Autumn has arrived…Live music will soon retreat back indoors after the middle of this month, so enjoy the outdoor festivals and other music events while you still can!
The PA Roundhouse Rally closed out its 2025 season at Roundhouse Harley-Davidson near Duncansville with a four-day Labor Day weekend finale that culminated in the giveaway of a new 2024 Harley-Davidson Breakout motorcycle…The first night, Thursday, was Bike Night and featured the return of “Felix & Friends.” The Felix & the Hurricanes roster – lead singer and guitarist Felix Kos, drummer and singer Bob Watters, and returning bassist and singer Bill Nusom – was joined by Dick Kos on guitar and Dave Villani on keys. This lineup brought some fiery classic and southern rock with favorites from the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Blackfoot, Grand Funk Railroad and more…Day Two’s music launched with Altoona’s 7th Virtue, who brought high-powered 70s and 80s rock and pop. Singer Lynne Deyarmin, guitarists Rob Lynn and Dale Perino, keyboardist Therese Perino, bassist Kelly Montgomery and drummer Randy Deyarmin rocked the railcar stage with numbers from Pat Benatar, Janet Jackson, AC/DC, Quarterflash, Lita Ford, A-ha, Poison, Joan Jett and more. Up later, Big Apple-based Aerosmith tribute group Last Child NYC lit up the Roundhouse with “The Best Bad Boys of Boston Tribute” I have ever seen! The group’s “Steven Tyler,” Bobby Mann, delivered the voice, the sass and the swagger up front as the group performed classics and favorites from throughout the Aerosmith catalog. This entire band was skilled, and drummer Tommy Frustieri brought the thunder with an excellent solo during the group’s version of “Walkin’ the Dog.”…Day Three – Saturday – featured a classic car show courtesy of Mel’s Classic Cars, and – making their first Roundhouse Rally appearance – Johnstown’s That Oldees Band provided the perfect soundtrack with their punchy brand of vintage rock’n’roll. Singers Joe Chon and Lisa Richardson, keyboardist Jim Smedo, guitarist Paul Stephenson, bassist Tony Piskurich and drummer Paul Carpenter triggered some early dance floor action with hits from the Four Tops, the Beach Boys, the McCoys, Del Shannon, the Crystals, Clarence “Frogman” Henry and more. Donny Burns & the 3rd Degree followed with their hard-driving variety of original songs plus rock, pop and country favorites. The group’s big surprise this day was their spirited rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” with its dramatic pause before the homestretch, which then veered into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” to close their set. Then “Straight Outta Lancaster,” The Amish Outlaws launched the audience into full party mode with their high-energy everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mix of hits and favorites, spanning everything from Poison to Jackson 5 to the Bee Gees, Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Motley Crue, System Of A Down, Prince and many more…The last day, Sunday, started with the annual Burgi’s Low Life Riders’ annual charity ride, raising funds for area children in need. The music started with the Roundhouse Rally debut of The Evergreens from Johnstown, who commenced the musical fun with classic hits and favorites done in their own distinct and pleasant style. The Jaded Lips followed with their high-powered mix of rock, funk and soul, including original songs and classics from Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith, Black Crowes, the Rolling Stones and more. The Amish Outlaws then turned up the musical party again for the second night in a row, with a totally different set of tunes from previous night. This edition included favorites from House Of Pain, the “Grease” movie soundtrack, David Bowie, Ratt, Kiss, Nine Inch Nails, Johnny Cash, the Dropkick Murphys and many more. As with the night before, these Outlaws kept the huge crowd festive and happy. The Roundhouse Rally then closed with the drawing of the winner of the new Harley-Davidson Breakout motorcycle…(drum roll)…Nancy Fanella of Hollidaysburg! A 501-C3 charity, the PA Roundhouse Rally benefits veterans and children’s groups in the Blair County area.
The 6th annual Homegrown Music & Community Festival took place early last month at People’s Natural Gas Park in Johnstown, raising funds for three Johnstown area charities. I arrived in time to see the last two songs from openers and festival hosts Even The Odds, who sounded strong on versions of 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up” and Blink-182’s “Dammit. Next up was Habatat, demonstrating their blend of rock, jazz, funk and worldbeat sounds. Habatat introduced a number of colorful instrumentals and new original tunes; each demonstrating instrumental improvisation and nuances, variable grooves and more. The Derek Woods Band then performed a mixture of their original songs and select classics. This was my first time seeing the group’s new saxophone player, Justin Benzino – he was nonstop energy, even stepping off the stage and taking his game out into the audience! Another big highlight of this performance was when Derek’s brother, Habatat frontman Ryan Woods, joined the group onstage to jam with his sibling on the Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower.” Finishing the festival were the headliners, Rusted Root singer Michael Glabicki with Dirk Miller. Michael sang and played acoustic guitar, accompanied by Dirk on electric guitar; the two performed a number of Rusted Root numbers plus a few new songs such as “Heartache,” which will be on Michael’s next album. Michael flexed his voice from low to high, at one point reaching Tibetan-styled deep voice lows on “Man Not Machine.” Their set built to the ecstatic high when the pair launched into Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way,” with Dirk accompanying Michael on pennywhistle. When the audience called for an encore, Michael and Dirk sent the crowd on their way with an ecstatic rendition of Rusted Root’s “Ecstasy.” All proceeds from the Homegrown Music & Community Festival benefit Operation BeYoutiful, the Jessie Gordon Tree Of Life Fund and the Luke Patton Fund.
I also took in the final day of last month’s three-day Another World Music Festival at Winkelblech Fields near Woodward. Again this festival provided a wide variety of musical flavors, set in a comforting rural environment. Music took place on two stages throughout the weekend. I arrived as The Sorters were performing on the Grace Meadow Stage, demonstrating their roots/pop-geared original song selection. Some of their songs included “Pandemic at the Disco,” “Don’t Hit on Her Man” (inspired by a catfight the group witnessed during one of their shows), “Materialistic Me,” “Later Man” and more. I then headed to the Walnut Grove Stage to see StoneMan with their brand of piano-driven rock. They mixed new and older originals with numbers from Steely Dan and Pink Floyd. Among the newer originals was the edgy “Stealing Minds,” with guitarist Nick Miller’s lyrics railing against the big government machine; also “Same Place, Different Time.” The group finished their set with the Nick-fronted rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” I returned to the Grace Meadow Stage to see some of Adam & the Armadillos’ set, showcasing their fresh mix of honky tonk originals and covers. Back to the Walnut Grove stage I then headed to see Ithaca, New York’s Cielle On Solid Ground. Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Cielle (Catherine Layton), the group performed original bluesy and folk-infused rock. Cielle displayed a hearty and passionate voice up front; her band’s ace up the sleeve is multi-instrumentalist Joe Smellow, who played different instruments on nearly every song, including harmonicas, flutes, didgeridoo, guitar, piano, melodica and more. I then finished the night back at the Grace Meadow Stage, first catching the last few songs of Rochester, New York reggae performers The Medicinals, and then the finale with central New York-based, roots-geared favorites Donna The Buffalo. Crafting their distinctive style and sound since 1989, Donna The Buffalo – singer and multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins, guitarist and singer Jeb Puryear, organist David McCracken, bassist Ted Pecchio and drummer Chris English – played original songs from throughout their catalog. Among the highlights was guest Maddy Walsh (from Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, who played earlier in the weekend) joining Donna The Buffalo to sing lead on their hopeful song “Look Up.” As this set progressed, a community of dancers (myself included) got their groove on in front of the stage. I noticed numerous smiles, laughter, and a diverse and dancing crowd unified by the thread of music. This was not lost on Jeb, who took a moment to comment that – during a time when our society has endured turbulence from recent violence in the news headlines to the divisions that continue to plague us – here was a gathered community enjoying the moment and each other, with music as the connecting and healing force. That vibe prevailed through the remainder of Donna The Buffalo’s set. The festival’s website states that this event strives “to be instrumental in creating a world for everyone to come together united as one human race.” Based on what I witnessed, the Another World Music Festival appears to be reaching that goal.
State College’s 11-musician ensemble Coal Aly brought their fun, brass-driven sounds to Hollidaysburg’s Canal Basin Park early last month to close out the “Music in the Burg” summer concert series. This group – singers Cat and (newest member) Meredith, guitarist and singer Wesley Neville, keyboardist Dan Silver, bassist Eric Bengston, drummer Doug Stephens, and “The Steel Rail Horns” contingent of trumpet player Max English, baritone sax player Karl Polka, sax player Nate Penven (filling in for Markus Polka), trombonist Declan Flanagan and tenor sax player Kurt Wartenburg – laid down great-sounding funk, soul, rock and jazz grooves, delivering energy, enthusiasm and fun to the large audience. Coal Aly played brass-driven classics from the Ides Of March, Lighthouse, Chicago and Tower Of Power; also classics and hits from Joe Cocker, Blondie, Buddy Miles, Amy Winehouse, Toto, Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and more. Their performance was lively and busy, and the Hollidaysburg audience cheered louder as the show progressed.
I finally made it to my first fair of the summer last month returning to the annual Harmony Grange Fair near Westover (Clearfield County). On the stage this night was Heather Olson & the Silver Eagle Band. Heather established herself as a solo singer in 2006 and played shows around the state, and also began to do a tribute to late country great Patsy Cline, before joining the Silver Eagle Band in 2017. This night, Heather and the Silver Eagle Band – drummer Gary Turner, lead guitarist Mike Russell, bassist Phil Ponish and rhythm guitarist Bob McCloskey – entertained onlookers with a mixture of country, classic rock, oldies and southern rock. Their performance was upbeat and pleasant; Heather led the group on several Patsy Cline numbers such as “I Fall to Pieces,” “Crazy” and “Walking After Midnight,” and they did hits from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Manfred Mann, Tommy James & the Shondells, Eddy Arnold, B.W. Stevenson, Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash and many more.
I got to be both performer and spectator during last month’s Fall Festival of the Arts event at Marian Heights at Garvey Manor near Hollidaysburg. Arts and crafts vendors, food and refreshments, kids activities and live music were all part of the day. I missed the early sets by Bill Wandersee and James Grove, but arrived to see Devin Sherman performing his acoustic selection of rock and blues numbers. I then went from spectator to performer with my Backyard Rockers bandmates Rich Dasch and Pete Wolf; we performed numbers from Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Steve Earle, the Beatles, Elton John and others. Pete’s wife, Lisa, joined us on our last song, “Wagon Wheel,” transitioning into Pete and Lisa’s acoustic duo Firewheel. They performed folk, rock and pop favorites spanning Sandy Denny, Stephen Stills, John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Alanis Morisette and more. Strings – lead singer and guitarist Mike Shank and guitarist Dave Lamb – then demonstrated their relaxed and gentle variety of 1960s classics by the Everly Brothers, the Rascals, the Beatles, the Youngbloods, the Classics Four, Peter & Gordon, Bread and more. Finishing the day was Saxton-based singer and songwriter Little Jimmy Melonballer. I enjoyed Jimmy’s personable and witty songs; including the late summer seasonal favorite “Stink Bugs,” as well as “Mind Your Manners, “Henrietta,” “Prettiest Girl in Saxton, and Jimmy’s growing epic tale “Don’t Waste Your Wish On Me.”
I caught up with Cambria County party rockers Stacy & the Rejects last month as they kept the dance floor crowd happy at Johnstown’s Westwood Bar & Grill. Namesake and lead singer Stacy Feighner, husband Tony Feighner on lead guitar, bassist Tom Yannitelli and drummer John Tedeski brought continuous energy with their mix of classic and newer rock and pop favorites. Stacy displayed a potent voice throughout, leading the group on songs from Duran Duran, Cranberries, Scandal, Walk The Moon, Pat Benatar and more. Her bandmates can sing as well; Tony fronted the group on Roxette’s “She’s Got the Look,” Tom sang lead on Blink-182’s “All The Small Things,” and John brought the voice on Drivin’ N Cryin’s “Fly Me Courageous” and Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin.’” Stacy & the Rejects perform throughout Cambria, Blair, Indiana and Somerset counties.
I caught my first look at a young and aspiring singer and songwriter, as Alyssa Malvoisin entertained a wing-eating Thursday audience at McGarvey’s in late August. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance; Alyssa displayed a fine voice with punch and range, and performed an eclectic range of material – covering everyone from the Eagles and Beatles to ELO to Frank Sinatra to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, the Shirelles, Toni Braxton and more. She also introduced a few original songs along the way. Alyssa confidently sang her material, and eagerly shared her perspectives on each song she did, and was well-versed on popular music history as well. Alyssa Malvoisin’s appearances on area stages seem to be increasing, so catch her show and witness a young talent on the rise!
Other shows I witnessed in recent weeks included a weekend of double-bills at Altoona’s 4D’s Lounge in late August; the Friday side featured Altoona’s Jaded Lips and Pittsburgh’s Rattle Bones, and the Saturday bill paired new Altoona area emo rockers Better Days (playing their second show, sounded strong!) with New York’s Sound Of A Smirk…I saw Xorillion bring maximum 90s-era rock to the stage at Funky Claud’s (former Kryptonite) last month…and longtime Pittsburgh punk rocking force The Cheats as they returned to McGarvey’s last month, with Lock Haven’s Two For Flinchin’ opening.
News and notes…Bedford’s Seize Fire will provide the music for the “Rock The Farm” benefit event on Oct. 25 at Palmer Farm and Retreat in Bedford; proceeds will benefit the veterans charities Side By Side with Veterans and At Ease Retreat…Chris Woodward & Shindiggin’ are shindiggin’ to a new drummer, as Cooper Harris replaces Scott Kinsey, who is taking a breather from behind the kit…Shortly after drummer Trey Boore’s departure, singer Jordan McCaulley has also parted ways with Altoona-based blues/psychedelic rockers Sweet Desire…Toy the Band’s bassist, Adela, will depart the group soon to attend graduate school and continue her studies in the field of mental health…Western PA rockers ConTagious and singer Paul Hearn have parted ways.
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!
