August 2-3
Johnstown, PA
2019
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 (Oilhouse) 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 an Oilhouse (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.”
The time has come to announce our Best Seat in the House winners! Congratulations to Lisa Rohde, Heather Hartland, Whitney Torok and Rob Kaminski, who will receive a 3-hour slot at the festival in a luxurious spa for themselves and 5 friends!! The 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial will be contacting winners today (July 31). Our thanks to everyone who entered!
Always an important piece of information — the beers that will be available at this year’s music festival!
Beers and other malt beverages include:
Budweiser/Bud Light
Devil’s Backbone Pear Lager
Goose Island IPA
Hemperor
Hoop Iced Teas
IC Light
Mangorita
Michelob Ultra
Shock Top
Spaten
SpikedSeltzer
Wolf Pup
Yuengling
CamTran is graciously extending Inclined Plane hours during the festival, for the convenience of residents who wish to ride to the festival and visitors who might want to experience the Incline! Hours are as follows:
Friday, August 3: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 4: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
….and it all looks delicious! Visit our vendor page for details on all the local vendors who’ll be at the festival.
The summer schedule at Peoples Natural Gas Park just got better, with a benefit show for the Highlands Health Clinic (formerly Free Medical Clinic)! The August 25 event will feature regional favorites The Clarks and Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers.
For complete details on the event, including online ticketing, visit the Highlands Health website.
Together with BZ Pools & Decks, the festival is delighted to launch the Best Seat in the House contest! Four lucky winners will receive a three-hour timeslot in a luxurious spa on the festival grounds, for yourself and five friends — the best seat in the house. You can enter online or in person at BZ Pools & Decks, 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial Box Office, or online.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association is delighted to announce that two free concerts will be presented this summer at Peoples Natural Gas Park with the support of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Concert Series will kick off on July 3 with a funk show by Beauty Slap, with special guests Run the Meat (from Pittsburgh) and Afro n’At (Johnstown). The next show is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 18, artists TBA.
Visit the Concerts and Events at Peoples Natural Gas Park page on this site for details on this show and other events.
The festival announced two additions to the lineup today: The Marauders and Derek Woods Band! With these bands, our 2018 lineup is complete. We’ll release a detailed schedule of stages and set times in the near future — stay tuned!
Festival favorite Tab Benoit is set to play Peoples Natural Gas Park in a special event presented by Lucky Dog Productions in cooperation with the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (which produces the festival)!
A Johnstown favorite is returning on Thurs., Jun. 7! Lucky Dog Productions is presenting Louisiana blues rocker Tab Benoit at Peoples Natural Gas Park, in cooperation with JAHA. Special guest is Black Cat Moan.
Flair of Country will be on location with their food truck wide selection of items for dinner, including their famous barbeque items.
The schedule for the evening is as follows:
Tickets for the event are $20 (face value) in advance, or $25 (face value) the day of the show. They are being sold in advance through ShowClix — get them here!
Johnstown festival fans know that you get a break on ticket fees by buying your tickets in person at the Cambria County War Memorial box office. But now you can get the same great deal at The Galleria! 2-day passes and single-day tickets may now be purchased at the Gallieria’s information kiosk (located on the first floor, on the Boscov’s end of the mall). We hope this makes ticket purchase more convenient for people who live and work in Richland, or can’t stop by the War Memorial during its box office hours.
Single-day tickets to the festival are now on sale, in person at the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial and online. If you missed early-bird pricing on 2-day passes, you can become a member of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association and get that $10 savings per pass, when you buy in person!
JAHA is a membership-based non-profit, and produces the festival — and when you become a member, you support JAHA in its overall mission of using Johnstown’s heritage to build its economic future. You can read more about JAHA’s mission and becoming a member on JAHA’s website. To join, call Deb Winterscheidt at 814-539-1889 x315 or stop by the Heritage Discovery Center or Johnstown Flood Museum.
