Top-notch musicians will headline AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in July

Jan. 31—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A diverse lineup of entertainment will have this year's AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival rocking.

Festival organizers announced on Wednesday that Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain in Light and Andy Frasco & The U.N. will headline the festival on July 26 and 27 at Peoples Natural Gas Park in downtown Johnstown.

"It will be an honor to have musicians of the caliber of Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew gracing our main stage on Saturday. Their back-up band, Cool Cool Cool, are friends of the festival, having appeared with us as Turkuaz," said Ron Carnevali, festival co-chairman. "On Friday, we are bracing for a wild night, a real party with Andy Frasco & The U.N. I'm excited about the great collaborations we're sure to see that night between Maggie Rose, our artist at large, and other acts."

Jerry Harrison is the keyboardist and guitar player for Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the 2021 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. He has multiple critically acclaimed solo albums, including "Casual Gods."

Adrian Belew was the longtime lead singer and guitarist for progressive rock giants King Crimson. He has also recorded with, performed alongside and toured with David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, Paul Simon and Cyndi Lauper.

Harrison and Belew, with their all-star backing band, bring powerhouse renditions of Talking Heads classics such as "Once In A Lifetime," "Psycho Killer" and "Take Me To The River," and selections from their solo careers.

Andy Frasco & The U.N. have long been the high-flying DIY renegades of the touring scene, known and loved for their kaleidoscopic musical fusion and one-of-a-kind onstage audacity. They last appeared at the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival in 2018.

"We've had many great fests over the years, and every year I say I think our lineup is the best one yet," said Bryan Hummel, festival co-chairman. "But truly, I'm not sure we've ever presented a lineup of this caliber from top to bottom. We're optimistic that our 2024 lineup will excite more people than ever."

AmeriServ Financial is serving as the festival's title sponsor for the 29th year.

"If there is one thing festivalgoers can count on, it is that there will be a host of terrific musicians taking the stage over festival weekend," said Jeff Stopko, president and CEO of AmeriServ Financial. "We are thrilled that our partnership with (the Johnstown Area Heritage Association) and the festival committee continues to make it possible for folks from the area and beyond to enjoy this caliber of musical entertainment. It is events like this that truly highlight all that our region has to offer and makes it a true destination for those who appreciate the beauty of the Laurel Highlands."

Organizers also announced 14 additional acts from a variety of musical genres — Melvin Seals & JGB with special guest Ron Holloway; Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country; Couch; Maggie Rose; Runaway Gin: A Tribute to Phish; The Hypochondriacs; Organ Fairchild; The Hillbilly Biscuits; Billy the Kid and The Regulators; Endless Mike and the Beagle Club; Soulful Femme; Smooth Sound Band; The Whiskey River Panhandlers; and The Salt Brothers.

—Melvin Seals & JGB with special guest Ron Holloway are returning to the park after a show last summer for the Highlands Health Clinic benefit. A pioneer in jam-band music, Seals has been a powerful presence in the music industry for more than 30 years with a long-established reputation as a performer, recording artist and producer. Seals is most revered for his powerful, high-spirited Hammond B-3 organ, and keyboards in the Jerry Garcia Band. The band will be joined by Holloway on saxophone. He has played with the Warren Haynes Band, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, the Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Scott-Heron, Devon Allman and Root Boy Slim, as well as his own band.

—Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country is incubated to the sounds of the Dead, educated by some of Nashville's finest players, has more than 2,000 shows under his belt and a social media presence. Donato is a millennial whirligig of creative fire. He played the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival 2023 with the super group Trouble No More.

—Boston-based band Couch infuses pop with funk, rock and rhythm and blues/soul. Their vibrant sound is further defined by the members' backgrounds in jazz, a cappella and musical theater. The band injects each project with their signature flavor: expressive horns, warm vocals and bubbling synths — crafting an oasis of joy for musicians and nonmusicians.

—Maggie Rose has been hailed for her passionate individualism, proudly infusing her music with influences spanning rock, soul, Americana, folk and funk. She has shared the stage with an array of artists, including Kelly Clarkson, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Heart, Joan Jett, Eric Church, Gov't Mule, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Mavericks, Fitz & The Tantrums and The Revivalists.

—With more than 450 shows performed since its inception in 2014, Runaway Gin: A Tribute to Phish is the world's most notable Phish tribute project. Runaway Gin will never play the same show or jam the same way twice, making every show a unique experience and every moment pure artistic creation. The band made numerous festival appearances, including Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival, Resonance Music and Arts Festival, the Woodlands Music and Arts Festival, Nextival, Hidden in the Hollow Festival, and has headlined top national venues such as the Norva, the National, Jannus Live and the Georgia Theater.

—The Hypochondriacs are a six-piece band hailing from New Brunswick, Canada, known for their genre-defying fusion of country, rockabilly and unadulterated rock 'n' roll. They're making waves throughout North America with their electrifying live performances, leaving an indelible imprint on audiences, including at last summer's Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Free Concert Series at Peoples Natural Gas Park.

—Jam scene mainstays Joe Bellanti, Corey Kertzie and Dave Ruch met in 1983 and now tour as instrumental organ trio/funky jam band Organ Fairchild. The veteran musicians have played music with Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman, Robbie Krieger, Nels Cline, Tony Rice, moe., Oteil Burbridge, Steve Kimock and Keller Williams.

—Hailing from West Virginia, The Hillbilly Biscuits have been making and performing their own brand of old-time bluegrass and original mountain music for more than two decades. Formed in 2001 from a chance meeting at the Wednesday night old-time jam in Morgantown, West Virginia, The Hillbilly Biscuits have been pickin' n' grinnin' and entertaining their loyal fans ever since.

—Billy the Kid and The Regulators are a high powered, guitar-driven rhythm and blues band based in Pittsburgh. Lead singer Billy Evanochko is known across the Steel City for his lyrics, seductive vocals and stinging guitar riffs. Together with his band, The Regulators, they deliver a well-balanced dose of funky rhythm and blues, with heart and soul being the main ingredient, playing countless clubs and festivals throughout the country.

—Endless Mike and the Beagle Club is best described as a "singer-songwriter with a very loud punk rock band." First formed in Johnstown around 2004, the Beagle Club has been writing, recording and touring off-and-on ever since. They last played the festival in 2009.

—Stevee Wellons and Cheryl Rinovato, the two principals in the blues duo known as Soulful Femme, are more than simply a dynamic singing duo. They are seasoned performers in their own right, each possessing vast experience in the music business who happened to join forces and find an ideal chemistry. They'll play a full-band set at the festival.

—Hailing from Johnstown, Smooth Sound Band was formed on Oct. 2, 2009, to perform fundraiser events for the local nonprofit organization Flood City Youth Fitness Academy. The band plays jazz, rhythm and blues and classic rock and has built a large fan base of all ages.

—Although some carefully chosen covers are included in the Whiskey River Panhandlers' sets, most of what you'll hear is original songs whose taproots run deep, evoking a simpler time when pretty much all music was acoustic and live. Founded in 2008, the Panhandlers are comprised of some of Johnstown's most seasoned musicians. The band last played the festival in 2016.

—Hailing from the New Jersey shore, The Salt Brothers are multi-instrumentalists, entertaining at all the major venues there.

Early-bird two-day passes are $55 or $80 for VIP, which includes access to the VIP Lounge and the site's full bar and indoor restrooms, as well as a tented viewing area at the main stage.

Festival camping will be offered in partnership with Coal Tubin' for $60 per person for two nights of primitive camping and includes shuttles.

New this year, VIP hotel packages for two or four people are available and includes a room at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Downtown and festival T-shirts.

Single-day tickets will go on sale on May 1 when early-bird pricing expires.

Tickets are available through the Eventgroove platform and can be purchased online at www.floodcitymusic.com. Passes will also be available at the Heritage Discovery Center.