We have crossed the threshold into fall and the area music scene heads back indoors for a little while. Don’t let cabin fever imprison you indoors – make the effort to get out and support live music and the venues that provide it during the upcoming colder months!
Outdoor festivals and shows have kept me busy in recent weeks…One of the big recent highlights for me was taking in last month’s second annual Another World Music Festival, which took place at Winkelblech Fields near Woodward. I attended two of the festival’s three days, witnessing 21 of the festival’s 38 performing acts on two stages. Highlights were plentiful, as every act I saw brought something unique and special to the stage. Magazine space limitations prevent me from going into much detail, but during Saturday’s portion of the festival, I witnessed sets from Astral Shakedown, Miss Melanie (who despite being under the weather, still sounded great!), The PennSoulvanians (with sax lady Lyndsay Reilly back in action), The Sorters, The Jaded Lips, Front and Main, 91 Stitches, Jimkata and Mysterytrain. On Sunday I sipped morning coffee while checking out Penns Valley rockers Dusty Syns, before enjoying performances by KidBess & the Magic Ring, Chicken Tractor Deluxe, Granma Ben (likely their final performance with mandolinist Bryan Homan, who is moving to Florida this fall)…the Sim Redmond Band, Driftwood, PA Line, Cosmic Theo, the Gunpoets, Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, Ma’aM (reaffirming that they are one of the wildest, most unpredictable and fun groups in these parts, accelerating and decelerating between country twang, punk and even metal), and Donna The Buffalo. (Sunday also saw a wedding ceremony for festival organizers Eric and Jill Dash – congratulations!) This festival was well-organized and run, and succeeded in bringing people together to get to know one another and have fun with excellent music as the catalyst. A big hats off to Eric and Jill, as well as all the organizers, volunteers, vendors, bands and folks who attended. It was a great time!
The 2024 PA Roundhouse Rally Summer Concert Series reached its climactic finish over Labor Day weekend, with some unforgettable musical performances and a lucky entrant winning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle…The four-day finale kicked off on Thursday night with a sequel to one of last year’s highlights, as Felix and Company again presented The Mother Trucker Band, a local 10-musician “supergroup” that performed tributes to the Marshall Tucker Band and the Allman Brothers Band. Anchored by the Felix & the Hurricanes contingent of guitarist and singer Felix Kos, bassist and singer Jeff Clapper and drummer Bob Watters; the group also featured Felix’s brother Dick Kos on guitar, Dave Villani on keys and vocals, Kent Martin on trumpet and flute, Jim Fungaroli on lap steel, Randy Servello on drums, Eileen Christman on fiddle and Steve Oswalt on lead vocals. With a large and ecstatic crowd bearing witness, these musicians excelled on both tributes, seizing the moment and celebrating the music of both groups. The musicianship dazzled from start to finish, especially when the Kos brothers brought forth their guitar harmonies on Allman Brothers classics like “Jessica,” “Revival” and “Ramblin’ Man,” as well as the night-ending version of Derek & the Dominoes’ “Layla”…Friday night’s portion of the Roundhouse Rally was filled with grooves and funky rhythms, courtesy of The PennSoulvanians and Shallow 9. The PennSoulvanians did what they do; blending soul, funk, hip-hop, folk and rock elements into an exciting stew of sounds that got folks moving as their set progressed. Sans sax player Lyndsay Reilly (who would return during the group’s appearance at the Another World Music Festival), the remaining band members – singer and guitarist Chet Denny, emcee Michael “Duville” Thomas, guitarist Nate Nagle, keyboardist Brett Fanelli, bassist Aaron Kenawell and drummer Randy Sciarrillo – did favorites from their five-song EP such as “Now,” “Bounce Back,” “Pilgrimage,” “Crime to Be Curious” and their set-closer “Last Call,” as well as other original tunes and a rousing edition of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Shallow 9 then picked up the ball and ran with it, generating a dance party with their mixture of rock, soul, funk, punk, emo and hip-hop favorites. Mike Stanley has returned to the group from his hiatus to mix words, rhymes and verses with leading lady Erika Machiel; with singer, guitarist and keyboardist Ryan Weaver, lead guitarist Nate Nagle (pulling double-duty), bassist Mitch Neuder and drummer Todd Harshbarger providing the instrumental punch behind it all…Three bands took to the Railcar stage during Saturday’s Rally starting with the Kiara Smith Band, who provided their bright blend of rock and pop favorites plus original songs (more about them later). Jack Squat then ratcheted up the rock with their two sets of arena rock favorites from the 1970s and 80s. Singers and guitarists Ron Dalansky and Scott Imler, bassist Todd Batzel and drummer Dan McConnell fired up the growing crowd with numbers from Cheap Trick, Tesla, Scorpions, Kiss, Judas Priest, Nazareth, AC/DC, Skid Row, Whitesnake, Fastway and more. Scott flexed his vocal range frequently, leading Jack Squat on the Krokus double-shot of “Screaming in the Night” and “Longstick Goes Boom” near the end of their performance. Returning headliners to the Roundhouse Rally, the five women of The Iron Maidens brought full-force Iron Maiden classics that held the crowd at full attention from start to end. Singer Kirsten Rosenberg (“Bruce Chickinson”) guitarists Nikki Stringfield (“Davina Murray”) and Alyssa Day (“Adriana Smith”), bassist Wanda Ortiz (“Steph Harris”) and drummer Linda McDonald (“Nikki McBurrain”) delivered Iron Maiden classics in all their fury, from “Number of the Beast” to “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “Wasted Years,” “The Trooper,” “Flash of the Blade,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Aces High,” “Powerslave” and many more…Sunday’s Rally finale kicked off acoustically with Lauren & Joe, leading up to the Burgi’s Low Life Riders charity ride after-party. An estimated 250 motorcycles took part, with the riders raising funds for three area children battling health issues; each of the three families received $12,500 each. Philipsburg-based rockers Zero Tolerance entertained as the riders arrived at Roundhouse Harley-Davidson and enjoyed chicken dinners. Lead singer and guitarist Mike Butterworth, guitarist and keyboardist Jim Force, bassist and singer Paul Cavalier and drummer Spike Morelli cranked up the rock with numbers from Aerosmith, Journey, Tesla, a Bon Jovi medley, Guns N’Roses, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Queen, Motorhead and many more. National touring family group Liliac returned to headline the Rally’s last night, and rocked a full house crowd with their brand of heavy original rock. The rock family Cristea – Melody on lead vocals, Samuel on lead guitar, Ethan on bass, Justin on keys, plus touring drummer Paul Barnes Jr. (subbing for Abigail Cristea) – led off with their anthem “Rise Up” and played several numbers from their latest album, “Madness,” as well as other originals. They also did their renditions of metal favorites from Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Dio and more. Melody showed both vocal melody and ferocity in her delivery, and Liliac delivered instrumental firepower and ample stage movement. When the group got called back at night’s end, they did two encores – the first being a version of Dio’s “Holy Diver.” The PA Roundhouse Rally then concluded with the drawing of an entrant’s name to win a 2024 Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST motorcycle; the name drawn was Shannon Snyder of Altoona.
On Labor Day itself I caught the final day of the annual Forest Hills Labor Day Festival at Berwind Wayside Park in St. Michael (near Johnstown). Area country performers Tombstone were under way as I arrived. The husband-and-wife tandem of John and Brenda Fox share lead singing duties, with John also playing guitar; John Luszik plays lead guitar, Jerry Hodge plays steel guitar, Rusty Gates plays bass and Pat Boland plays drums. Tombstone triggered dancing as they played a variety of classic country favorites from Brooks & Dunn, Eddie Rabbitt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Alabama and Johnny Cash, as well as The Drifters’ “This Magic Moment.” Tombstone also honored requests along the way with renditions of Charley Pride’s “Kiss An Angel Good Morning” and Hank Williams Jr.’s “Family Tradition.” Closing out the festival’s music was the Johnstown Area Button Box Club. Seven members strong this day, the Button Box Club stirred up dancing to a variety of polka and waltz favorites.
I caught much of the first evening of last month’s annual Northern Appalachian Folk Festival in downtown Indiana, with musical entertainment now happening on two stages…I arrived as the Kiara Smith Band was under way. Singer and namesake Kiara and her guitar-playing dad John are both hometown Indiana musicians; joined by lead guitarist and singer Bob Gray, bassist Josh Yahner, and drummer and singer Mike Davis, they did good work on original numbers like “Way Back Home” and “Thief in the Night,” and also their takes on Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet,” Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” and Adele’s “Roll in the Deep”…I next saw Pittsburgh’s Bindley Hardware Co., serving up their “Honky-Tonk Jukebox” of country sounds. Led by namesake Jon Bindley, the group delivered on their honky-tonk promise with original songs such as “Down The Run,” “Deadbeat Daddy,” “Loser’s Wall,” “3-Legged Dog” and more…I then caught the latter portion of Pittsburgh’s Miss Freddye Blues Band’s set. Fronted by namesake Miss Freddye Stover, this group delivered delightfully boisterous blues. A cancer survivor, Miss Freddye exuded confidence with a bright, bold and fearless presence as she led her band on a set of original songs and select covers. I witnessed two of her original songs, “Peace Of Mind” and “Welcome to the Wolf Pen,” before she and her group did vibrant versions of Jonny Lang’s “Lie to Me” and Joe Cocker’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” bringing a rowdy response from the audience…And then there was Black Ridge. It’s been fun witnessing the evolution of this group over the past few years, and their night-ending performance on the 7th Street stage served notice as to just how far they have come. Black Ridge brought the full-force rock’n’soul party from start to finish. Lead singer “Paul G” Guerrini took charge from the get-go, excitedly rallying the festival crowd to get up and have fun. This whole band – Paul G, guitarists Paul Cha and Joey Conner, bassist Cody Lemmon, sax player Tony Lassick, keyboardist Corey Carrozza and drummer Mike Conrad – were totally invested in their mission of firing up this street party, with each member’s face showing smiles and determination. Whether selections from their original song arsenal such as the opener “Live Fast (And Leave A Good-Looking Corpse),” “Blue Collar Blues,” the new single “Sweat,” “Raw Power” and others; or select covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” and Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’” – with festival vice president and treasurer Judy Holliday jumping in to sing lead – Black Ridge brought it on every song, having fun and stirring the crowd into a jubilant frenzy! Even the sudden downpour during the night-closing rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” didn’t phase this band or crowd; they rode it out until the end of the night.
Music fans and other citizens in the Hastings area were able to “save the music” in late August. After local politics resulted in the plug being pulled on the Hastings Beautification Committee’s summer concert series at Hastings Park, another community group stepped in to help out, and the final show of the series, the “End Of Summer Bash,” was restored as the “Save The Music” event in late August. A good-sized crowd of people came out to show their support as four different acts provided the music. The trio of Missy, Rich & Ken kicked things off prior to my arrival, but I did get there in time to see much of solo performer Kenny Jubas’ set. Singing and strumming his acoustic guitar, Kenny displayed a good-sounding voice as he crooned numbers from Bob Dylan, Oasis, Don Henley, Gerry Rafferty, the Little River Band, the Rolling Stones and more. After unexpectedly making my official competitive eating debut in a pie contest (I finished last), I got to enjoy the Lee Miller Experience’s performance. Namesake Lee on lead vocals and guitar, Bob Gray on lead guitar, Josh Yahner on bass and Mike Davis on drums added to the joyful occasion with their blend of classic rock, pop and country favorites. Led by Lee’s solid and smooth voice up front, the group sounded strong on a variety of numbers, from Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time” to Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” to Cat Stevens’ “Wild World,” plus tunes from Fastball, Stealer’s Wheel, CCR, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Denver, Collective Soul, Black Keys, Grateful Dead and more. The Kiara Smith Band closed out the day with their mixture of Kiara’s original songs – such as “Learning to Leave” and “Break Free” – plus classic rock and pop hits. Attendance to this event was strong, providing hope that this event and concert series will be able to return to Hastings Park (or another venue) next summer.
After being cancelled last year due to lack of volunteers, the Sinking Valley Farm Show near Altoona returned last month, thanks in part to new volunteer help from several folks involved with the Mass N Tha Grass Music, Arts & Gaming Festival (which took place at the Sinking Valley Fairgrounds in early August). Live music was again a part of the Farm Show, and I caught much of The Band OZ’s midweek matinee performance. This day’s lineup of singer and guitarist Don Osborn, bassist and singer Bill Hunter, keyboardist and singer Ken Civils and drummer Rick Guyer; OZ mixed up an assortment of classic and southern rock, pop and blues favorites. This seasoned crew sounded solid and tight on their instruments, and delivered good-sounding harmonies – especially on Spirit’s “I Got A Line On You.” Other OZ highlights included their rendition of Steely Dan’s “Black Friday” and Don’s soaring guitar solo work on Gary Moore’s “Still Got The Blues.” The Band OZ also kept folks content with tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel, Grass Roots, Pink Floyd, Marshall Tucker Band, Stephen Stills and more.
I made my annual trek to the annual Harmony Grange Fair near Westover last month to check out Indiana (PA)-based country performers 7 Mile Run. Now the roster of lead singer and guitarist Brian Miller, guitarists Barry Little and Brian Heath, bassist Greg Orr, fiddle player John Powell and drummer John Bodnar, 7 Mile Run brought an energized and enthusiastic performance to this year’s fair with their blend of hard-driving country and rock’n’roll favorites, as well as a few of their original numbers. The group set the tone early with rousing renditions of Jason Aldean’s “Hicktown,” Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love a Rainy Night” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” and kept their party going with favorites from the Eagles, Elvis Presley, Luke Combs, Nate Smith, Zac Brown Band and more. They also mixed in more rock’n’roll with numbers from REO Speedwagon, the Rolling Stones and Rick Springfield, and did some of their own songs such as the uptempo “Til Sunday Rolls Around,” the ballad “Here With Me” and more. 7 Mile Run fired up the crowd and received good response, and when the crowd demanded more at the end of the night, the group answered with Alabama’s “Mountain Music” and a feisty take on Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
I ventured a bit further west last month to check out the hot double-bill of Lone Crow Rebellion and The Shiners during the Twin Lakes Park Summer Concert Series near Greensburg. Lone Crow Rebellion started the evening strong with their solid display of blues and blues rock. Singer and guitarist Greg Long, keyboardist and singer John Samanka, bassist Pete Horm and drummer Jason Sopic introduced several numbers from their new CD “Coal Train Blues” including the title song, “Blues for Better Days,” “Sneaking Out,” “Shame Shame Shame,” “The River,” “Great Day for Singing the Blues,” “Cruise” and more. They also did some material from their previous album, and introduced a brand new song called “Preacher’s Son.” They also mixed in a few select covers such as renditions of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain Of Fools,” Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and “Superstition,” the ZZ Top double-shot of “Just Got Paid” into “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” and Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man.” Lone Crow Rebellion’s execution was instrumentally sturdy; John’s keys provided extra flourishes and helped color the songs’ various moods, and Greg sang his words with grit and purpose. The Shiners followed with an excellent set of their blending of country, folk and southern rock. Singers and guitarists Rob Keller and Jim “Slim” Varhola, fiddler and guitarist Ben Mainhart, bassist Larry Antinozzi and drummer Dave Marshall performed a number of their original songs, including new ones such as “Blood in the Mine” and “Little More.” They also played songs from the Eagles, Tyler Childers, Willie Dixon, plus versions of Jerry Reed’s “Amos Moses” and Marshall Tucker Band’s “This Ol’ Cowboy.” The Shiners built momentum as they went along, reaching an intense high when they introduced a new original song about PTSD, which erupted into a drum solo by Dave and a hard-driving finish. When the audience called for an encore, The group delivered two more – a hearty rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” and then another newer original, “Slow With You,” to slam the lid on the night. This show was well worth the road trip!
Several area performers and acts donated their talents to help out Huntingdon County United Way during last month’s “Melodies & Brews: A Night of Giving Back” benefit at Juniata Brewing Company in Huntingdon. Dylan Miller kicked off the afternoon before I got there, but Bedford-based singer and songwriter Devin Sherman took the stage as I arrived. In his cordial and casual manner, Devin played a musical assortment ranging from one of his original songs, “My Own Damn Blues,” to numbers from Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, John Lennon and others. With his drum kit already set up next to the stage, Nick Miller tapped out some beats behind Devin’s rendition of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Next was solo keyboard artist Steve Dixon, who demonstrated a soulful, expressive singing style and agility on the keys as he performed a variety of classic rock favorites. Steve offered up some songs you don’t frequently hear on area stages – Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Jim Croce’s “Operator,” Gary Portnoy’s theme from “Cheers” (“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”), Little Feat’s “Willin’,” Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” plus more. Nick Miller again provided extra rhythm on Steve’s renditions of Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar” and Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic.” Lauren & Joe Acoustic continued with their wide range of sounds from artists spanning Creedence Clearwater Revival to Peter Gabriel to John Prine to Incubus, Miranda Lambert and more. The husband and wife duo of Lauren Johnson and Joe George honored some requests and broke out some curios such as the Chris Cornell version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The Nick Miller Project then looped together some captivating original tunes plus his distinctive variations on numbers from Jane’s Addiction, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Bree Gearhart followed by singing her heart out on numerous original songs and a few select covers. I then caught my first look at Huntingdon singer and songwriter Derek Heidel, who showed his powerful and emotional voice on country-flavored original songs plus unique variations on numbers from Brooks & Dunn, David Allan Coe, Tyler Childers and others. Harley Rae Heffner then closed out the event by belting out country and other favorites, including songs from Nirvana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bon Jovi and more. “Melodies & Brews” successfully raised $700 toward Huntingdon County United Way and its services; hats off to Kevin Quinn on production, the musicians, as well as Sean Steeg, John Tkach and everybody else who made this inaugural event happen.
Other performances I caught included the tail end of a Friday the 13th multi-band punk-rocking throwdown at McGarvey’s, as Abstentious closed out the slamfest…And I got to share my wasted percussion talents with Colton Fouse’s Wasted Talent in late August at the Roaring Spring VFW.
We sadly report tragic news from the Pittsburgh music scene, as Christian Sluka, the bass player for young Pittsburgh hard rock power trio Osprey, lost his life on Sept. 21 when his motorcycle was struck by a car in a hit-and-run crash in Pittsburgh’s Dormont section; Christian was 23. Christian and Osprey had just released their debut single, “Oji-Wan.” A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise funds to help Christian’s family with funeral expenses… Tragedy also struck area musician and studio operator Rik Golden, as he, his wife Laura and family lost everything in a house fire on Sept. 21. Generous donations to a GoFundMe campaign have helped the family secure stable housing until their home can be rebuilt.
News and notes…Halestorm announced that they’ll be joining Iron Maiden for several dates on their “Run For Your Lives” 2025 Tour; tickets for European dates went on sale last month…7th Virtue, the Backyard Rockers, Steve Oswalt Joyful Noise Acoustic, Fortune & Glory, Downfall, 100 Proof, the Snake River Band and Bone Jacked will donate their talents for the “Knock Out Cancer for Rodney Patterson” benefit on Nov. 2 at Altoona’s Newburg Fire Association Social Hall; all proceeds will help Rodney with his medical expenses…Another of Pittsburgh’s live music venues will close its doors by the end of this year, as Club Café – which has hosted such names as Tori Amos, John Mayer, Norah Jones, the Avett Brothers and more – ends its 25-year run…In recognition by the Department of Defense for his musical outreach to veterans across the country, Altoona area country favorite Ricky Lee will receive the Seven Seals Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, an agency of the defense department, on Oct. 13 at Ginger Betty’s Bakery in Quincy, Massachusetts…Altoona native, singer and songwriter Ellie Irwin has released her debut album, called “I Always Wanted It to Be You”; now based in Los Angeles, Ellie is performing at various venues with her band…And new Pittsburgh area rock group Nowhere Wolves – comprised of members from four previous Pittsburgh band projects – will issue a self-titled live debut album in November.
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!
