As the outdoor temperatures during Labor Day indicated, the Summer of 2025 is breathing its final gasps as autumn starts stepping in the door, and another outdoor live music season begins to wrap up. Enjoy the outdoor events while they last!
As usually occurs in late summer, I took a few days early last month for that elusive thing (at least for me) called “vacation.” I spent some time in northeast PA near Scranton, and on one of the days I ventured over the state line into New York to make my pilgrimage to the Bethel Woods Center of the Arts and the Woodstock Music Festival Site. The museum was well worth the visit, and I gained a more complete perspective of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, and the perfect “storm” of circumstances that came together to make this festival the iconic, one-of-a-kind happening that it was.
Two moments during the visit resonated strongly with me…First was when I read on one of the walls a story about how – due to the big thunderstorm and traffic gridlock-related chaos that forced shifting of schedules and performers’ start times during Woodstock – there wasn’t a totally accurate record maintained on the order in which the performers played…until nearly 40 years later, when a young fan’s journal surfaced, listing and verifying the complete order of the performing acts from start to end. This got me thinking about what I do when I cover events each month for PA Musician – I write down performer names, their order during a given show, and song titles. Until I read about that young fan’s journal, I never considered that when taking notes at shows, I’m actually recording history! And while it would be extremely unlikely that I would ever chance into recording information about an event as huge, historically and culturally significant as Woodstock, I decided that I won’t discard my notes and writings any time soon!
The other moment happened as I was readying to leave the Woodstock Monument near day’s end. A car pulled into the lot and parked next to me. An older gentleman stepped out of the car and said hello to me. We casually started chatting, and I learned that he was a longtime resident of the Bethel area who actually worked at Woodstock! He told me he helped with security duties early that weekend, but after the first heavy thunderstorm and rains led to folks being stranded in mud and running out of food, he became a food runner who obtained produce and other food from nearby farms and stores and transported them back to distribution points for folks who needed them. (He knew where the farm roads were and how to avoid the gridlock on the main roads.) He shared a number of behind-the-scenes stories with me during our chat, and meeting him provided the exclamation point on my visit!
I continued to jot down notes and take photographs while attending a number of festival events in recent weeks…including the two-day AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in late July at People’s Natural Gas Park in Johnstown. Both days provided plentiful highlights, as the caliber and quality of performers rode at a constant high from start to finish. Setting the tone early while making their first Flood City appearance was Wanderlost, who kicked off Friday’s music on the Somerset Trust Pavilion stage. Lead singer and keyboardist Dustin Rainey, sax and flute player Dan Hutton, bassist Mike Kokus and drummer Jason Olear brought smiles to faces with their smooth and catchy fusion of rock, jazz and pop flavors, as they introduced many of their original songs plus a few select covers…Pittsburgh-based blues dominated the nearby Services Inc. CFA Oilhouse stage this day, first with The Buckle Downs introducing their blend of soul, rock and blues. Singer Kiki Brown showed a potent voice as the group mixed soulful originals with their versions of numbers from Bob Dylan, the Beatles and even a snippet of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” Miss Freddye’s Blues Band soon followed with their feisty display; Pittsburgh’s “Lady of the Blues,” Miss Freddye Stover led her group on a variety of boisterous, robust blues numbers, including a rendition of Joe Cocker’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” And closing out the stage later on, Pittsburgh trio King’s Ransom scorched with electric blues, mixing blues, blues-rock and originals. Guitarist and singer Craig King, bassist Jack Rhyner and drummer Glenn Ianaro fired off numbers from B.B. King, John Mayall, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Lenny Kravitz, and an original song, “Maniac in a Minivan.” Also on this stage I caught my first look at Pittsburgh-based Dream The Heavy, featuring Johnstown’s TK Mundok on vocals; they introduced the audience to their own distinctive musical world, merging alternative rock elements with other flavors, unexpected twists and turns, and more…Meanwhile on the Bud Light Main Stage, three bands that toured together last year – New Jersey’s Dogs In A Pile, L.A.’s Andy Frasco & the U.N. and Baltimore’s Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – played consecutively, each taking the audiences on energetic, improvisational musical journeys. And as these groups were already friends from their tour, they cross-pollinated during each set, guesting during each others’ sets. Also joining in the fun was the festival’s “Artist at Large,” Jennifer Hartswick, who contributed trumpet and vocals; as well as Washington, D.C.’s Natalie Brooke, armed with her keytar. All three bands had one more surprise; soon after Pigeons Playing Ping Pong concluded their set, all three bands returned to the stage to honor the memory of Ozzy Osbourne with a nearly 15-minute jam-infused and rocking rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Natalie Brooke and her band then ended Day One with a charged and funk-laced late-night finale on the Pavilion stage.
More was yet to come with Flood City’s Saturday line-up. I arrived at the Oilhouse stage in time to see New Jersey-born, Philadelphia-based blues lady Katie Henry and her band, who delivered a rousing set of hard-stomping blues and blues-rock. They mixed plenty of original blues-rocking originals with their takes on songs from Bill Withers, Leadbelly, the Doors, Rolling Stones and more…Next on the Pavilion stage, I saw Nashville’s psychedelic newgrassers Sicard Hollow. Four members strong, they took the audience on a colorful journey that blended traditional bluegrass and newgrass flavors with jam improvisation, stretching several of their original numbers into lengthy, feverish adventures…I then returned to the Oilhouse stage to see Johnstown’s own Screech Owl as they showcased their roots-based original songs, including several from their new EP “Don’t You Follow Me Home.” Next, I proceeded to the Main stage to see Denver-based sextet The Motet, who had a vast audience moving and grooving to their fusion of funk, jazz, soul, dance and jam grooves. Guest “Artist at Large” Jennifer Hartswick joined The Motet’s singer Sarah Clarke to belt out a version of Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately.” Under the Pavilion stage, LaMP – the acronym name for musicians Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger and Ray Paczkowski – then performed an all-instrumental set blending hard-edged funk, rock and soul. Their constant grooves kept the audience engaged; even as a fierce thunderstorm was approaching the area. As the skies grew darker and lightning flashed in the distance, many music fans awaiting Gov’t Mule’s performance at the Main stage retreated under the pavilion, giving LaMP a huge audience. A very close lightning shot behind the stage startled a number of people, but the severe tempest didn’t stay long and advanced eastward, causing only a slight delay in the start of Gov’t Mule’s performance. My first time seeing Gov’t Mule, I was immediately hooked by their powerful fusion of southern-flavored rock, funk, blues and fusion; as well as Warren Haynes’ strong guitar and vocal presence. Opening with a stern-toned reworking of the Staple Singers’ “Hammer and Nails,” Warren, bassist Kevin Scott, keyboardist Danny Lewis and drummer Terrence Higgins (filling in for the sidelined Matt Abts) played numbers from throughout the group’s catalog, throwing in a few surprises along the way. They broke out familiar numbers such as “Rocking Horse” and “Mule,” and dug into the Beatles catalog for versions of “She Said She Said” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.” A surprise highlight was when Kevin started the familiar creeping low bass line that triggered their tribute to the just-passed Ozzy Osbourne, a rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Hand Of Doom.” Gov’t Mule tapped into the Allman Brothers catalog for one of Warren’s creations, “Instrumental Illness,” when the group was joined onstage by “Artist at Large” Jennifer Hartswick to play some trumpet. When the huge Flood City audience demanded the encore, Gov’t Mule quickly responded with two songs; “Mr. Man” and another song Warren created while with the Allman Brothers – “Soulshine,” which escalated into a full audience sing-along to close the set. Then providing the late night finish to the festival was Philadelphia-based trio Octave Cat, who fired up the funk, jazz and electronica dance party to slam the lid on the night and this year’s festival.
The following day, the 10th annual Vets Fest happened at Altoona’s Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society, raising money and awareness of veterans’ issues with proceeds benefiting area veterans through the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 967. Music was a large part of this day…After singer Anna Oberneder led off the afternoon with her singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” (she would sing other patriotic songs between bands later), the Backyard Rockers kicked things off. With singer and guitarist Rich Dasch unavailable this day, the duo of singer, guitarist and harmonica player Pete Wolf and yours truly on djembe percussion and backing vocals prepared a few different songs for this set, doing renditions of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” Emerson Lake & Palmer’s “From The Beginning” and the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin,” along with Pete’s original song “Idle Mind.” Following the arrival of American Legion Riders of PA Alexandria Post 520, The Band OZ performed their mix of classic rock and blues; doing numbers from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Toto, Steely Dan, Gary Moore, Stephen Stills, Marshall Tucker Band and more. The Stiffs then followed with their blend of original rocking songs and select covers from Van Halen, Tom Petty, Rufus Thomas, Smithereens, Spirit, and even an update of John McKelvey’s original song from his Housepets days, “Queen of the Jungle!” Bone Jacked continued the fun rock’n’roll and triggered dancing with numbers from the Eagles, Tom Petty, T. Rex, Billy Joel, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger, the Stray Cats, John Fogerty and more. Guest Charlie Hudson stepped in to sing lead vocals on the Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See.” An open mic/jam session then closed out the music, featuring a mini-set of The Mannish Boys, a few jam collaborations, and a fun family “drum duel” between Vets Fest organizer Bill Hocherl and his son Sean, who was running sound for the event with his production company Showtime Sound LLC. This was the most successful Vets Fest yet, as collected donations from both this day and during preceding weekly Wednesday jam nights at the Unter Uns, food sales, and check donations from the Donations Unter Uns, the Bavarian Aid Society and the American Legion Riders of PA Alexandria Post 520 resulted in a total donation of $12,184, which again helps veterans in Blair County through the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 967 office in the Altoona VA Hospital. Well done everyone!
Chicken wing connoisseur that I am, I had to make at least one sojourn to one of the Tussey Wingfest events, this one happening in late July at Tussey Mountain Amphitheater near Boalsburg. Five wing eateries entered a wide array of flavored wings into this weekly competition, with audience members sampling the flavors and voting for their favorites; each week’s winning eatery advanced to the finals on August 7. Live bands provided the “dinner music” for this occasion, with The Jaded Lips kicking things off. The Lips – lead singer and guitarist Mike Wertz, bassist and singer Hunter Karns, drummer and singer David Applas and guitarist Greg Larrimore – fired up the Wingfest crowd with their mixture of rock and soul-geared original songs plus a wide array of rock, soul, funk and even 80’s new wave classics. Two Florida-based tribute acts then followed the Jaded Lips, both sharing backing group members. First was Creed tribute With Arms Wide Open, who did a strong job performing the music of Creed; their singer sounded very convincing in the Scott Stapp role. Closing the Wingfest music was The Linkin Park Tribute, who likewise did an excellent job performing Linkin Park’s music. They did most of the group’s essential numbers, and performed them with intensity and precision. After votes were counted, Sweet Tooth Bakery in State College won this round of the Tussey Wingfest, and moved on to the event’s finals.
The PA Roundhouse Rally’s third event of their Summer Series took place early last month at Roundhouse Harley-Davidson near Duncansville. The single-night event featured two bands, with Ganister kicking things off. Dustin Reisling filled in on lead vocals, joining guitarists Chris Silva and Rob Sottile, bassist Joe Lybarger and drummer Randy Wilson. Ganister awakened the arriving crowd with their blend of modern and classic rock, country and more. They sounded good on all of it, performing favorites from Randy Houser, Seven Mary Three, Three Doors Down, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Fuel, Buckcherry, Ozzy Osbourne, Poison, Luke Bryan and more. Headlining this night was the first area appearance of “Pittsburgh’s Rockin’ Country Party Band,” Buckwild. Describing themselves as “rock guys playing country…our own way,” the roster of singer Scott Bradley (formerly the frontman for early 1990s Pittsburgh rock/metal powerhouse Whiskey High), drummer Keith Kleinhampl, guitarists George Kalantzis and Braden Esposito, and bassist Rick Cerra played a variety of mostly country and some rock favorites, along with a few original numbers. One of the originals was the single that Buckwild released last year on a Pittsburgh radio station compilation album; “100 Summer Nights.” The group did country favorites from Garth Brooks, Cole Swindell, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Big & Rich and more. Buckwild also kept the rock fans happy with songs from Alice In Chains, their tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with “No More Tears” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” When the crowd called for an encore, Buckwild capped the night with versions of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” and a Linkin Park number.
I attended the middle day (Friday) during last month’s 5th annual Upstage Music Fest, which took place at the Clearfield County Fairgrounds’ Expo 1 Building. Music alternated between two stages; the Curaleaf main stage and the Grey Matter Records stage. I missed the day’s first two acts, Ride The Cat and Hardtack, but got to see much of third band, Nero. This group brought the crunch, doing powerful and metal from such names as Jane’s Addiction, Helmet, Alice In Chains, System Of A Down and more. But they showed a sense of humor side, too; as they mashed up Rage Against the Machine riffs with a version of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True!” Next on the main stage was Bristol, Tennessee’s Below 7, introducing the audience to their brand of “Appalachian grit.” Four members strong, Below 7 fired off unrelenting heavy rock with fierce rhythms and thunderous drumbeats. They were well-received as they introduced high-powered originals such as “Bruce Willis,” “Glue Factory,” “F*** You and Your Mother Too” and more. The Ohio Valley’s Theriaca closed out the heavy rock portion of the night with their forceful set of classic-meets-nu-metal original songs. Then for something completely different, as local country performer Randy Clark and his group added country twang to the night’s musical mix. Randy demonstrated a sturdy and clear voice as he and his band did a variety of original songs from both of his albums. Lansdale-based Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute group Street Survivors then finished out the night. Six members strong, this group sounded on target with their set of Lynyrd Skynyrd favorites. Street Survivors did all the essential ones: “Saturday Night Special,” “What’s Your Name,” “Simple Man,” “Needle and the Spoon,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “Call Me the Breeze,” and – saving the most yelled-out songs for last – did “Sweet Home Alabama” and the escalating finale “Free Bird” to close out the night. They also dug out a few deeper cuts such as “Cry For the Bad Man,” “On The Hunt,” “Whiskey Rock and Roller” and more.
On the next day, I caught much of the second and final day of the 5th annual Mass N Tha Grass Music & Arts Festival, which took place at the Sinking Valley Fairgrounds between Tyrone and Altoona. Music during the day mostly took place on the outdoor stage, before moving inside after 11 p.m. I arrived in time for the last few songs of Crazed Visions’ set as they performed their experimental, psychedelic-leaning sound. Recent NBC “The Voice” contestant Ethan Eckenroad followed with an acoustic set of his original songs, before The BSXpress shifted the festival’s gears toward punk rocking original tunes – including their latest, “Chicken Zombie.” From there, the Bomb Cyclones mixed up classic-rocking gems spanning the 1970s to 2000s, inspiring a hula hoop dancer and lawn juggler to show their skills. Bedford County’s Grimm & the Reapers then returned to perform their blend of horror, hip-hop and cyber metal. Again, this group drew good response with their original songs such as “Get Up,” “Escape from the Grave,” “Alive” and more. Meanwhile, the Higher Frequency Illusions fire dancers set up shop nearby to display their twirling and juggling abilities. Philadelphia’s Desolation then stepped up the brute force and intensity with their set of metal and deathcore music, before Lancaster’s Nail Bite – making their Mass N Tha Grass debut – amazed the crowd with their theatrical and dramatic mix of sounds, running the gamut from mild and dreamy to monstrous and scathing. Singer Lonna Nelson again showed the incredible variations in her vocal delivery as she became the embodiment of each of Nail Bite’s songs. At this point of the night, the music moved indoors with a set from acoustic duo Ed N’Born, followed by the post-midnight XXtremiXX EDM dance fest to close things out.
I took in the final day of last month’s Portage Summerfest at the community’s Crichton McCormick Park. I arrived just before Johnstown’s Three Of Hearts began their performance on the park’s main stage. Brandishing her unique maroon heart-shaped guitar, lead singer Denise Canby, along with her husband and lead guitarist Joe Tirpak, bassist Duaine Detrick and drummer Tom Romanak, entertained the audience with an abundance of vintage hits spanning the 1960s through 90s, plus a few newer tunes along the way. Their song selection included hits from Wilson Pickett, Wild Cherry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meghan Trainor, ZZ Top, the Surfaris, the Clash, Shania Twain, Adele and more. Three Of Hearts kept the mood joyful and pleasant, and prompted dancers to “cut the rug” in front of the stage. I then headed to the nearby gazebo stage to watch part of Boomtown’s acoustic set. Boomtown showed they could please the crowd just as well unplugged as they do plugged in as they did a variety of country favorites. Finishing the music on the main stage was western PA-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute Pendulum. Established in 2018, Pendulum features singer and guitarist Brian Rause (in the John Fogerty role), guitarist and singer Denny Bondra, bassist and singer Rudy Velosky and drummer Rocco Gaudiano. Pendulum did an excellent job creating the sound and feel of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Brian’s voice was dead on in the John Fogerty role. The group did all of the essential CCR hits, and even dug out a few deeper cuts such as “Cotton Fields” and “It Came Out of the Sky.” But a special part of what Pendulum does started shortly into their first set, when they paused and Brian told the large audience that CCR provided the soundtrack to the Vietnam War, citing the number of the group’s songs that are tied to Vietnam and sentiments surrounding it. The group then invited all Vietnam veterans in the audience to come up to them during intermission and tell them their names and the years they served; then in their second set, Pendulum saluted the individual Vietnam veterans between every song. When the Summerfest crowd called for the encore at show’s end, Pendulum rewarded them with “Bad Moon Rising” and “Fortunate Son,” the latter which they dedicated to Vietnam veterans.
The inaugural Sunset Summerfest event took place over two days last month at Carrolltown’s American Legion Park, with proceeds benefiting the park. I caught much of the second day’s musical entertainment, arriving as Cambria County trio From The Top was under way. Singer and bassist “Liddy” Nagy, her father Lou Nagy on guitar and vocals and Doug Lohr behind the drum kit played a variety of rock and country favorites from the 1970s to now. Liddy again demonstrated her clear and powerful voice, as well as her ability to reach the high notes as she and From The Top did numbers from Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Cher, Dusty Springfield, Lady Gaga, Joan Jett, the Cranberries and more. Between bands, singer and songwriter John Miller – accompanied by Jason Williams on bass – performed a mixture of his original songs plus numbers from Eric Church, Tyler Childers, U2, CCR, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others. The next band was Electric Swamp, who roused the growing crowd with their blend of hard rock, alternative, southern rock and originals. Guitarists Tom Bearer and Sam Bassett, and drummer Bryon Stanek shared singing duties, with Garret Cunningham playing bass. Electric Swamp was solid and sturdy as they did such original tunes as “Duct Tape,” “Early Morning Shakes,” “Hollywood Hotel” and more; they also did select covers from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Spacehog, Thin Lizzy and others. Finishing up the Summerfest was Boomtown, who brought the country party. These guys and gal quickly had folks up and dancing to modern country favorites by Jelly Roll, George Strait, Toby Keith, Randy Houser, Morgan Wallen, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Shania Twain and more. In the latter stages, the country party turned into a foam party as foam was shot throughout the pavilion, and audience members and dancers joyously danced in the foam and enjoyed the moment. The inaugural Sunset Summerfest was a big success, and this may become an annual event.
After being postponed from July due to excessive heat conditions, the annual two-day Blair County African-American Heritage Festival took place last month at downtown Altoona’s Heritage Plaza. I caught the second day, Sunday, arriving as the ARC Drummers were completing their performance of West African drum songs, assisted by members of the Joy Drummers. Next was the “Boots on the Ground” dance party in front of the stage, before The Smooth Sound Band from Johnstown finished up the entertainment. This group did a wide variety of sounds, spanning soul favorites to numbers from the Four Seasons, Elvis Presley, Toto, original songs and more. A big highlight of their performance was their “King of Pop,” Aaron Jefferson, who did his Michael Jackson routine several times – not only singing Michael hits, but also doing an impressive moonwalk! The African-American Heritage Festival will pause during 2026, but will return in July 2027.
Other performances I saw were A Starlite Gray’s scathing metalcore set which closed out the ”Scream for Dez” benefit early last month at McGarvey’s, which raised funds to help out Dez Getz, who is battling Stage 4 melanoma.
The Altoona area music scene and Penn State Altoona community were saddened late last month by news of the passing of Joe Petrulionis on August 24 after a battle with cancer; he was 65. Joe was a musician who played classical and folk guitar; he operated the Mystic Music Jam music store in Altoona for a few years in the late 1990s, and would host old time music jams there on weekends with local fiddlers, banjo pickers and aspiring musicians. He was also an instructor at Penn State Altoona, where he taught classes in philosophy, ethics and history. According to his obituary in the Altoona Mirror newspaper, “Joe discovered his driving purpose and natural talent as he inspired young adults to develop a capacity for critical thinking and to establish their own well-informed basis for empathy, tolerance and justice.” Joe is remembered fondly by both the music and campus community alike.
News and notes…Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band, Maddie Walsh & the Blind Spots, Ma’am, The Sorters, The Jaded Lips and StoneMan are among the 29 bands performing at the Another World Music Festival, taking place Sept. 12-14 at Winkelblech Fields near Woodward…Altoona hard blues rockers Sweet Desire are seeking a new drummer after announcing that Trey Boore – a founding and pivotal member of the group through its formation and during the past four years – is leaving their ranks…Likewise, area outlaw country favorites Stephanie & the Wild Hearts are seeking a new lead guitarist as Chad Morral will be leaving the group at year’s end after a six year run…Felix & the Hurricanes recently welcomed back a former member, as Bill Nusom resumes bass-playing duties; he previously was a member of the group in the 1990s…And speedy and complete recovery wishes go out to two area singers dealing with vocal problems; Hair Force One frontman Victor Synn and Ted McCloskey & the Hi-Fi’s frequent singer Molly Countermine; both singers are taking time off until their throats have completely healed.
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. Continue to SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!