[Jim Price]

It should be noted that as of this post, my post total at Rockpage is now 666! Evil! MwahahahahahahAHAHAHAH!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND RECAP 9/7/04

ROCK & RYE @ THE BAR, ALTOONA 9/2/04

After putting in a relatively late evening at the workplace, I thought I’d swing by The Bar to catch whatever I could of Rock & Rye’s show.

Bad news, empty room. Rock & Rye was playing to a total audience of one bartender. 2 or 3 bar patrons and me. Rock & Rye’s usual crowd at this venue was reportedly checking out the new room in town, Burgi’s Roundhouse, who was running entertainment this night. After procuring an adult beverage and fighting bazillions of air molecules to find a seat, I took in what was left of Rock & Rye’s show.

The group was finishing their second set. Singer/guitarist Greg Burley (“Rock”) and guitarist Ryan Clark (“Rye”) had a guest onstage with them, as Bob Stark was playing along on mandolin. The group ended the set with a spirited unplugged take on Billy Joel’s “You May Be Right.”

I thought this might be the end of the night, but it wasn’t. After an intermission, Greg and Ryan graciously decided to do two more songs to make it worth my while for showing up. (Thanks!) Rock & Rye capped the evening with Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black” and, by my request, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Ballad of Curtis Loew.” Both of these songs sounded very good, with Greg’s gruff-edged, lower register voice accenting the bluesy texture of both songs, and Ryan executing a sharp acoustic guitar solo during the former tune. Too bad there weren’t more people around to witness it!

I only got to witness a little of Rock & Rye’s “acoustic intoxication” this night, but was satisfied with what I saw and heard. With some time remaining, I headed several blocks away to get in some Thursday Hurricaning…

Rock & Rye with special guest Bob Stark (on right), entertaining at The Bar.

FELIX & THE HURRICANES @ PETER C’S, ALTOONA 9/2/04

Although not packed, Peter C’s was busier than The Bar, and Felix & the Hurricanes were whooping it up onstage with both Kos brothers, Felix and Dick. The group kicked into their last set with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Needle and the Spoon.” The Hurricanes proceeded to mix it up with Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” and the Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out,” before lightheartedly shifting into the “Chicken Dance.” Bassman Jeff Clapper fronted the group on “House of the Rising Sun,” before special guest Bart Hile stepped onstage and assisted on guitar during Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.” The Hurricanes finished out the night with their reliably scorching treatments of Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Tightrope.”

By Hurricanes standards, this was an ordinary, routine Thursday night at Peter C’s. But as such, it provided more dazzling displays of musicianship and a few guests and surprises, and an appreciative gang of Hurricaniacs to cheer for it all. As always, a good ending to a Thursday night…

Two ladies take to the dance floor during the Hurricanes’ performance.

The Kos brothers, Dick and Felix.

Dick Kos with special guest Bart Hile.

Dick and Bart, kicking out the jams.

CAMBRIA CITY ETHNIC FESTIVAL, JOHNSTOWN 9/3/04

By now, you’ve probably heard that there is a new festival happening in Johnstown on Labor Day Weekend. After Johnstown Folkfest picked up and left Cambria City for a new festival park location, the church and civic leaders in Cambria City decided to throw their own festival, and the Cambria City Ethnic Festival was born. This festival features all local and regional entertainment, more ethnic entertainment consistent with the original National Folkfest when it visited Johnstown in 1989 (leading to the creation of Johnstown Folkfest), and a wide ethnic food menu provided by the churches and a few vendors (the church food has always been arguably better than the Folkfest vendor food in years past, anyway). Curious to see what Cambria City had put together, and since the Friday entertainment slate at Folkfest didn’t really jump out at me, I decided to spend all of Friday evening in Cambria City.

First, I found parking easily on the grounds behind the new Sheetz on 10th Avenue. And it was FREE parking to boot! I made my way down Chestnut Street, first passing St. Columba’s Church, where Irish music was cranking out of speakers, food and drink was being served, and the Michael O’Brian Band was slated to be performing inside the church hall. I proceeded down the street, and there were definitely people in the neighborhood; it was too early to tell if there were as many people this year as had been at Folkfest in previous years, but clearly a number of folks were supporting the Cambria City event. I soon passed the Parrot Bay Café, and the first food temptation of the night caught up with me. Parrot Bay had a food concession tent set up on Chestnut Street, offering up crabcake sandwiches, flavored pirohi, Cajun shrimp over rice and more. The Cajun shrimp and old bay-flavored pirohi was too much to resist, and my first food purchases of the weekend had been made.

As I continued down Chestnut Street, I soon discovered that the Anabaptist sect from Somerset County had discovered the new festival, as their bearded leader lectured passers-by from a street corner. As usual, very few people paid any attention to him or his minion of pamphlet distributors.

I proceeded down Chestnut Street, past the 8th Avenue stage, where an entertainer was setting up, and soon heard the unmistakable sounds of Yum’s party as I approached 5th Avenue. So I hooked a left onto 5th Avenue and proceeded to St. Mary’s Church pavilion and stage, where Yum was performing, and a mass of humanity was in the process of consuming half their body weights in cabbage-based foodstuffs. (I would soon join them in this endeavor.)

Performing on a flatbed trailer stage located across the street at the junction of 5th Avenue and Power Street, Yum had a good party going already, with a large crowd assembled across Power Street and outside the St. Mary’s Church pavilion. Singer Dan Vavrek, guitarist Darren Buchko, bassist Shawn Mock, keyboard man Scott “Dolby” Barkhimer and drummer Brian Scaletta fired off an uptempo mixture of favorites from Poison, Billy Idol, Charlie Daniels, Men Without Hats, Ramones, Blur, Blink 182, Flock of Seagulls, Fountains Of Wayne, Jimmy Eats World and more. The group maintained a steady and consistent energy level, with frontman Dan several times leaving the trailer stage and running across the street to take his party to the large crowd.

Intermission enabled me to procure ample cabbage-based foodstuffs and more pirohi from the St. Mary’s pavilion. Pirohis, stuffed cabbage and haluski for only $3, you couldn’t beat it! I even lucked out and found a singular chair amid the large crowd of revelers, and had my meal mostly devoured by the time Yum returned to the stage.

I stuck around for nearly half of Yum’s next set. Yum resumed with Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing,” and continued the party with Phish’s “Bouncing Around the Room” and Velvet Revolver’s “Slither.” After Bowling for Soup’s “1985,” Darren emceed some audience participation, as he and Yum staged a gob-eating contest. A guy and a girl were both brought up onstage, and competed to see who could eat a gooey gob the fastest, with a Yum T-shirt on the line for the winner. It got a bit messy, but the guy won. The funniest part of this for me was Darren’s concern that ‘shrapnel’ from the contest (I assume some gooey marshmallow droppings onstage) could trip up the junior tamburitzens scheduled to perform on that same stage the next day. A mental picture flashed through my mind, it was not pretty… Yum continued with Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love,” and at that point I decided to move on and see what else was happening at this Festival.

Yum, bringing the party to the Cambria City Ethnic Festival.

I proceeded two blocks up Chestnut Street to the 3rd Avenue Stage, situated outside Ace’s Lounge, to check in with the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

I arrived just moments before the Johnstown Classic Rockers kicked off their final set. Nine members strong, the ensemble kicked off with Head East’s “Never Been Any Reason.” By the time they started into their second song, the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” a number of audience members were up and dancing in front of the stage. Singer Denise Trautman-Karwoski briefly led the audience in cheering for “cabbage rolls and coffee,” before she and the Rockers launched into Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” The group continued to celebrate rock’n’roll history, showcasing tunes from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s. Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” and Johnny Rivers’ “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” led up to Missy Nagle singing Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet.” The Johnstown Classic Rockers then slowed things down, with Tom Pavic fronting the group on Billy Vera & the Beaters’ “At This Moment.” The group continued in the slower vein with the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.’” The Rockers fired into British Invasion mode for “Hippy Hippy Shake,” before Missy again took over lead mic to sing Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots.” At this point, a highlight I had been looking forward to, as Tom Pavic morphed into Alice Cooper, complete with facepaints, baton and tophat; and fronted the Rockers on versions of Alice’s “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out.” Having seen the real thing just weeks before in Williamsport, I was impressed by how well Tom had Alice’s schtick down. The Johnstown Classic Rockers then shifted into patriotic mode for Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” before ending their performance in uptempo fashion with the B-52’s “Love Shack.”

Featuring seasoned veterans of the Johnstown music scene, the Johnstown Classic Rockers blended their wealth of experience and talents well, and sounded good on every song. Besides mixing up the song selection between various styles and eras of rock’n’roll, the Johnstown Classic Rockers varied the mix of musicians on each song, with different singers and combinations of performers on nearly every song. Although all of their music was familiar and heard before many times, the Johnstown Classic Rocker’ ever-changing mixture of eras, performers and presentations kept it all sounding fresh and interesting.

Greg Malec of the Johnstown classic Rockers.

Dave Nichols of the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

Missy Nagle of the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

Jerry Sandusky of the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

Denise Trautman-Karwoski and Tom Karwoski of the Johnstown Classic Rockers at the Cambria City Ethnic Festival.

Once again, the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

During the Johnstown Classic Rockers’ performance, Tom Pavic as Alice Cooper.

Missy Nagle and Tom Pavic of the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

School’s out for summer with Tom Pavic and the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

Waving Old Glory during “God Bless the U.S.A.,” the Johnstown Classic Rockers.

After the Johnstown Classic Rockers ended their performance, I headed inside nextdoor Ace’s Lounge to check out the performance by The Conniptions. Singer/guitarist Dave Meiklejohn, bassist/singer Duaine Detrick and drummer/singer Tom Romanak played a wide mixture of rock’n’roll sounds, spanning the 60’s to present, with an emphasis on the 60’s and 70’s.

The trio’s first set featured classics such as “Love Potion No. 9,” The Yardbirds’ “For Your Love” and Them’s “Gloria;” also classics from Free, Georgia Satellites, Bruce Springsteen and ZZ Top, and one recent hit, 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite.” Instrumentally, The Conniptions were solid and in synch with one another. All three musicians demonstrated capable voices in their respective singing roles; Duaine’s voice sounded a little muddier in the mix during the early going.

Soon, several Rockpagers and musicians joined me to take in The Conniptions’ performance; including “OneTooLoud,” “Tonefight” and wife Stacy, Griff from the Buzz Munkys and Dave Kozak, guitarist for Johnstown classic rock trio Flying Doghouse. I also saw members of the Johnstown Classic Rockers and Yum circulating around Ace’s, supporting their fellow musicians this night.

As in their first set, The Conniptions again mixed more classics from the 60’s and 70’s; including favorites from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Palmer, Tommy Tutone, Blue Oyster Cult, The Knack and more. The group dug out some early 60’s surf favorites from the Ventures, Dick Dale and others; plus versions of the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie,” The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and Devo’s “Whip It.”

The Conniptions seemed to get stronger as the night progressed. There was more tempo and drive to their performance in the second set, and the group’s vocal harmonies were sounding stronger as well. Duaine’s vocals began to sound a bit clearer as the night progressed. Although not packed, Ace’s had a healthy crowd of festival revelers present, and at least a few folks took to the dance floor at various times during The Conniptions’ performance.

The Conniptions’ nightcap featured more classics, favorites and surprises. In between more favorites from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and more, The Conniptions broke out more surf instrumentals, gems such as the Turtles’ “Happy Together” and Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” and another current favorite, Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” The Conniptions ended the night with Billy Idol’s “White Wedding,” with Griff from the Buzz Munkys joining the group onstage to sing lead.

This was the strongest performance I had witnessed from The Conniptions to date. The group’s overall musicianship and enthusiasm won the night, and their song variety kept their show fresh throughout all three sets. These three musicians were celebrating rock’n’roll, and the vibe kept the Ace’s audience festive and interested.

Thus wrapped up the first night of the Cambria City Ethnic Festival. So far, so good for this newest of Johnstown area Labor Day festivals, and within 24 hours I would be back to partake in more of it.

The Conniptions, rocking at Ace’s Lounge.

Duaine Detrick and Dave Meiklejohn of The Conniptions.

Once again, The Conniptions.

Dave Meiklejohn of The Conniptions.

Tom Romanak of The Conniptions.

Once again, Dave Meiklejohn of The Conniptions.

Duaine Detrick of The Conniptions.

What Happens When I Let Other Rockpagers Use My Camera, Part 1: “Onetooloud” demonstrates his conceptual shot-framing abilities. Mesmerizing!

What Happens When I Let Other Rockpagers Use My Camera, Part 2: “Onetooloud” captured on camera this graphic example of Ass Sweat Soup, brewing in the men’s room at Ace’s Lounge. (I can visualize Big Bad Bob licking his chops right now…).

What Happens When I Let Other Rockpagers Use My Camera, Part 3: Demonstrating his photo framing talents, “Tonefight” took this photo of his better half, Stacy’s, derriere. How’s that Fountains Of Wayne song go? – “Stacy’s Butt has got it going on!”

JOHNSTOWN FOLKFEST, JOHNSTOWN 9/4/04

As a longtime fan of Johnstown Folkfest, I wanted to catch at least part of this year’s event, and see what this new festival park location was all about. The new crescent-shaped festival park was located on the edge of downtown Johnstown, across the Conemaugh River from Point Stadium and adjacent to the Johnstown Flood Museum, Amtrak station and Cambria Iron National Historic Landmark. As promised, this park was more compact than the former Cambria City setting, and the four performance tents were all positioned within a moment’s walk of one another, with ample food concessions and rest areas located in between.

Parking, as expected, was challenging. There were designated Folkfest parking areas in the downtown Johnstown parking garages, to the tune of $5 a car. I wasn’t planning to stay the entire day at Folkfest, so I did not want to shell out $5 parking just to be there only briefly. Fortunately, I observed that along the city streets, the meters were not in operation and parking was free. It took some patience and searching on my part, but I was able to locate an empty parking space along Market Street, only a block from the festival park. So I parked and made my way in to catch some Folkfest entertainment.

As I entered the new Folkfest grounds, I almost immediately noticed – it was hot! The temperature was in the low 80’s, but the concrete and blacktop lots and surfaces made it feel like the upper 80’s, with only the buildings and a few scattered trees providing shade and relief. As far as shade and shelter from the sun, advantage Cambria City! I happened upon the Community Kitchen area, where local nonprofits and churches were selling food items; after procuring a piece of sweet potato pie, I proceeded in search of music.

As I made my way along, I heard the sound of slide guitar and a female voice. As I drew nearer, I recognized the song being performed as Rose Tattoo’s “Rock and Roll Outlaw!” A woman singing Rose Tattoo? I had to investigate further… It was Australian rock/blues/folk singer Anne McCue, performing at the Ameriserv Financial stage. With the sun beating down mercilessly, it was interesting to see that much of Anne’s audience had picked up their chairs from in front of the stage, and relocated to the side and back of the stage, under the shade of an adjacent building! Anne even remarked from the stage that she was performing in the round! A former Lilith Fair performer who has toured with Lucinda Williams, Anne sang and played slide guitar on a mix of rock, blues, folk and original songs. In her own witty style, Anne introduced two original songs, “Desert In The Rain” and the interestingly titled “Polygamist Monogamy.” She then closed her first set with a blues song from Bessie Smith, quipping that Bessie was from Australia, and blues was invented Down Under, in the Tazmanian delta. For the half-set of music I saw, I enjoyed Anne’s unique style and slant; and I have to applaud a woman who can belt out Rose Tattoo – that was strong!

Female thunder from Down Under, Anne McCue at Johnstown Folkfest.

I wanted to stick around to see more of Anne McCue, but there was more entertainment to be seen at Folkfest, and only limited time (since I wanted to return to Cambria City Ethnic Festival later, and would not be able to attend Folkfest’s final day on Sunday). So I backtracked my way to a stage I had passed earlier, the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield stage, where The Recipe was now under way. One of several jam-geared bands performing at this year’s Folkfest, The Recipe already had a good party going on in front of their stage, with an abundance of dancing, grooving fans clad in tie-dyes, beer, Jagermeister and the aroma of burning hippie lettuce. The Recipe was into an extended jam number as I arrived, as they mixed elements of funk, rock, jazz and rural sounds into a collective melting pot sound. The group performed another eclectic-flavored number, before introducing two members of another Folkfest band, Big Leg Emma – Steve and Kevin – onstage to assist on a bluegrass-flavored number, “Goin’ Down the Road.” The group then launched into a version of the Man In Black's "Folsom Prison Blues." At this point, I decided to venture out and discover more of the acts at this year's Folkfest.

But The Recipe did what they did well, blending their variety of musical flavors seamlessly and smoothly. These musicians were all competent players, and they kept their grooves upbeat and constant. This Folkfest audience was clearly enjoying these sounds, and there were just as many people dancing and grooving in front of the stage as there were sitting down in the seats.

The Recipe, entertaining at Johnstown Folkfest.

Joe Prichard of The Recipe.

Once again, The Recipe.

My next destination was the Atlantic Broadband stage, near the Norfolk Southern mainline railroad tracks, to check in with Hot Club Sandwich. Making a return appearance at Folkfest, Hot Club Sandwich offered a different flavor, performing a blend of styles ranging from 20's era jazz to ragtime to Gypsy folk, big band and more. As I arrived, the group was doing the title song to their latest album, Digga Digga Do. I stuck around for a few more numbers from the group, including an Irving Berlin composition and more. This band was also good at what they did, playing this music with brightness, enthusiasm and a sense of fun that drew increasing cheers from the Folkfest audience as the set progressed.

Hot Club Sandwich, playing old-time jazz and ragtime sounds at Johnstown Folkfest.

I then proceeded to the fourth stage, the Dodge stage, for Two Dollar Pistols. En route, I noted that while Folkfest did not appear to be as crowded as in past years at its prior Cambria City address, there were still plenty of people present and taking it all in, and it was far from empty or a ghost town. I expected that Folkfest might take a bit of a hit on crowd and attendance, especially given the new festival in Cambria City and some resentment from Folkfest purists regarding the move. Still, the crowd that was here proves that there is still ample interest in Johnstown Folkfest, and this event should be fine once the furor over the move settles down and people become better acclimated with the new location and setting.

I arrived at the Dodge stage in plenty of time to procure a front row seat to check out Two Dollar Pistols. A foursome from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Two Dollar Pistols performed an edgy brand of country and honky tonk, both original songs and select remakes. Singer/guitarist John Howie, Jr., guitarist Scott McCall, bassist Mark O’Brien and drummer Matt Brown performed original tunes such as the honky-tonkish “Gettin' Gone,” “It Doesn’t Matter Much to Me” and others; and also versions of Merle Haggard’s “Blue Jungle,” George Jones’ “Heartaches and Hangovers,” Slim Harpo’s “I’m Gonna Miss You,” Big Star/Alex Chilton’s “The Ballad of El Goodo” and more. Although a lot of the group’s song material dealt with tear-in-beer heartache and despair, Two Dollar Pistols played it with a determined, spirited edge. John’s baritone voice was broad and full, and all four musicians gave these songs a hard-nosed, solid treatment. Two Dollar Pistols delivered old-school-styled country with a bite.

Grabbing the Johnstown Folkfest audience by the horns, Two Dollar Pistols.

John Howie, Jr. of Two Dollar Pistols.

I made my way back over to the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield stage for another band I was looking forward to seeing, this year’s Celtic-rock entry, Seven Nations. I first saw this band nine years ago at Folkfest, when they performed as Clan Na Gael. Now five members strong, Seven Nations mixed it up between Celtic-edged rock and traditional Celtic-styled jigs and folk tunes. With a large audience gathered in anticipation of Seven Nations’ first set, the group played stronger rocking affairs such as “The Factory Song, “Very Nice” and a few other uptempo numbers. The group also changed gears a few times, with bagpiper Scott Long, fiddler Dan Stacey and drummer/percussionist Crisco (on congas) taking seats at the front of the stage to play more traditional-geared numbers. Seven Nations quickly had people dancing at stagefront, and as before when they were Clan Na Gael, this group played with ample spirit and enthusiasm, and was exciting to watch.

Getting their Irish up at Johnstown Folkfest, Seven Nations.

Dan Stacey, Crisco and Scott Long of Seven Nations.

Scott Long of Seven Nations.

Although I wanted to stick around to see Seven Nations’ second set, I knew I wanted to get to Cambria City Ethnic Festival to take in some of their scheduled entertainment, and I began to make my way out of the Folkfest grounds. I didn’t get too far, though, as Johnstown music fan “Sugar Bear” alerted me that I needed to come see the tour bus Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys were traveling in. So I made my way towards the Atlantic Broadband stage, and marveled at the group’s tour bus, a road-worn, lived-in vintage school bus! This vehicle was an American classic, and you could see the group’s sleeping bags stacked up in the center of the bus. Four wheels and it ran, and if it could talk, it probably had some legendary stories of road life to tell.

Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys’ tour bus. What a classic!

Again, Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys’ tour bus. Note the sleeping bags stacked in the middle of the bus.

I wonder if this happened after a show that didn’t go so well…

Of course, the band that lived in it was seasoned as well, as they demonstrated during their set of roots music, honky-tonk and rockabilly. Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys played a fast-firing set of original numbers, including “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “Blackberry Wine,” “Yama Yama Pretty Mama,” the uptempo “Catalina” and a song inspired by a documentary about Johnny and June Carter-Cash, “How Did You Love Someone Like Me.” Big Sandy himself had a commanding voice and convincing, early rock’n’roll persona; and his band were seasoned players who kept the music upbeat and driving. This band captured the essence of roots rock and country; they looked and sounded authentic, and their passion for early roots music showed in their performance. I was glad to take the time to see this band, and marvel at their tour bus!

Honky-tonkin’ and rock’n’rollin’ – Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys at Johnstown Folkfest.

Alas, my Johnstown Folkfest experience for this year had come to an end. From what I had seen of Folkfest in its new location, I have mixed feelings. Folkfest has lost part of its distinct personality and flavor with the move out of Cambria City; qualities the new festival park location won’t restore or replace. The neighborhood, the people, and the ethnic heritage of Cambria City are what lifted Folkfest above and beyond the average festival event. That is gone. Having said that, though, the entertainment at Folkfest was still of high quality, and while the food was slightly higher-priced as part of the scrip ticket system that funds Folkfest and keeps it free admission, it wasn’t unreasonably high-priced. And the close proximity of the stages to one another was a plus of the new festival park location as well. I still think that while Folkfest’s move out of Cambria City was controversial and questionable at first, it could ultimately be beneficial in the long run; it gives Johnstown one more Labor Day Weekend festival with the advent of the Cambria City Ethnic Festival, and Folkfest’s new festival park itself can host other festivals and events during the course of the year. Folkfest endured its growing pains with the move to its new location, to be sure, but I predict the organizers will continue to study their notes and fine-tune the event; plus continue to market Folkfest to the outside world as an event to attract tourism and visitors to downtown Johnstown. Folkfest is still a substantial enough live music event that I expect to be back to take in at least part of it next year.

As I departed Folkfest, I photographed this impressive armada of motorcyclage, parked at the entrance to the festival park.

CAMBRIA CITY ETHNIC FESTIVAL, CAMBRIA CITY 9/4/04

From downtown Johnstown, I headed a few blocks west on Route 56 to Cambria City to catch some more festivities and food at the Cambria City Ethnic Festival. Parking on the grounds behind the new Sheetz was a trickier and more chaotic proposition this time than during the evening before. The parking area was pretty well packed, and parking spaces weren’t well designated or organized. It amounted to trying to find a parking space in a maze, and parking wherever you could find an available spot for your car to fit. I found a spot, but discovered upon stepping out of my car that I barely missed driving over some 6” steel stakes protruding from the ground (from the structure/facility that inhabited these grounds before Sheetz moved in), that would likely have flattened my tires had I run over them. I heaved a sigh of relief.

As I made my way up Chestnut Street, it quickly became obvious why the attendance at Folkfest was slightly down this year – everybody was here at the Cambria City fest! Chestnut Street was clearly busier than the night before, as Johnstown Nation descended upon Cambria City to support this festival.

I made my way up to the 3rd Avenue stage next to Ace’s Lounge to try to catch the tail end of Who’s Your Daddy’s set. Unfortunately, I was too late, as the group ended their last song just as I approached their performance tent. Another time, perhaps.

I did stick around, though, to catch the next scheduled act on this stage, Midnight Graffiti. As expected, Midnight Graffiti played mainly female-fronted classic rock favorites from Janis Joplin, Heart, Pat Benatar, Pretenders, Blondie and more. Natalie Kurchak again demonstrated her powerful and rangeful voice, sounding particularly strong on Heart classics like “Even It Up” and “Straight On,” Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Heartbreaker,” and the Jefferson Airplane double-shot of “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.” Bassist Joe Yernaux also sang some lead on two Tom Petty tunes, “You Wreck Me” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” With Joe and drummer Ed Murvine providing steady and constant rhythms, Midnight Graffiti kept this set going at a good clip. John Kurchak fired off some crisp guitar leads along the way, and rhythm guitarist Bernie Kralik wailed harp on the Pretenders’ “Middle of the Road.” Midnight Graffiti delivered a solid, straightforward, hard-rocking set.

Midnight Graffiti, rocking at the Cambria City Ethnic Festival.

Once again, Midnight Graffiti.

John Kurchak of Midnight Graffiti.

Natalie Kurchak and Joe Yernaux of Midnight Graffiti.

Getting closer to the music, Ed Murvine of Midnight Graffiti.

After watching Midnight Graffiti for an hour, I departed to head down Chestnut Street to the 8th Avenue stage to check out a group I hadn’t yet seen, Acousticity. An acoustic trio, singer/guitarist/percussionist Mark Weakland, upright bass player/singer Nathan Santos and guitarist/singer Doug Wilkin performed an interesting and eclectic selection, including numbers by G Love & Special Sauce, Joe Cocker, Dave Mason, the Grateful Dead and more. Acousticity was strong on their instruments and vocals, demonstrating their harmonizing abilities especially well on the set-closing acappella rendition of “We Bid You Goodnight.” I enjoyed what I saw from Acousticity, and was intrigued by their unique song selection; I will make a point of catching this group again sometime soon.

Acousticity, entertaining at the Cambria City Ethnic Festival.

After Acousticity’s set concluded, I headed a short distance down Chestnut Street to the Parrot Bay Café to check out Frankie & the Nomads. I was luckily able to procure a table in close proximity to the front of the stage, and soon Frankie & the Nomads were set to begin.

As their first set unfolded, I was floored, as this band played rip-roaring, fiery rock and blues. With bassist Steve Spack and drummer Chris Klym anchoring things with a rock-solid rhythmic foundation; singer, guitarist and main man Frank Genovese went to town on both voice and frets, putting on a clinic for the nice-sized crowd of Parrot Bay observers. This trio convincingly tore it up during their first set on versions of Bull Moose Jackson’s “Big Ten Inch Record,” T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday,” Robert Johnson/Cream’s “Crossroads,” Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson/Johnny Winter’s “Gangster of Love” and more. Frank scorched it on the fretboards, delivering stinging guitarwork on each song. Steve, playing a fretless bass, was equally impressive in his execution, and Chris kept the steady beat while offering his own unique fills and flare to spice up the rhythms.

Frankie & the Nomads, tearing it up at the Parrot Bay Café.

Frank Genovese of Frankie & the Nomads.

Steve Spack of Frankie & the Nomads.

I wanted to stick around and witness more, based on what I had just seen during this first set. But I wanted to catch Ribbon Grass’ party up the street at Ace’s Lounge, so I left the Parrot Bay Café after Frankie & the Nomads’ first set ended. As it turned out, I would get to see more, later.

Not surprisingly, based on past years, I discovered a huge, hot and sweaty crowd once I stepped inside Ace’s Lounge; the place felt like a sauna! Ribbon Grass had a packed house dance party going on, and was performing Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Ribbon Grass leading lady Terri Single then led the group on Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” while I muttered to myself, “Man, I feel like a SWEATHOG!” Terri’s hubby, keyboard man Dave Single, then sang lead on the set-ending rendition of Prince’s “Kiss.”

Ace’s remained crowded during the intermission, and fans were so much into this party that several were dancing to the music blaring on the sound system. This particular party was even more wild this year than it was last year during Folkfest! I thought I was in for another sweat-drenched finale to my Johnstown Labor Day weekend experience.

But it didn’t quite happen that way. Dave Single tapped out the piano intro to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” while drummer Mark Vatavuk provided harmonica accompaniment from behind his drum kit. During this song, though, Terri pulled me aside and alerted me that Ribbon Grass could only play one more song this night, as the Johnstown police had just ordered the party shut down due to overcrowding. For me, this was somewhat baffling – I had seen more people than this at Ace’s during previous years at Johnstown Folkfest. Apparently, only now did Johnstown law enforcement discover that Ace’s drew such huge crowds!

So Ribbon Grass did one more song, an abbreviated take on Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun,” before calling it a night. Apprehensive of a possible angry response by the Ace’s dance crowd to the forced premature end of the party, I hastily exited Ace’s, and headed back down Chestnut Street to catch the remainder of Frankie & the Nomads’ show at Parrot Bay Café.

This stern warning appeared at the front of the stage during Ribbon Grass’ show.

Blowing some harp behind the drum kit, Mark Vatavuk of Ribbon Grass.

Dave Single of Ribbon Grass.

Ribbon Grass retakes the stage – albeit briefly – at Ace’s Lounge. Damn those Johnstown fun police!

Ron Gallucci of Ribbon Grass.

I was ultimately glad for this turn of events, as I was again floored by Frankie & the Nomads and their fiery show and musicianship. As I arrived, the group was welcoming a guest onstage, as Denny Reagan sang lead on Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” The small Parrot Bay dance floor area quickly filled up as the group continued with the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” During the James Gang’s “Funk #49,” drummer Chris Klym showcased his skills with a solo, before the group finished out this set with Jimi Hendrix’s “Redhouse.”

After a brief intermission, Frankie & the Nomads brought more musical fireworks, reconvening with a fiery extended jam version of the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.” The group continued with Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” before a jaw-dropping version of Santana’s “Evil Ways,” with an instrumental midsection that showcased more searing Frank Genovese guitarwork and another Chris Klym drum solo. The trio then shifted into Led Zeppelin mode for “Dazed and Confused,” with Frank blazing his best Jimmy Page pyrotechnics on his instrument; this guy was amazing! As the clocked pushed 2 AM, Frankie & the Nomads then concluded the night with a dazzling display on Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxey Lady.”

My first extended exposure to Frankie & the Nomads, I was blown away! These three veteran players brought it – fire and brimstone blues and classic rock with passionate, fiery musicianship and soul! This band was on their game big time this night, with each song leaving the Parrot Bay observers spellbound and amazed. I will definitely make the effort to catch Frankie & the Nomads again whenever the opportunity presents itself, and I highly recommend that you check this band out, too!

My Johnstown Folkfest/Cambria City Ethnic Festival experience had drawn to a close for this year. I had absolute fun at both, and will no doubt be back next year to see it all unfold again!

Once again, Frankie & the Nomads.

Going to town on his guitar, Frank Genovese of Frankie & the Nomads.

Although I wasn’t there to witness it, Ed Murvine provided me with this photo of Glenn Pavone (Glenn Pavone & the Cyclones), making a guest appearance during Who’s Your Daddy’s performance on Sunday during Cambria City Ethnic Festival.

Once again, courtesy of Ed Murvine, Glenn Pavone with Who’s Your Daddy.

MERCY SEAT @ FOREST HILLS FESTIVAL, ST. MICHAEL 9/5/04

Later this day, my itinerary would take me to Post Gazette Pavilion outside of Pittsburgh to see the Allman Brothers Band. Since I wasn’t leaving for that show until mid-afternoon, I spent the earlier part of the day by trekking to the annual Forest Hills Festival in St. Michael, where local gospel rockers Mercy Seat were slated to perform.

I had heard several of this group’s original songs from a demo CD they had submitted to the “Backyard Rocker.” Their tunes sounded interesting and melodic, so I was curious to see what Mercy Seat was about live.

As expected, a large crowd of people already populated the Forest Hills Festival as I arrived. Mercy Seat was just underway as I procured some food and took up position at the perimeter of the festival’s wooden bandshell area.

Six members strong, Mercy Seat performed their brand of melody-geared Christian rock original songs, including songs from their EP such as “Jesus,” “Holy Eyes,” “Hear My Cry” and more; plus did a number of newer songs not on the EP as well. Vocals are Mercy Seat’s forte; singers Ruth Rager and Karen Nagy alternated lead singing duties and often blended for some nice harmonies. Their musicianship was solid, with lead guitarist Eugene Nagy, rhythm guitarist/keyboard player Sean Nagy, drummer David Webb and substitute bassist Ken Vickroy adequately holding down the fort behind the two leading ladies. Mercy Seat experienced a few technical snafus and feedback, and at times I thought Eugene’s guitar could have been louder in the overall mix. But overall, this band did a decent job, inspiring a few little kids to dance and run laps around the wooden stagefront floor, and drawing polite applause from the festival-goers who were paying attention.

Mercy Seat entertains at the Forest Hills Festival.

Ruth Rager and Karen Nagy of Mercy Seat.

Sean Nagy and Eugene Nagy of Mercy Seat.

Once again, Mercy Seat at the Forest Hills Festival.

Once again, Ruth Rager and Karen Nagy of Mercy Seat.

Eugene Nagy of Mercy Seat.

Substituting on bass for Mercy Seat this day, Ken Vickroy.

Mercy Seat, chuckling as a young fan does laps around the stagefront floor.

ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND @ POST GAZETTE PAVILION AT STAR LAKE, BURGETTSTOWN 9/5/04

After Mercy Seat’s performance ended, I returned down the mountain to Altoona and hooked up with my travel entourage for this day’s main event, the Allman Brothers at Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake. Big Jim and Ronny D from Half Tempted, Scott Jurcik and his bud Andy all gathered into Ron’s minivan, and we were off on our Allman Brothers adventure.

Jim and Ron had brought guitars along for some acoustic jams and singalongs during the pre-concert tailgate. A nearby tailgater from West Virginia broke out his acoustic guitar, and jammed some acoustic blues with Ron and Jim. It was a good, fun warm up for the main event.

As we arrived inside and took up position in the Star Lake lawn seating area, Allman Brothers singer/guitarist Warren Haynes was opening the evening with a solo acoustic set. Warren mixed the styles between acoustic rock, country, blues and folk, playing original songs and a few select remakes. Warren drew his set to a close with renditions of Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and the Allman Brothers’ “Soulshine;” the latter drawing an enthusiastic cheer from the Star Lake crowd.

After a reasonably short intermission, Warren and the Allman Brothers Band themselves took the stage, and after quickly checking and fine-tuning their instruments, started off with “Midnight Rider.” Haynes and fellow guitarist Derek Trucks quickly loosened up their fingers for some serious jamming during this song, “Done Somebody Wrong” and “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin;’” setting the stage for some incredible guitar fireworks throughout the set. A tasty Latin-flavored intro led into “Who’s Been Talking,” with Haynes growling out the lead voice; this song led into an upbeat midsection, before the band toned it down and let Haynes and Trucks gently play off one another for the finale. The fireworks continued on “Stormy Monday,” with both guitarists and Gregg Allman’s keyboards getting into some heated exchanges. The musicianship kept escalating during “Dreams” and “Rocking Horse” from last year’s studio album Hittin’ the Note with both Haynes and Trucks pushing each other into the stratosphere. The group then segued directly into “Gambler’s Roll,” followed by a gently funky read on Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen.” With Harley Davidson motorcycle footage accompanying them on the jumbotron, the Allman Brothers then delivered a spirited version of “Good Clean Fun,” before slowing it down on “Dreams to Remember,” with Warren Haynes again growling out the lead voice. The group again picked up the tempo on “One Way Out,” showcasing an extended midsong percussion jam between drummers Butch Trucks, Jaimoe Johannsen and conga man Marc Quinones. After an expectedly galloping rendition of “Statesboro Blues,” the set grand finale, as the Allman Brothers launched one of their all-time classic epics – “Mountain Jam.” This jam reached several crescendos, including more guitar duels and duets between Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, including heated slide work from the latter; Oteil Burbridge schooling the house with an excellent bass solo display; more percussion jams and more.

As the Allman Brothers left the stage, the audience instantly roared to life, quickly demanding an encore. After about two minutes, the Allman Brothers returned to the stage, and for the encore, broke out Derek & the Dominoes’ “Layla;” with Warren Haynes singing lead, and Derek Trucks executing some more beautiful lead solo work in the song’s latter half.

The Allman Brothers Band took everyone in the Star Lake audience to school! This was musicianship at its finest, with every component of the Allman Brothers demonstrating absolute mastery over their instruments, and blending and pooling their talents into an incredible group effort. Witnessing the nip-and-tuck guitar displays between Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks was unbelievable, as well as the steady percussion virtuosity of Butch Trucks, Jaimoe and Marc Quinones. Gregg Allman’s voice was as strong as I’ve ever heard it, and his keyboard nicely guided and accompanied the overall sound. Warren Haynes was no slouch in the vocal department, either, his gruffer presentation complementing Allman’s and giving the sound added edge and grit. And bassist Oteil Burbridge nicely cemented this instrumental montage together with his clean, busy and finesse-laden basswork. Indeed, an incredible show.

Non-musical sidelight during the concert was the aged, rotund hippy seated in front of us in the lawn area. I don’t know what chemicals might have been in his system, or what chemicals might have damaged his system from years of concerts, but this guy – seated with his lady – continually shouted along with each song, almost like he was narrating the play-by-play action of the Allman Brothers. I’m sure some people were probably irritated by the guy, but all three of us just sat and laughed as he expounded his litanies towards the stage, oblivious to the probability that the group probably couldn’t hear a word of it!

At the end of the concert, I experienced modern recording technology at its finest, as copies of the concert I had just witnessed were on sale. You paid $25 at the table, and they gave you a receipt that you presented outside where the discs were distributed. It took about a 15-20 minute wait for the discs to be completed (this was the Star Lake lot, we weren’t going anywhere in a hurry anyway), but I was eventually rewarded with a three-disc set of this night’s performance, recorded from the sound board. The sound was clean and very good; better than many live albums officially released from record labels! Aside from some dead air where all you heard was audience noise (when the band first surfaced onstage and the recording began, also before the encore), this was a clean-sounding, and tightly-produced live CD set of this show! I definitely liked this, and will consider purchasing CD’s from other concerts if I am blown away enough by a performance to do so!

The journey back home to Altoona had its share of excitement. First, we were delayed heading back on Route 22 towards Pittsburgh by a vehicle accident, where one of the cars caught on fire. There were no apparent injuries, but we were stopped for about half an hour, and saw the burned out vehicle once we were able to pass.

Then there was the encounter with the ‘waitress from Hell’ at Dean’s Diner near Blairsville. Apparently this poor woman had been dealing with concert returnees this night, and was not the most cheerful waitress we had ever seen. After she gruffly asked what we wanted, Ronny D got loose and started joking about her, which got me started on a hysterical laughing fit! The waitress at one point asked if she had said something funny, which only fed my laughing fit further. I laughed hard enough that I had tears in my eyes, and at one point blew coffee out of my nose! To this day, I’m not sure if I can maintain my composure if I ever see that waitress at Dean’s again! “I’ll give you pie, you PUNKS!”

Bottom line – of the two times I have seen the Allman Brothers Band so far (the other time was at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center, definitely a tamer affair than this night), this was by far the best! And if the Allman Brothers continue to keep it together and tour, it’s a safe bet this won’t be the last time I see them perform.

Although I didn’t try to get a camera in to Star Lake itself for the Allman Brothers, I did catch some photos during the pre-concert tailgate. Here is Ronny D, pickin’ and grinnin’ in the Star Lake parking lot.

Big Jim and Ronny D, strummin’ and hummin.’

Big Jim gets into an acoustic blues jam with another guitarist, attending the concert from West Virginia.

More acoustic jamming in the Star Lake parking lot.

Scott Jurcik demonstrates some picking ability.

Big Jim plays, as a parking lot jewelry vendor hawks his wares.
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