Spring in Pennsylvania…One day the temperature is in the 70s or 80s, and a day or two later the daytime high is in the 40s (and possibly with wind). I’m constructing this month’s writ with the latter weather scenario taking place. Warmth should win the battle during May, setting the stage for an exciting outdoor music season.
The weather was largely cooperative for the lone outdoor event I took part in recently, last month’s fifth annual Cann-A-Toona festival. Sunshine and warmth adorned the cannabis-themed festival, which took place at downtown Altoona’s Intown Square Plaza, and was presented and hosted by holistic wellness shop Tru Healing Concepts. This festival featured multiple informational booths from various health and wellness businesses, along with arts and crafts, food and beverage trucks and live music throughout the day…Kicking off the music was Kevo Can’t Dance (the performance alias of Huntingdon-based singer and songwriter Kevin Quinn). Singing and playing guitar, Kevo performed a number of his original songs with a few select covers mixed in; each delivered in his distinctive punk-edged folk style. Some of his selection included his own creations such as “Mediocre Gatsby” and “Meat Bag Full of Bones,” plus his unique stylings of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit “Downtown,” Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” and more…After DJ Oddio pepped up the festival’s vibe with an assortment of rhythms and beats, new area band collaboration Side FX took the stage. Four established area musicians comprise this lineup – lead singer Mellissa Vella, guitarist and singer Kenny Karlheim, Rich Johnson on bass and Mark Panek behind the drum kit. Side FX blended rock and pop favorites spanning the 1970s through 90s; including numbers from Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Chris Isaak, Pat Benatar, Doobie Brothers, Collective Soul and more…Bringing a heavier-rocking edge to the event was Maul, who spotlighted tunes from their original song catalog. Singer Todd McKeone, guitarists Eric Prindible and Nate Nagle, bassist Tanner Thomas and drummer David Applas introduced their first released single, “Stoning Glass Temples,” and demonstrated their progressive-leaning, hard-hitting rock on songs like “Keep On Spinning” and more…The PennSoulvanians continued by bringing their celebratory vibe via their mixture of soul, hip-hop, rock, blues and more. The group did many of their original songs, including tunes off their 2024 EP such as “Bounce Back” and “Last Call” (with Tru Healing Concepts proprietor Danny Rivera sharing raps and rhymes with the group’s vocal tandem of Chet Denny and Michael “Duville” Thomas), plus other popular numbers such as “40 Acres,” “Day Has Come,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Won’t Be A Third Time” and more. The group’s music also added fuel to the fire of nearby fire-twirling ensemble High Frequency Illusions…Walkney brought the energy with their charged brand of punk-fueled pop and alternative rock. Frontman Derek Mrdjenovich tirelessly strove to rally the crowd and get them moving on Walkney original songs such as the disco-beat “All In My Head,” their new single “Emotion,” “Not My Fault,” “Flower Child,” “Save Me,” “Tourniquet” and more…With storm clouds moving in, Altoona’s Ugmo closed out the day with their jam-rooted rock. Ugmo kicked off their set with the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” before introducing songs off their just-released “Snacks” EP. Arriving rain and a work obligation prompted me to leave at this point, but what I heard of Ugmo sounded good, and I hope to catch them again soon. This was the biggest and most successful Cann-A-Toona festival so far; hats off to Danny and Veronica Rivera of Tru Healing Concepts for presenting this fun event for five years!
I also saw Kevo Can’t Dance indoors as he opened an evening of comedy early last month at Funky Claud’s in Altoona. Again armed with acoustic guitar, Kevo warmed up the audience with many of his original songs with a few covers included; one of his covers this night was the Tommy James & the Shondells’ classic “Crimson and Clover.” Afterward, the “Offensively Humorous Stand-Up” show, presented by Dead Mic Comedy, generated the laughter with performances from show emcee Pumaa, along with funnymen Scott Davidson, Cullen Beatty, John Saxton, Scott Reed, John Bebey and Eddie Barnes. All of these comedians presented different topics and angles, and showed skills in working the audience to trigger the laughter. Based in Altoona, Dead Mic Comedy presents comedy shows throughout central PA, as well as Pittsburgh, New York City and elsewhere.
Another recent highlight was last month’s annual Johnstown visitation by Pittsburgh favorites The Clarks at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center. The venue was already well-packed as new Johnstown area rock foursome Dishevelled kicked off the evening, warming up the crowd with their mix of mostly 90s-era rock favorites. Featuring singer Ryan Yost, guitarist Mike Bowers, bassist Lorenzo Golia and drummer Jason Williams, Dishevelled sounded strong and did a lot of numbers not usually heard on area stages – such as Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “Fall Down,” Creed’s “One” and others. They also introduced an original song, and said they’re working up more and possibly doing a recording soon. The Clarks – founding members Scott Blasey, Rob James, Greg Joseph and Dave Minarik, Jr., plus touring members Gary Jacob, Skip Sanders and Noah Minarik (Dave’s son) – soon followed and took the large and festive audience on a journey through their vast song catalog. They mixed popular and lesser-known songs, older tunes from their 1980s beginnings to newer numbers. The Clarks did pretty much all of the essential ‘hits’ – “Born Too Late,” “Mercury,” “Snowman,” “Penny on the Floor,” “Shimmy Low,” “On Saturday” and their set-closer “Better Off Without You.” When the Johnstown crowd demanded the encore, The Clarks quickly responded with three songs – Scott, Rob and Gary performing “Irene,” the full group rocking out the James Gang’s “Walk Away,” and – with several folks passing their smokeables to Scott – the ever-popular “Cigarette” to finish the night! Like the rest of the house, I was also blown away by how the four founding members have kept this band together and rocking since their formation in 1986-87, and still sink heart, soul, energy, enthusiasm and joy into every song, old and new. I again left at night’s end with the same conclusion I’ve had from previous Clarks shows – it was impossible for me (and probably every other person in this room) to leave a Clarks show without feeling happy! The Clarks are an IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the educational institution where they formed), Pittsburgh and western PA institution. I’m happy I got to see this show, and I wouldn’t be surprised to be back for next year’s visit.
Altoona’s historic Mishler Theatre welcomed Ohio-based Electric Light Orchestra tribute act Turn To Stone to its stage last month. Eight members strong including a four-piece string section, Turn To Stone performed songs from throughout Electric Light Orchestra’s career over two sets, spanning the group’s early 70s classics to their disco-era hits. Opening with their title song, ELO’s 1977 hit song “Turn to Stone,” the group immediately followed with ELO’s highest-charting American hit, 1979’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” before taking the audience back to ELO’s very first 1972 single, “10538 Overture.” Turn To Stone then tapped into ELO’s disco period by playing “Last Train to London” and “Xanadu.” Turn to Stone delivered all the essential ELO hits including “Sweet Talkin’ Woman,” “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” “Do Ya,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Strange Magic,” “Shine A Little Love,” “Telephone Line” (using a rotary phone prop on the stage), “Hold On Tight,” “Evil Woman” and “Mr. Blue Sky” to end their second set. The group also led off their second set with ELO’s dramatic instrumental “Fire On High” and – citing Jeff Lynne’s involvement in the Traveling Wilburys – did a rendition of the Wilburys hit “End of the Line.” When the Mishler audience called for an encore, Turn to Stone responded with their spin on ELO’s second single from 1973, the 8-minute reworking of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven.” Turn to Stone – singer and guitarist Adam Clark, keyboardist and singer Coleman Clark, the father-and-son rhythm section of drummer Bill Heck and bassist Chase Heck, plus the four-piece string section of two violinists and two cellists – sounded accurate and energetic in their portrayal of Electric Light Orchestra’s musical world, and their enthusiasm won the audience.
After the Mishler concert, I high-tailed it to McGarvey’s to catch as much as I could of the “Amplified After Dark” triple-bill…I missed openers Havoc, but did catch my first look at Central PA’s Forgotten Flannel. This group – Aliccia on lead vocals, Eric and Kurt on guitars, Pete on bass and Chris on drums – sank passion and firepower into their selection of 1990s rock and alternative. Aliccia showed a potent voice that could handle everything on their setlist, from Republica’s “Ready to Go” to Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” and “Killing in the Name” plus everything in between. Forgotten Flannel’s tightness, power and intensity won the McGarvey’s audience; hopefully we’ll see them again soon…Altoona’s Toy the Band delivered the goods with their edgy alternative rock originals and select covers. New bassist Andrew Gonsman is fitting in very well alongside founding members Christian Douglas on lead vocals and guitar, lead guitarist Julian Saborio and drummer Kaden Scott Anthony. Toy sounded strong on their song arsenal, including original favorites like “Pariah,” “Chemical Burns,” “Target Audience,” “Until the Day It Does” and more. They also slammed on versions of Green Day’s “Brain Stew” and Nirvana’s “Aneurysm.” What I saw of this was a very good bill, and it provided evidence of this area’s music scene’s rising talent continuing to make their mark!
I also saw Toy at McGarvey’s in late March as half of a double-bill with Altoona’s Abstentious. Both bands tore it up – Toy brought forth some of their new original numbers, showing that blend of melody escalating into agitation; and Abstentious delivered their punk-fueled wildness, including a few new songs and their trademark high-velocity whiplash. The crowd appreciated both, and it was a fun night of energized rock from two area music scene rising forces.
Altoona’s Railroad City Culture Company brought another special showcase event to McGarvey’s in late March. “Queens Of Culture” was a showcase celebrating several talented rising women of this area’s music scene. Despite some changes due to last-minute travel issues and illness for two originally-scheduled performers, this event still turned out great with some excellent performances…Altoona’s Ang Michaelle kicked things off with her set of original numbers rooted in soul, R&B and hip-hop. Her tunes – including “You Said,” “Be For Real,” “Stumble,” “Take Off” and others – were catchy, and Ang had the voice to bring them to life. Guest Izzy 2 Real joined her on several songs plus performed a few of her own numbers after the end of Ang’s set…Next was Alyssa Malvoisin, playing acoustic guitar and displaying her stunning voice and arrangements on a wide variety of original sings and covers – which she described as “genre whiplash.” Alyssa did her own songs such as “Innocent,” “Sober” and “Incidental,” plus made songs by everyone from Ray Charles and Tears for Fears to the Rolling Stones, Roberta Flack, Maroon 5, Ella Fitgerald and Nancy Sinatra her own. Her onstage personality was cheerful and pleasant, as she shared thoughts on each song she performed…The rebooted Kiara Smith Band then shook the house with their sharp and powerful set to close the night. Kiara and her new crew – guitarist Aleksander Maschmidt, bassist Anthony Hipkins and drummer Jacob Greene – packed power and punch on their mix of original numbers and covers. Kiara still delivers a potent and sultry voice up front, and the band was tight and strong. They had the large McGarvey’s crowd – including a sizable contingent from IUP – cheering and grooving for the whole set, as Kiara and company drilled numbers from Nirvana, Marcy’s Playground, KT Tunstall and more; their versions of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and Journey’s “Separate Ways” kicked fresh energy into both numbers. Keep an eye open for all of these performers in the months ahead, as they all have fresh styles and sounds worth experiencing. And big kudos to Andraé M. Holsey and Railroad City Culture Co. for putting together showcase events like this to demonstrate the fresh musical talent this scene has to offer!
Before April 15 and needing to get in the mood to attack my yearly income tax duties, I headed to McGarvey’s for the aggressive power-metal triple-banger featuring Nail Bite, Strange Culture and A Starlite Gray. A Starlite Gray was finishing their set as I arrived, surrounding ferocious and powerful. and this current lineup – frontman Greg Griffin, guitarist and singer Joe Neary, guitarist Jairo Cerritos, bassist Paul Greiner and drummer Andy Melusky – has really come together, and the huge McGarvey’s crowd was digging them…From Quakertown, Strange Culture then delivered their ferocious brand of power metal. Mixing firepower with melody, this group – lead vocalist Nick, guitarist Garrett, bassist Nate and drummer Noah – lit up the crowd with many of their original assaults; including “Remain Gone,” “2 Men 1 Trench,” “Volcano Butcher,” “Looking Glass” and others, and ended their set with two songs that will be on their forthcoming album…Then Lancaster’s Nail Bite…This is my third time seeing them, and again I was blown away by what this powerhouse brought to the stage! This group is stretching the parameters of extreme metal music and metalcore, delivering maniacally heavy songs accented with elements of electronica, theater, wild musical mood swings from mild to apocalyptic and more. Nail Bite’s songs contained these dynamic and unpredictable arrangements, keeping the audience on edge as to when songs converted from mild to mosh! Frontlady Lonna Nelson and guitarist Johnnie Bitting provided the intense vocal displays; Lonna went from soft to ferocious, and she and the group threw total caution to the wind with their volatile stage presence. Nail Bite stirred up moshpit activity several times during their set as they did such song creations as “The Heart,” the title track to their “Nostalgia” album, “No Friend Of Mine,” “Conquered,” “Erase,” their closer “Move” and more. In the midst of all the maelstrom, Lonna tossed a banana out to the crowd! Nail Bite won more new fans and friends with their exciting set, and all the bands brought their best this night, resulting in an excellent show. All three bands will be back in the Altoona area in early August as part of this year’s Mass N’ Tha Grass Music & Art Festival at the Sinking Valley Fairgrounds.
Extreme metal also shook the rafters at McGarvey’s a week later with a full-force four-band bill. Trivia-hosting duties prevented me from arriving soon enough to see the first two bands, The Heathen Parade and Man In Reverse, but eyewitness accounts said both bands brought the intensity. I arrived in time to catch several songs from Pittsburgh-New York collaboration Strangers; their style of metalcore sounded tight, melody-geared and intense. Altoona’s SamarA closed the night by bringing their fierce fusion of apocalyptic metal and hardcore. Lead snarler Travis Weidow, guitarists Rvgg Weibley and Ryan Dunn, bassist Brian Kennedy and drummer Shaun Shumac painted a bleak and unforgiving world both musically and visually. Their metal was intense and unforgiving as they slammed forth original assaults like “World War,” “M.D.C.,” “Reclaim,” “I Am I” and more; against a terse film screen backdrop depicting horror movie scenes, war footage, nuclear destruction and humanity’s wrath upon itself. SamarA has evolved their presentation into a captivating audiovisual armageddon.
I caught up with young power trio Open Ends early last month as they rocked and partied down the masses at the Moonshine Mine Saloon near Nanty Glo. Their first public show in five months, singer and guitarist Tyler Bollman, drummer Gino Passanita and recently-added new bassist Jude Hudkins kept the house happy with their nearly nonstop mix of rock favorites spanning the 1960s through 90s. They triggered busy dance floor action with numbers from Green Day, Poison, Spin Doctors, Black Crowes, Rolling Stones, Refreshments, Rancid, Three Doors Down, Offspring and others. Open Ends’ energy and vigor remained constant from start to finish. After the group finished their last set with a hearty treatment of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s epic “Free Bird,” they answered encore requests by shifting gears into Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” to end the night. Open Ends will be busy this summer with involvement in several festivals and special shows; watch for their return to the Moonshine Mine Saloon soon.
I took in a performance by singer and multi-instrumentalist Dave Mitasky in late March at the Castle Pub in Ebensburg. Dave alternated between playing acoustic guitar, keys and mandolin as he sang a wide variety of classic rock, pop, folk and country numbers. Dave’s setlist included a lot of songs not commonly heard on area stages; including the Amazing Rhythm Aces’ 1970s hit “Third Rate Romance,” America’s “Daisy Jane,” Ace’s “How Long,” King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight,” Poco’s “Crazy Love” and more. Dave’s voice sounded sturdy through it all, and he generated a pleasant response from the audience.
News and notes…AnEmergencyScene and The Brass Factory have announced an upcoming event that features the return of several AnEmergencyScene band favorites. With Altoona’s Post Season active and releasing a new album called “Over Everyone” this spring, AnEmergencyScene and The Brass Factory are presenting a special record-release show on May 30 at the Grotto at the ArtsAltoona Center. Joining Post Season will be with Pittsburgh pop punk tour mates Crash Nebula, along with the return of Altoona’s Anchors to Anchors, the reunion of The Big Time and high-powered area rockers Abstentious…Cambria County rock and pop band Stacy & the Rejects have a new bass player, as Dave Warren recently joined the group, replacing Tom Yannitelli. Meanwhile, the group’s leading duo Stacy and Tony Feighner have also joined a new country music band project called Snake Road…Huntingdon-based rock group Backlash has a new bass player, as Doug Cruse replaces Buck Dickson, who left the group earlier this year…The Lee Miller Experience has added a new member, keyboardist Sam Pagano…Singer Jason Peterman is stepping away from popular area country group K4 Kountry to relocate to Tennessee for a new job opportunity; his last scheduled performance with the group will be on July 3 during the “Mainline Mania” event at Altoona’s Railroaders Memorial Museum…Popular central PA Celtic rock group Full Kilt will soon go their separate ways after a 21-year run on area stages. The group cites changing priorities in the lives of the band members as a chief factor in the decision. Full Kilt will continue to honor their present show dates; their last scheduled show will be on Sept. 13 during the annual Cambria County Arts and Heritage Festival at Duman Lake Park near Ebensburg…Also stepping away from area stages is Altoona-based rock cover band Ages after a five-year run; their last performance is on May 2 at a cancer benefit event at Altoona’s Juniata VFW…Pittsburgh-based metalcore foursome Execution Day, whose members include Altoona’s Matt Bidoli on drums, have announced that their new album will be released next month; the new album, entitled “Misery Loves Company,” will be issued on June 5 by Theoria Records.
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!
