August 6-7
Johnstown, PA
2021
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) has today announced the cancelation of its signature event, the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival, which was to be held Jul. 31-Aug. 1, 2020 at Peoples Natural Gas Park.
“We waited to make this decision as long as we could, hoping for more clarity on when large gatherings like concerts and festivals would be possible – but at this point, no one knows, and we cannot continue in a holding pattern,” said Ron Carnevali, festival chairman. “It is now time to let our patrons, sponsors, volunteers, and artists know that the 2020 festival is canceled. We are deeply disappointed, as we’d done a great deal of planning and were even ready to announce a lineup.”
“As an organization that is committed to the economic vitality of the communities we serve, we too, had hoped the festival would go on as planned,” said Jeff Stopko, president and CEO of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. “However, it’s important to do what’s right to ensure the safety and protection of our residents and visitors. This pandemic has certainly proven that it is not business as usual and we must be patient and do what’s right to be able to move beyond this in a planned and orderly manner. We look forward to once again sponsoring the festival in 2021 and joining with community and JAHA leaders to bring visitors back to our great city.”
In addition to the potential health risks, Carnevali pointed to challenges related to sponsorship support and selling advance tickets.
“Our sponsors are the lifeblood of the event and have been incredibly supportive, but many of them are feeling the financial effects of this crisis,” Carnevali said. “And in the current climate, it would be extremely difficult to sell advance tickets.”
Other major local and regional events that have canceled include Thunder in the Valley (Johnstown), Three Rivers Arts Festival (Pittsburgh), Deutschtown Music Festival (Pittsburgh), Central PA Festival of the Arts (State College), Delfest (Cumberland, MD), and many others.
If the all-clear is given for larger events, JAHA hopes to hold a concert at Peoples Natural Gas Park in September 2020.
“We don’t yet know if this will be possible, but it’s something to hope for,” Carnevali said. “And we have every intention of bringing the festival back in 2021.”
What an incredible festival! So many give and do so much to make this event possible, and we are grateful to all. We especially want to acknowledge AmeriServ Financial, for 25 years of support; stage sponsors Bud Light/Vons United Beverage, 1st Summit Bank, and First Commonwealth; major sponsors UPMC Health Plan, Laurel Auto Group, and CTC Foundation; and the many performer and ticket sponsors. We appreciate each one of you.
We’d also like to thank our media sponsors for helping get the word out, and the in-kind sponsors whose products and services help power the festival. Finally, a big shout-out to our volunteers, who turn out in force every year to help make this event friendly and fun.
Mark your calendars for July 31-August 1, 2020, everyone — and in the meantime keep up with the rest of the season at Peoples Natural Gas Park on the Concerts & Events page.
We have a terrific list of domestic, craft, and import beers and hard lemonades to choose from! Our thanks to Vons United Beverage, one of our major sponsors, for putting together such a varied list for us.
Domestic:Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Yuengling Lager and Pilsner, Rolling Rock, Shock Top, B&V Spiked Seltzers and Hoop Teas.
Import/craft: Fat Tire, Citradelic, Goose Island IPA, Golden Road: Mango Cart; BluePoint Mad Sea’d, Landshark Lager, Stella Artois, Goose Island Summer Time.
We appreciated these two Pittsburgh media hits this week:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 29: “Best Concerts of the Week”
Pittsburgh City Paper, July 30:“Johnstown music festival boasts an eclectic lineup,” Key quote: “For many Pittsburghers, sometimes traveling to events outside of the city limits can seem like too much effort. But there’s a music festival happening in Johnstown this weekend that is more than worth the trip.”
Check out the Concerts & Events page to learn more about the Johnstown Film Festival, a food truck festival, Brews & Blues in the Valley, a free Woodstock commemoration concert, and a benefit featuring Donnie Iris!
Here’s a rundown of some of the festival press so far, with links when available! We’ll update this post as much as we can.
Fri., July 19: “Gin Blossoms, Cowboy Mouth to headline Flood City festival in Johnstown,” a Tribune-Review preview.
Sun., July 21: “Something for everyone: Four bands will headline AmeriServ Flood City music extravaganza,” a Tribune-Democrat preview article.
Mon., July 22: Podcast interview with Ron Carnevali, festival chairman, on WQED-FM.
Friday, July 26: Interview with Elias Khouri on Johnstown’s Rocky 99.
Sat., July 27: Interview with Brownout on Pittsburgh’s 91.3 WYEP, on The Soul Show.
Sun., July 28: “Gin Blossoms to headline weekend showcase,” a Tribune-Democrat interview with Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms. Key quote about their show with us: ““They are going to get all of the hits, for sure,” Wilson said, “plus some our personal favorites and a bunch of the new material, too.”
Sun, July 28: “Cowboy Mouth singer says crowd ‘in for a great time,'” a Tribune-Democrat interview with Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth. Key quote: “When you come to a Cowboy Mouth show, my goal isn’t just to entertain you or play some songs that you might have heard 20 years ago,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure everybody leaves feeling 100 times more better than they have in a long time. You don’t need a reason to celebrate, just celebrate because you are you.”
Sunday, July 28: “Brownout combines hip-hop, Latin sounds,” a Tribune-Democrat interview with Greg Gonzalez of Brownout. Key quote: ““We have a large stage where we can move around and interact with a large group of people,” he said. “A lot of times at festivals, people aren’t there to see you, they’re there to see something else and not considered your band an option, but afterward they come away as fans.”
Sunday, July 28: “Improvisation key to Ghost Light’s connection with audience,” a Tribune-Democrat interview with Holly Bowling of Ghost Light. Key quote: “I think there’s a desire for the songs themselves to connect with someone’s own experience – and the improvisation to let people slip away and be transported somewhere else.”
Sunday, July 28: “Bill Kirchen looks forward to ‘familiar faces,'” a Tribune-Democrat interview. Key quote: ” It’s great to get back, and I have great affection for this festival,” he said. “I felt like I was connecting with individuals. I got the old trombone out and marched around the crowd with the band. I had some people send me great photos of me interacting with the crowds.”
Sunday, July 28: “Altoona’s Lozier plans to deliver ‘high-energy’ show,” a Tribune-Democrat interview with Davina Lozier of Davina & the Vagabonds.
Monday, July 29: Interview with Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth on Johnstown’s Rocky 99.
Johnstown’s Inclined Plane will be open until 1:00 am (which is a half-hour past the conclusion of the late-night shows) on both days of the festival ! This is a great way for residents of the old Westmont neighborhood to get to the festival without having to drive or park. Our thanks to CamTran for keeping it open for us!
Visit the vending page for more! We’ll post the beer list the week of the festival.
A free Woodstock commemoration show, a Donnie Iris & the Cruisers concert to benefit Johnstown’s free medical clinic, a film festival and a food truck festival are some of the post-Flood City events to look forward to — details here!
It took three long days with a sturdy crew of festival volunteers and sound crew, but we have now completed the project to improve the sound quality inside the Community Foundation Oilhouse. Panels of Tectum, a special sound-absorbing material, have been installed on the walls and I-beams with a layer of insulation underneath to maximize the effect. In addition, baffles of Tectum have been hung from the ceiling.
Our sincere thanks to all who donated and volunteered to make this permanent improvement possible!
We are now seeking festival volunteers! Volunteers get in free to the festival the day they work, and are an enormous part of helping us pull this thing off. Our patrons and festival artists often comment on how friendly this festival is, and that’s due in large part to our volunteers.
Jobs include working in the box office, festival pubs, or ID scanning station. Shifts are generally 3 hours. If you’d like to help, contact Kim Baxter via email at kbaxter [@] jaha.org, and provide her with your name, contact information, and general availability. Kim will get in touch to arrange a mutually convenient shift. Thanks!
Festival posters and quartercards are in! If you’d like to help us distribute, or can display a poster at your place of business, please send us an email at info@jaha.org, and we’ll do our best to get you set up.
The festival is less than 2 months away!
The music season at Peoples Natural Gas Park kicks off with a bang this Saturday evening with the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Free Concert Series, featuring The National Reserve and Felix & the Hurricanes!
The National Reserve: For nearly half a decade, The National Reserve has spent Friday nights lighting it up at Brooklyn bars, winning over fans with epic sets and a remarkable breadth of song-craft and showmanship. With their 2018 release on Ramseur Records, Motel La Grange, the band has crafted a rich and raucous collection that instantly places them among Americana’s finest with its force, directness, and performance not unlike some lost recording unearthed from the golden age of 70’s rock ‘n’ roll.
Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve meld gutbucket R&B with New Orleans funk workouts, late night soul, and boozy rock ‘n’ roll to create their own timeless brand of music. The National Reserve is set to bring all the fun and fire of their fervent Friday night sets to the rest of the world, eager to pack as many folks into their late night scene as possible.
Felix & the Hurricanes: Storming onto the local music scene 28 years ago, the three-member southern-style blues rock outfit has exemplified what it means to endure as a musical force – and what it means to be a working band.
“Part of why the Hurricanes can be considered one of the area’s hardest-working bands is that … for them, the line between music as work and play blurred a long time ago,” said Jim Price, disc jockey for area music station Rocky 104.9 (FM) and writer for Pennsylvania Musician magazine.
“Work and play are one and the same in this band,” he said. “They maintain their busy schedule because they love what they do. It’s easy to be a workaholic in an endeavor if you are passionate about and enjoy doing that endeavor.”
And passionate they are. The band’s founding member and namesake, Felix Kos (guitar and vocals), Bobby Watters (drums and vocals) and Jeff Clapper (bass and vocals) – the band’s lineup since 1998 – have thrived not only on a fierce playing schedule, but also on expert musicianship, spontaneity and the fine art of showing audiences a good time.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who bought their early-bird passes before that deal expired! We’re excited to report that sales are up over 20% compared to last year’s early-bird period, and we truly appreciate your enthusiasm. Single-day tickets are now on sale, too — visit the ticketing page to get yours. We can’t wait for August 2-3!
We are looking for a couple of strong volunteers on Sunday, May 5 to help us out as we embark on installation of the acoustic panels in the Community Foundation Oilhouse! Construction skills are a plus but not required. We’ll start at 9:00 am; lunch will be provided. If you can donate a few hours of your time, message Ron Carnevali, festival chairman, on Facebook — or just show up! Thanks!
The complete festival schedule for August 2-3, including performance times and stages, is now posted! You’ll notice that there is a half-hour break between many sets — this is to allow us time for brief soundchecks without disturbing other artists’ performances. In addition, we’ve brought back late-night sets, a festival tradition.
Check it out at the schedule page, and get your 2-day passes today — early-bird pricing is good through April 30 only, and prices will go up on May 1.
The Community Foundation Oilhouse is the original structure on the site that was developed into Peoples Natural Gas Park. It’s an industrial building, made mostly of metal and concrete, and when the park was built in 2011-2012 we added restrooms, a pavilion and stage off the back, a green room, a parking lot and more. This summer, a permanent kitchen was added. The Oilhouse is a fantastic space, and serves as the site of our smallest festival stage…but its acoustics have always been challenging, and it’s been a longtime goal to improve the acoustics in there.
Ron Carnevali, festival chairman, was instrumental in the vision, fundraising, and development of Peoples Natural Gas Park, and took on this effort. He kicked it off with a birthday fundraiser last year on Facebook, while consulting with sound professionals and others to create a solid plan. Generous donations from Ron and from Mark Pasquerilla, Dan Thompson, Lou Mihalko, and Jim Loncella got us closer to the goal, and Ron then pushed us over the top with one more crowdfunding effort on social media.
We are grateful for all of these donations, large and small, and are thrilled to report that installation of acoustic panels will happen next month, and should result in a vastly improved sound quality inside the building. This permanent improvement will greatly enhance this year’s festival, as well as all future events at the park. THANK YOU to all who donated!
That’s right, it’s time to get your 2-day passes now, before prices go up on May 1! Locals, you can get them in person at the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial to get a break on service charges — box office hours are 10am-5pm Monday through Friday, and 10am-2pm on Saturday. Alternatively, you can buy at any Ticketmaster outlet, or click on Tickets to get them online.
JAHA is delighted to announce this free concert, the first in the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Concert Series, for Saturday, June 8! Click here for more concerts and events in the park.
The National Reserve: For nearly half a decade, The National Reserve has spent Friday nights lighting it up at Brooklyn bars, winning over fans with epic sets and a remarkable breadth of song-craft and showmanship. With their 2018 release on Ramseur Records, Motel La Grange, the band has crafted a rich and raucous collection that instantly places them among Americana’s finest with its force, directness, and performance not unlike some lost recording unearthed from the golden age of 70’s rock ‘n’ roll.
Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve meld gutbucket R&B with New Orleans funk workouts, late night soul, and boozy rock ‘n’ roll to create their own timeless brand of music. The National Reserve is set to bring all the fun and fire of their fervent Friday night sets to the rest of the world, eager to pack as many folks into their late night scene as possible.
Felix & the Hurricanes: Storming onto the local music scene 28 years ago, the three-member southern-style blues rock outfit has exemplified what it means to endure as a musical force – and what it means to be a working band.
“Part of why the Hurricanes can be considered one of the area’s hardest-working bands is that … for them, the line between music as work and play blurred a long time ago,” said Jim Price, disc jockey for area music station Rocky 104.9 (FM) and writer for Pennsylvania Musician magazine.
“Work and play are one and the same in this band,” he said. “They maintain their busy schedule because they love what they do. It’s easy to be a workaholic in an endeavor if you are passionate about and enjoy doing that endeavor.”
And passionate they are. The band’s founding member and namesake, Felix Kos (guitar and vocals), Bobby Watters (drums and vocals) and Jeff Clapper (bass and vocals) – the band’s lineup since 1998 – have thrived not only on a fierce playing schedule, but also on expert musicianship, spontaneity and the fine art of showing audiences a good time.
Gates will open at 6:00 p.m.
Felix & the Hurricanes: 7:00 p.m.
The National Reserve: 9:00 p.m.
Members of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, producers of the festival, get a special benefit — they can buy 2-day VIP passes at the same price as a regular 2-day pass! So get them NOW while early-bird prices are still in effect for the best deal. Remember, prices on 2-day passes go up for everyone on May 1, when single-day tickets go on sale.
JAHA members must purchase in person at the Heritage Discovery Center, NOT the Cambria County War Memorial, to take advantage of this benefit. ONLY members may buy in person at the Heritage Discovery Center. (Limit 4 per membership). So members, we invite you to stop by anytime during regular business hours (during March, hours are 10 am-5 pm Wed.-Sat., and noon-5 pm on Sun.; in April, we will also be open Tues., 10 am-5 pm). Not a member? Now’s your chance — we’d love to help you out with that too when you come by.
(Non-members, you can buy your tickets in person at the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial.)
Thank you for your support of JAHA!
Here’s links to some local media coverage of the festival announcement. Be sure you’re following us on social media for updates!
Feb. 28: Gin Blossoms to headline AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival, Tribune-Democrat: Key quote — “’It’s going to be varied; it’s going to be fun. It’s going to serve one purpose: Bring music that folks already know, and music they haven’t seen before to Johnstown,’ said Ron Carnevali, festival chair.”
Mar. 2: Flood City Music Festival adds 13 more acts, Tribune-Democrat: Key quote — “’Together with our headliners, we think this is going to make a fantastic weekend of music,’ festival chairman Ron Carnevali said in a press release. ‘We’re also excited to bring back the late-night sets after the headliners on Friday and Saturday night, a festival tradition.'”
Mar. 16: Gin Blossoms and others headline FCMF, Our Town: A nice interview with Ron Carnevali, giving a rundown of much of the lineup. Key quote: “‘If you’re happy with what we’re doing, the biggest vote of support you can give us is by purchasing a ticket,’ Carnevali said.”
Built in 2012 by Johnstown Area Heritage Association, Peoples Natural Gas Park is a permanent home for the festival, and has served as a catalyst for more special events. Ron Carnevali, our festival chair, was instrumental in the years of fundraising and planning it took to get us that far. Now, once again through Ron’s leadership, we are planning to make significant improvements to the sound quality inside the Community Foundation Oilhouse. It’s a recycled industrial building, and the surfaces in there are hard — and the sound in there is, well, less than ideal.
Based on the recommendation of our sound engineer and a lot of research, we believe the application of Tectum spun fiber panels strategically placed on the walls, ceiling and structural steel will go a long way to improving the sound.
The panels will be installed by JAHA staff and volunteers. It will cost about $6,000 to get it done, and Ron has raised $5,000 already. We’re close, but could use your help! Donations of any size are greatly appreciated as we work to achieve this longtime goal.
Click here to donate on Facebook, or contact Deb Winterscheidt at JAHA, 814-439-1889 x315.
You are following us on social media, right? You can expect lots of festival news, photography, and good stuff about the artists on our 2019 lineup, events at Peoples Natural Gas Park and more.
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/floodcitymusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/floodcitymusic
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/floodcitymusic
Finally, if you’re a Facebook user, let us know you’re coming at our Facebook Event…and by all means help us spread the word by inviting all your friends!
The festival lineup is out, and tickets are now on sale!
Early-bird ticket pricing (face values) for the festival is $40 for a 2-day pass, or $55 for a VIP Pass, which includes access to the VIP Lounge and the site’s only full bar and indoor restrooms, as well as a special viewing area at the mainstage. Single-day tickets will go on sale on May 1, when early-bird pricing expires.
The top four artists have been announced — and on Friday, March 1, we’ll roll out the remainder of our 2019 lineup on our Facebook Page, one artist every 15 minutes, starting at 10:30 am! Be there.
Stay tuned to our Facebook Page at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 25 as we release our top four artists for the 2019 festival! August 2-3 will be here before you know it.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) today announced that Ron Carnevali has returned to chair the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival. He succeeds Terry Deitz, who chaired the event in 2017-2018, but recently moved to Scranton to pursue a professional opportunity. Carnevali has a long history with the festival, having served as its chair from 1993 through 2012, and has also served on JAHA’s board of directors.
“Live music has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve never missed a day of the festival – even when I wasn’t in charge,” Carnevali said. “It is exciting to be back, and we’re looking forward to getting started.”
Carnevali said that he has appreciated many of the changes that have been made to the event since he last served, and will continue with many of them. In particular, he expects that the festival will continue to be held within the boundaries of Peoples Natural Gas Park.
“The development of the park was really Ron’s idea – especially the reuse of an abandoned industrial building that is now the Community Foundation Oilhouse,” said Richard Burkert, president of JAHA. “Helping to get the planning and funding in place so that the park could become a reality was Ron’s signature accomplishment as chair, and we’re delighted to have him back.”
“I remember walking into that building before the park was built – we used to store tons of bulky festival stuff in there, like chairs and platforms — and thinking, ‘okay, I trust Ron, but I just don’t see it,’” said Shelley Johansson, director of communications for JAHA. “Today it’s a wonderful special events facility, a centerpiece for downtown where all kinds of events can be held, and the Stone Bridge lights shine every evening. It’s been a remarkable transformation.”
The festival will continue working with SMG, and AmeriServ continues as title sponsor.
“AmeriServ has been the event’s title sponsor since the very beginning,” Carnevali said. “We are grateful for their ongoing and steadfast support through the festival’s many years of evolution.”
Carnevali noted that there may be slight tweaks to the event as in past years, and that music fans can continue to expect a great lineup the first weekend in August.
“We’ve got some great ideas, and we’re looking forward to putting on a great festival,” Carnevali said.
Hey, procrastinators! Yes, you can get your tickets at the gate if you haven’t bought in advance. Also, please note the following:
Security: In order to provide a secure atmosphere and ensure the safety of our guests, everyone will be screened before entering the park. Please leave guns and knives at home.
Bring your ID: Everyone, regardless of age or appearance, will be carded if they wish to purchase alcoholic beverages.
No chairs, no coolers, no dogs: Please do not bring camping chairs or coolers! Ample general admission seating is available at all stages. Service animals in harness are welcome, but otherwise no pets are allowed.
We are on, rain or shine: We may be dodging raindrops a little bit today (Friday) especially, but we are on! Umbrellas are allowed but can be problematic in crowds, as the water tends to drip on your neighbor — we encourage you to bring a poncho or raincoat instead.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (producers of the festival) today announced that Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas will play the final show in the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Concert Series on Sept. 15! The free show is one of several exciting post-festival concerts and events — check out the August and September calendar here.
Here are some highlights of festival press so far! We’ll continue to update as the week goes on.
Artist interviews on Forever radio stations: Blues Traveler, Derek Woods Band, Bastard Bearded Irishmen, Andy Frasco, Amelia Eisenhauer and more to come!
Preview feature in The Tribune-Democrat
‘A perfect fit’: Blues Traveler to highlight fan favorites with its new music: The Tribune-Democrat features an interview with BT guitarist Chandler Kinchla
Legends live on in Devon Allman Project: Band to headline opening of festival along with Pittsburgh’s Hillbilly Way A Tribune-Democrat feature.
Return engagement: Country-rock band Pure Prairie League has ‘a lot of friends in Johnstown’: From The Tribune-Democrat: “We’ve got a lot of friends in Johnstown dating back to the 1970s,” said bassist Mike Reilly.
Post-Gazette callout in “Best Pittsburgh concerts this week”: “There are no names more revered in the Southern rock world than Allman and Betts. Now, people can see what the sons can do, together. Duane Betts, son of Dickey Betts, hooks up with the Devon Allman Project, led by the son of the late Gregg Allman, as the Friday night headliner at the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown.”
