professional Rachel Allen, who is facing a hip replacement and will not be able to work as she recovers. The event will feature performances from Rachel herself, along with her son Johnny Bayush, Norman Ed and Bo Moore…Longtime Altoona area entertainment venue, The Casino at Lakemont Park, will close its doors after July 5; owner Doug Simon cited increasing financial concerns and lack of local government funding support…Young Blair County rockers The Pines have gone on indefinite hiatus, citing diverging schedules after the members recently graduated high school…Western PA rockers Post Traumatik returned to the recording studio later this month to record the follow-up to their 2020 pro-wrestling anthem “Running Wild,” which saluted Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania; the new song will pay homage to another squared circle icon from the band members’ youth, The Ultimate Warrior…A new album of never-released tracks from 1970s Pittsburgh rockers Diamond Reo has been released; the album, titled “The Diamonds,” features 11 songs from the group’s late 1970s period after their time with Kama Sutra Records…And sad news with the recent passing of popular Delaware/southeastern PA singer/songwriter Christine Havrilla on May 14 after a battle with cancer; she was 55. Christine had been a frequent performer for several years at the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College, and more recently fronted her band Christine Havrilla and Gypsy Fuzz.
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 and like me on Facebook. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC ~All photos on The Professor by Jim Price~