Do I ever get tired of this live music stuff? HELL NO! I may need an oxygen mask by the end of this month! Does it get any crazier? America 250 and July 4 festivities, the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 (the world’s largest operating steam locomotive) passes through central and western PA (And as a railfan, I’m excited!), plus numerous outdoor music festivals in my vicinity – the 13th Wam Bam Mountain Jam near Port Matilda, “Arts Festival Week” with the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College and People’s Choice Festival of Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts in Boalsburg, the Route 22 Rock & Blues Festival near Huntingdon, the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown, and the Rumble Through the Valley motorcycle rally in Johnstown with live bands both days! It’ll be a daunting task trying to experience all of it, but some “Professor’s” gotta do it!
As I look over my adventures in recent weeks, I note that I witnessed a wide variety of music in a wide variety of locations throughout the area – exactly why I love this time of year! Jazz and blues were the prominent flavors during the annual Delaney Chevrolet Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Originally scheduled to happen outdoors in downtown Indiana, the rainy forecast forced organizers to move the event to inside the Indiana Mall. The festival kicked off with performances from four student jazz bands: Indiana Junior High Jazz Band, Knoch High School Jazz Ensemble, Armstrong Jazz Blue Band and the Westsylvania All-Stars. Wanderlost and Craig Davis Jazz had already performed by the time I arrived, and the first act I saw was Pittsburgh’s Norside, who lit up the mall with their exciting mix of blues, jazz and funk. Guitarist Glenn Strother, keyboardist Skip Sanders (who also plays keys as part of The Clarks’ extended live band) and drummer Steve Ippolito displayed a punchy and edgy style of instrumental music with tough grooves and swagger. They roused the audience with their stellar skills and improvisation through such creations as “Campmaster,” “State Of Play,” “Shag Carpet” and more. (Norside will perform at Boal City Brewing Co. in Boalsburg on July 17.) Next up was the festival’s Jazz Headliner from Washington, D.C., José Luiz Martins 4-tet. Originally from Sao Paolo, Brazil, namesake and pianist José – joined by his wife, flutist and singer Alex Hamburger; bassist Alex Browne and drummer Dana Hawkins – brought a colorful and intricate type of progressive jazz mixed with a Brazilian flavor. I didn’t catch a lot of song titles, but was totally immersed in this group’s mixture of rhythms, textures and instrumental communication; at some points it sounded like José’s piano and Alex’s flute were having conversations in a musical language all their own! This group’s overall musicianship was off the chart – amazing! Finishing the festival was the Blues Headliner, Selwyn Birchwood. Excited to be playing his first show in a shopping mall after driving all the way to Indiana from Tampa, Florida, Selwyn and his band brought the heat with their hard-edged mix of blues, soul, reggae and funk flavors. Selwyn displayed a feisty and gritty voice, stellar skills on his guitar and ample enthusiasm as he and his band – sax player Regi Oliver, keyboardist Nick Peters, drummer Henley Connor III and a bass player whose name I didn’t catch – played songs from his latest album “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues” such as the title track “The Church of Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” “Damaged Goods” (during which Selwyn took his guitar into the audience as he strode through the mall) and his closer, “The Struggle Is Real.” Among their other numbers were the title track from Selwyn’s 2023 album “Exorcist” and his scorching rendition of Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen.” Although moved inside the Indiana Mall, this year’s Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival reportedly drew more than 1,000 people to enjoy some great music.
For Memorial Day itself, I returned to Hoffer’s BBQ south of Ligonier to again enjoy the Woods Family Band as part of their big barbecue party! A huge number of folks came out to enjoy the music, the barbecue and the great natural setting – a brook runs through the grounds and the stage is constructed right next to it! Singing and slinging guitars – dad Tim Woods plus sons Derek and Ryan Woods, along with Derek’s bandmate Chris Schaney on bass, Joe Cunningham on drums and Joel Tischuk on keys – delivered lively classic rock and blues to a happy and receptive audience. Their song selection included such favorites as Dave Mason/Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright,” CCR’s “Run Through the Jungle,” the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” Rufus Thomas’ “Walkin’ the Dog,” requests for the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” and the Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out” and much more. The mix of great music, happy vibes, the tasty half rack of barbecue ribs and the natural setting (with one of the coolest bird feeder set-ups I’ve seen) made for an enjoyable afternoon! The Woods Family Band regularly plays Hoffer’s BBQ on both Memorial Day and Labor Day each year…I expect to be back for more!
Polka funtime arrived in Johnstown in late May as the 28th annual Johnstown PolkaFest returned to People’s Natural Gas Park. After cold weather during last year’s PolkaFest, the return of warm weather this year brought more people out to enjoy the mixture of polka music, ethnic food and fun. I took in part of the Friday night festivities, enjoying performances by Klancnik & Friends and the Polka Family Band, who were alternating sets through the evening. As I arrived, Klancnik & Friends – six members strong – had audience members up and dancing with their energetic variety of polka numbers plus a few waltzes. They broke into a hearty medley of polka numbers during their latter set that never gave the dancers any reason to sit down. Based in Bloomsburg, The Polka Family Band also delivered freewheeling fun with their robust mix of polkas and polka-fied popular numbers. Opening their set with Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” and bringing audience members up on stage to play hand percussion instruments during an Ozzy “Crazy Train” tease and CCR’s “Down on the Corner,” The Polka Family Band set a playful and fun tone. They jumped between polkas and polka renditions of Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit,” the Mary Hopkin-popularized hit “Those Were the Days” and more. The group also fired into a medley featuring polka versions of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and more, and they used a Prince “Let’s Get Crazy” intro to lead into another polka. The mix of romping polka fun and the tasty polka cuisine of kolbassi and sauerkraut, pigs in a blanket and pierogies all made for an enjoyable time!
After finishing up last month’s PA Musician deliveries in Johnstown, I headed northward to Nanty Glo for the annual Community Days festival, hosted by the Nanty Glo Fire Department. Providing the entertainment this night were hometown rockers Havoc, who triggered dancing through the evening with their mix of favorites from the 1960s to 1990s. A family band featuring singer Abby Rae, singer and rhythm guitarist Waylon, lead guitarist and singer Wyatt, drummer and guitarist Jozi Lee and bassist Johnny, Havoc raised the musical havoc on stage with favorites from the Black Crowes, Stevie Nicks, Elvis Presley, Kings Of Leon, Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, Tracy Chapman, CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and even the Abby Rae-fronted rendition of Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold.” Havoc delivered a strong performance; their vocals were on target, and both Wyatt and Jozi Lee demonstrated some exciting guitar solo displays during the course of the evening.
Altoona’s Railroaders Memorial Museum hosted the first of their “Wing Fest Express” events early last month. Although stormy weather passed through earlier, the skies were clearing as the evening’s first band, Better Days, took the stage. Lead singer and bassist Zach Estright, guitarist and singer Cameron Irvin and drummer Rory Johnson (their fourth member, Jon Leo, was on the disabled list this night and couldn’t perform) fired up the crowd with their mix of 80s, 90s and 2000s pop punk and emo favorites. Their song selection included numbers from Blink-182, Fountains of Wayne, Rick Springfield, The Outfield, Fallout Boy and more. Half Tempted then cranked up the classic rock; singers and guitarists Ron Dalansky and Jim Mincin, bassist Todd Batzel and drummer Dan McConnell delivered two rock solid sets as they kept folks happy with tunes from Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad, Poison, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Nazareth, the Ramones, Black Sabbath and many more. Highlights included a powerful version of Judas Priest’s “Head Out to the Highway” with Ron’s strong vocal and he and Jim’s harmony guitar leads, also honoring a request for Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” and their Cheap Trick bookends of “Hello There” and “Goodnight” to open and end their performance. Combining three of the essentials of a good time – wings, beer and live music – this “Wing Fest Express” was a fun night.
Community and live music came together on June 19 – Juneteenth – during the Juneteenth Jubilee Block Party and Cookout at Altoona’s Prospect Park. A good number of folks came together to enjoy great weather, check out vendor and community organization tables, savor hot dogs and snacks from the cookout, and check out live music from 8-1-Funk. Introducing new drummer Ethan Dobrowolsky, 8-1-Funk entertained the gathering with new and classic rock, blues, funk and soul. The group did numbers from Chris Stapleton, Finger Eleven, Bill Withers, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson and others. Guest Natalie Nikeo joined the group to display her soaring voice on Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”; other highlights included the group’s rendition of the Black Pumas’ “Colors” and their closing rendition of Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah” to end the day. It was great to see community togetherness this day, and this was an enjoyable event.
Live metal music on a Sunday night is never a bad thing…Such was the case when McGarvey’s hosted the heavy-rocking triple-bill of national recording group Flaw with Hate Grenade and Grampian…Grampian’s opening set sounded sharp, and the group’s fierce and intense execution set the tone for the night…Introducing their new drummer Toby Quick to the Altoona audience, Hate Grenade then blistered with their volatile set. They slammed through numbers from their most recent “iSociety” album such as the title song (which closed the set), the set opener “Hollywood,” “Bind,” “My Hell,” “R/X,” “Chaos Theory” and more. Hate Grenade also introduced one of their new numbers, “Reflection.” Hate Grenade’s performance was again incendiary, and they kept this crowd energized from start to end…Headliners Flaw soon arrived on the stage and let loose with their powerful set of nu-metal original songs. Frontman Chris Volz quickly connected with the audience as he sang and snarled out the words to established Flaw favorites like the set opener “Amendment,” “Recognize,” “Get Up Again” (used in the 2000 Vin Diesel action film “XXX”), “Only the Strong” and “Payback.” Chris took several opportunities along the way to thank the fans for supporting the group and live music. Flaw’s performance sounded consistently powerful from start to end, convincingly slamming the lid on this night.
McGarvey’s also hosted an exciting four-band banger put on by Leon Sohail (whose metal band powerhouse Offensive has graced the McGarvey’s stage several times)…Opening was Trash Pandas from Green Bay, Wisconsin, firing things up with their high-powered mix of rock, punk and metal. Singer Lacey Kroll brought the voice and the snarl up front; flanked by guitarist Jackie Frank Russell III and drummer Derek Foytik. Trash Pandas drilled throttling original tunes, including some from their latest album “Rising Up from a Downward Spiral,” along with a slamming take on Blondie’s “One Way or Another.”…Altoona’s Mashbrotatoe then brought their high-velocity blend of punk and metal. Lead throat Matt Watson, guitarist Phil “Philly Grooves” Wagner, bassist Wes Shriner and drummer Josh Ryan introduced several new original numbers plus scorching versions of CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” Faith No More’s “Epic,” Rage’s “Bulls on Parade” and Helmet’s “Unsung.”…All the way from Tokyo, Japan was power trio Kazha (pronounced “kah-ZAH”), who next dazzled the house with their hard-hitting rock. Classically-trained singer and bassist Kazuha (“Kazha”) Oda displayed an excellent voice as she fronted the group on several original songs and their rocking version of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Guitarist Hideki Matsushige was technically strong and delivered some impressive solo work, while Masaya Yanami played drums. Kazha received a warm welcome and an ecstatic reaction from the McGarvey’s audience; they’ll return on Sept. 19…Leon Sohail’s side project, Project Leo, finished up the night. Some turbulence within the group resulted in Leon and bassist Chris from Offensive joining forces with Mashbrotatoe’s Matt Watson and Wes Shriner (this time behind the drum kit). Opening with a heavy rendering of the Eurhythmics’ “Sweet Dreams,” Project Leo kept the crowd cheering with tunes from Metallica, Black Sabbath and a Misfits number. Overall, a very good show!
Six months after AnEmergencyScene (AES) celebrated their 20th anniversary, they presented another big band bash at the ArtsAltoona Center, featuring several more AES alumni bands – Altoona’s Anchors to Anchors led off with a scorching set. The current line-up – singer Timmy Ickes, guitarists Nick Russell and Paul Junior, bassist Ty Ayers and drummer Danny Morgan – set the tone with a number of their high-velocity, punk-driven original numbers, including “Don’t Look Back,” “Without You” and “Keep Your Friends Close”…Abstentious continued the velocity during their set, mixing new originals like “Almost” and “120 MPH” with older numbers like “Off the Wall” and “Plastic…Five members strong, Pittsburgh’s Crash Nebula kept the crowd attentive and rowdy with their set of punk-fueled rock original numbers, triggering several moshpit moments. Singer Shane Evans, guitarists Jake McClarnon and Mitch Ellenberger, bassist Nick Linder and drummer Tyler McGuire blended solid melodies with hard-rocking firepower…Reuniting after a decade apart, The Big Time charged onto the stage and played a go-for-broke set of their punk-pop original songs. Frontman Derek Mrdjenovich (now fronting Walkney) rallied the crowd into a frenzy as The Big Time savored the moment and played some of their popular numbers like “Imaginary Heart” and “Sick and Tired.” And returning to the stage to celebrate the release of their new album “Over Everyone,” Altoona’s Post Season closed out the night with a jubilant set, playing songs off the new album as well as past favorites. With his father and wife in front of him, singer Dan Tippery frequently thanked the crowd for their support as he and Post Season played numbers such as “Backroads,” “Picture Frame Eyes,” the new song “Foolish Mortals,” “Numb to This” and more. When the crowd demanded an encore, Dan performed an acoustic solo version of a song off the new album, “Lavender Sunset.”
I caught several shows in Centre County recently, including one Manny’s Live Performance Space (formerly The Saloon) in State College. Manny’s brings in a lot of performers whose music is off the beaten path from the mainstream, from various types of roots music to international, ethnic and occasional indie and punk rock too. This night, I watched Gitkin from New Orleans with his band. Andy Tolins opened the night before I arrived. A multi-instrumentalist and Grammy-nominated producer, Gitkin – along with Simon Moushabeck on keys and percussion plus Washington Dale on drums – mixed up an interesting stew. Most of their numbers were instrumentals, with Gitkin singing on a few numbers. Gitkin’s guitarwork fueled the melodies, with Washington and Simon mixing up the textures with colorful rhythms. They blended surf, southwestern and desert flavors with some funk and soul. Some of their music conjured up visions of “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” with a feistier pace but Gitkin took it to different places with occasional Cajun, Latin and Mediterranean flourishes. The Manny’s audience was digging it and some folks danced and grooved along. Manny’s is a good listening room; folks come here to listen and engage with the music.
After the show at Manny’s wrapped up, I walked several blocks down College Avenue to Cafe 210 West for my first look at A Rock Show. Four members strong, they live up to their name – they rock! Comprised of singer and keyboardist A. J. Yost, bassist Chris Kepler, guitarist and singer Mark Hill and drummer Jason Stanko, A Rock Show eagerly slammed out songs from KISS, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blur, Fountains Of Wayne, Joan Jett, Bryan Adams, John Mellencamp and more. As the night went along, business picked up as a lively bachelorette party arrived and quickly occupied the dance floor in front of the stage. A Rock Show seized the moment and kept the party dancing, and soon other arriving folks joined them on the dance floor. A Rock Show delivers a rock show good time; watch for them on Centre County stages.
I made my first visits to Boal City Brewing Co. in Boalsburg in recent weeks, first to see the duo of Kevin Briggs and Bill Strayer in action. Performing outside on the back deck, Kevin and Bill are sounded good as they mixed up classic folk, blues and acoustic favorites with tunes from Kevin’s recently-issued self-titled album. Switching between acoustic guitar and mandolin, Kevin did most of the singing, performing some of his songs off the album such as “Rain Pourin’ Down” and “Shingletown Blues,” as well as songs from Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Levon Helm, John Prine, Jerry Reed and more. Also playing acoustic guitar, Bill sang a few numbers, including an acoustic rendition of Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” The large outdoor audience appreciated Briggs & Strayer; they can be seen on various acoustic stages in Centre County.
I returned to Boal City Brewing two weeks later to see area folk songstress Hannah Bingman and catch my first look at Mexico Road, the rockabilly/roots rock/ honky-tonk project assembled by Van Wagner and Matt Harrison. Both acts alternated sets…Displaying a good voice, Hannah performed her style of rustic and traditional folk-styled music, mixing between newer and older songs. I didn’t catch titles to many of her songs, but I did recognize one of my favorites from her catalog, “Deep Water.” Mexico Road performed many of their original numbers with an occasional cover number – and some surprises – thrown in. They broke out a version of “Hot Rod Lincoln” which turned into a montage of rock’n’roll snippet history, also “Ghost Riders (in the Sky),” a roots rock treatment of the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” versions of “The Battle of New Orleans” and “Ballad of the Green Beret” and more. The group did several of their own, including “Switch Blade” (with Matt doing slide guitar work with a switch blade), the surf rock-edged “Neptune,” “Coal Region Girl,” “Dirt Track Queen” and others. Matt and Van had fun playing their music, and the Boal City audience cheered them on. A severe storm system arrived late in their show, but Mexico Road kept the music going past their scheduled end time until the storm passed.
I headed to the Windber Hotel last month to catch a look at a brand new band, young trio Dogball. I arrived in time to see some of the set of opening performer EMBR, who was doing acoustic versions of songs by Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains, Local H and more. Playing only their second show, Dogball – bassist and singer Gabe Ramach, drummer Isaiah Ramach and guitarist Dylan Berthold – tore it up with loud and rowdy, punk-rooted garage rock. Almost all of their songs were originals, and one of their covers was a sharp-edged version of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger!” Dogball was fearless, delivering “crank it to 11” rawk! Keep an eye open for them!
Other shows I caught recently included the duo of Pat McGinnis and Tom Fronauer as they performed at Andy’s Bar & Grill in Altoona during Memorial Day weekend; the two had fun as they performed a mix of Pat’s original tunes with numbers from Tom Petty, Blind Faith, Bob Dylan and more…And I was able to catch the last few songs at one of the Live Music Preservation Society’s Wednesday open mic/jam night at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society. Some of the players mixing it up on the stage included Don Osborn, Jim Hoffman, Craig Albright, Ray Fedeli, J.P. Hesser, Jason Lieberman on sax, Mark Panek, Bill Hocherl and others.
The area music scene was saddened by the passing of Mifflin County-based musician John “Scott” Hasson on May 27 after fighting an illness. He was 56. Scott had performed in several band projects over the years, and is probably best remembered as the bass player for the Lewistown rock band Mindspell. He also served in the U.S. Navy, and became a firefighter with several fire departments. Details regarding a celebration of Scott’s life will be announced at a later date.
News and notes…A Celebration of Life in honor of area musician Mark Rossi will take place on Sunday, July 12 at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society in Altoona. The event will feature several of Mark’s former bandmates and musical friends, including members from the U.S. Hotel House Band, plus Felix & the Hurricanes, The American Mood, the Mannish Boys, Bruce Schettig, Don Osborn & Friends and Firewheel. A Covered Dish Fellowship Luncheon will also take place. Mark passed away on May 22 after battling health issues…Somerset-based husband and wife acoustic duo J.D. & Cindy were impacted by disaster early last month, after a violent storm toppled limbs from an oak tree onto their home, destroying most of their roof and chimneys. The damage is severe enough that they can’t live in their home, and they are incurring expenses from the repairs and temporary housing. A GoFundMe effort has been established online to raise funds to help them out…After the recent news of Altoona-based alternative rock group Toy the Band ending their run on area stages, a new female-led punk and hardcore band called Salt is rising from the ashes…Lead guitarist Joe Pribesh has is stepping down from western PA rockers Post Traumatik due to personal reasons; a founding member of the band, Joe has dedicated 18 years to their journey…Area rot-and-rollers Roadkill have announced that they have found a studio and will be recording their 12th release in 37 years; more information will be coming soon…Cambria County rock trio Open Ends is nearing completion on their debut album, which should be available later this month; the group is recording their album with David Villani at Altoona’s Data Music Services studio.
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!
