Organizers of the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival made a big announcement Monday that rock singer Grace Potter will kickoff the party on August 4.
Potter was an up and coming singer when she first performed at the festival in 2009.
Besides playing with her band The Nocturnals, Potter has also released solo material and collaborated with artists Kenny Chesney and The Rolling Stones.
This is the first year that the three-day festival will open with a concert on Thursday night at People’s Natural Gas Park.
Organizers say the Johnstown festival has grown each and every year bringing music lovers from as far as Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
The AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival runs from August 4th-7th. For a complete of the talented bands that will be performing CLICK HERE.
Ticket passes for the weekend are On Sale Now.
Organizers of the festival released more details:
3-day festival adds Thurs., Aug. 4 concert with Grace Potter;
Festival headliners include The Revivalists, Charles Bradley & the Extraordinaires
(JOHNSTOWN, Pa.) – The Flood City Music Festival presented by AmeriServ is growing again, adding a kick-off concert with iconic rock act Grace Potter on the Thursday evening before the 3-day event begins.
“Grace Potter appeared at our festival for two shows in 2009, just as her career began to explode,” said Todd Wagner, festival chairman. “Everyone who saw those shows realized she was something special. We are thrilled to be able to bring her back to town.”
“This local event represents true community spirit from the hundreds of volunteers who work diligently to ensure its success, to the attendees who bring their family and friends from all over the state,” said Jeff Stopko, President and CEO of AmeriServ Financial, Inc. “This year’s entertainment is sure to please the music lover in all of us, and I’m glad we can help bring these top-notch performers to our community.”
Grace Potter — Described by Spin as “one of the greatest living voices in rock today,” and by SF Weekly as “the whole package”, Grace Potter continues to impress both critics and audiences with her musical achievements and captivating live shows.
Heralded as one of today’s best live performers, Grace Potter has played every major music festival from Coachella and Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo and Rock in Rio. She’s had the honor of sharing the stage with artists such as The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, the Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Mavis Staples, and The Roots to name just a few. Most recently, she was given the honor of performing, along with Sheryl Crow, a tribute to the late Glenn Frey at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. For an artist who has built a devoted fan base through her electrifying live show, Potter seems hell-bent on breaking out of the box when it comes to studio work. She refuses to be defined by a single genre. Over the last three years, she has seamlessly transitioned from collaborating with the Flaming Lips for a Tim Burton film, to songwriting and producing for soundtracks and theme songs for film and TV, to multi-platinum, Grammy nominated country duets with her friend Kenny Chesney, to most recently joining The Rolling Stones on stage for an inspired rendition of “Gimme Shelter.”
In late 2015, at the invitation of The First Lady, Michelle Obama, and TV host Conan O’Brien, Grace performed for the troops in Qatar (where she was joined on stage by the guitar-playing O’Brien). In the fall of 2015, Grace was honored with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, her home state of Vermont’s highest honor in the creative sector. Earlier in 2015 Potter received the ASCAP Harry Chapin Vanguard Award by WhyHunger honoring her for her work with several charitable organizations. On August 14, 2015, Grace released her critically acclaimed solo album, Midnight, to a #17 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. Midnight was recorded and mixed at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood, CA, with producer Eric Valentine. The core studio band consisted of Potter and Valentine on most of the instruments, with Matt Burr on drums and percussion. Additional contributions came from guitarists Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco and bassist Michael Libramento, as well as former tourmates and friends singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter, Audra Mae, Noelle Skaggs of Fitz & the Tantrums, and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age.
Charles Bradley and the Extraordinares — Soul singer Charles Bradley’s star has been on the rise since the release of his widely praised 2011 debut album No Time For Dreaming, and his ascent has continued long after the release of his triumphant second album, 2013’s Victim of Love. Dubbed “The Screaming Eagle of Soul,” the singer just announced his anticipated third album Changes, which just came out on the Daptone Records imprint Dunham Records.
Charles Bradley has also made a name for himself as a riveting live performer. He’s taken his show to venues and festivals across the globe including Coachella, Glastonbury Festival and Primavera Sound. Bradley’s also performed on famed stages including the Apollo Theater—the same place he saw his idol James Brown perform when he was 14 years old, and the Beacon Theatre where he’s separately supported The Tedeschi Trucks Band and the Afghan Whigs.
By now, Charles Bradley’s remarkable, against-all-odds rise has been well documented: how he transcended a bleak life on the streets and struggled through a series of ill-fitting jobs before finally being discovered by Daptone’s Gabriel Roth. The documentary Charles Bradley: Soul of America, directed by Poull Brien, follows Bradley’s extraordinary journey during the electrifying and transformative months leading up to the release of debut album No Time for Dreaming. The year following the release of No Time For Dreaming was one triumph after another and Victim of Love saw Bradley emerging from his past heartaches stronger and more confident, overflowing with love to share. Victim of Love went on to receive overwhelming praise and was included on “Best of 2013” lists by SPIN, MOJO, Paste, BuzzFeed, Rough Trade & more. The album’s title track was also named one of Rolling Stone’s “Best Songs of 2013.”
The Revivalists – It’s actually surprising that when The Revivalists take the stage, the entire planet doesn’t hear them playing–yes, their sound is that big. It’s not just because this band – who have performed everywhere across the country – has seven members and perform with a wide breadth on instruments. It is because there is so much passion spewing out of these guys that it’s completely impossible to ignore them.
After seven years of making music together, New Orleans rock hybrid The Revivalists (David Shaw – vocals, Zack Feinberg – guitar, Andrew Campanelli – drums, Ed Williams – pedal steel guitar, George Gekas – bass, Rob Ingraham – saxophone, and Michael Girardot – keyboards & trumpet) are set to deliver their latest studio album, Men Amongst Mountains. The forthcoming release, out on July 17, is an album about growth. It is appropriate, then, that the band set out to challenge itself while writing and recording their latest batch of music.
Anders Osborne — Between the potency of his richly detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today.Guitar Player calls him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.” New Orleans’ Gambit Weekly recently honored Osborne as the Entertainer Of The Year. OffBeat named him the Crescent City’s Best Guitarist for the third year in a row, and the Best Songwriter for the second straight year. Osborne also won Song Of The Year for his composition, Louisiana Gold.
Since his recording debut in 1989, Osborne has written virtually all of his own material and contributed memorable songs to a wide variety of artists. Two tunes co-written by Osborne appear on Keb Mo’s Grammy-winning 1999 release Slow Down. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders’ song Watch The Wind Blow By. Osborne’s compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. His songs have appeared in multiple feature films. He can also be seen performing in an episode of HBO’s New Orleans-based drama, Treme.
A favorite with Johnstown audiences, he last appeared here at Peoples Natural Gas Park for the 2015 Free Medical Clinic benefit, and at our festival in 2012 and 2010.
Tab Benoit – A favorite in Johnstown, Tab Benoit is Louisiana’s No. 1 roots export. More than just an acclaimed bluesman, he is an indefatigable conservation advocate. Benoit is a driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, an organization working to save Louisiana’s wetlands. In 2010, he received the Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Benoit also starred in the iMax motion picture Hurricane on the Bayou, a documentary of Hurricane Katrina’s effects and a call to restore the wetlands.
In 2007, Benoit won the dual awards of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Male Performer at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards). In 2006, he received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album for Brother to the Blues, a collaboration with Louisiana’s LeRoux. LeRoux joined Benoit on Power of the Pontchartrain in 2007 and the live Night Train to Nashville in 2008.
Samantha Fish – By the age of 18, Samantha Fish had settled on a searing lead guitar style that expressed her own voice rather than mimicking the clichéd blues licks note-for-note. Home practice didn’t scratch the itch, and she broke into a dues-paying period on the Kansas City jam circuit: an apprenticeship at the sharp end that tightened her musical chops, polished her stagecraft and gave her the grit to overcome occasional skepticism about her age, hair tone and gender.
Hitting a receptive international rock press, Runaway was hailed as a thrilling opening gambit, earning a string of rave reviews and accolades, of which the Blues Music Award (BMA) for ‘Best New Artist Debut’ in 2012 was perhaps the most auspicious. With her 2013 release, “Black Wind Howlin’,” she’s solidified her position of one of the most exciting artists in blues today.
Marc Broussard – The road to this point has been longer than one would expect from an artist as young as Marc Broussard. Yet already he has toured with giants – Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, O.A.R. and Bonnie Raitt, among others. He has honed his writing chops through collaborations with some of the top song craftsmen in the business. He has won ovations at South-By-Southwest, Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, as well as at countless theaters around the country and on the court during halftime at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. All of that, the spiritual as well as the musical, contributes to Broussard’s emergence as a more complex, seasoned yet emotionally vital artist on his new release, “Keep Coming Back.” He played a concert at Peoples Natural Gas Park in July 2013, and we are delighted to have him on the festival lineup for the first time this year.
Tauk – “In short, Tauk is unstoppable. If you haven’t see them, dear God, go,” says Live for Live Music. Hailing from Oyster Bay, NY, heavy instrumental rock-fusion onslaught Tauk has created a unique musical identity that is quickly separating them from the pack. Featuring Matt Jalbert (guitar), Charlie Dolan (bass), Alric “A.C.” Carter (keyboard-organ), and Isaac Teel (drums), the band seamlessly brings together a mélange of genres as diverse as gritty funk, fusion, hip hop, progressive rock, ambient, classic rock, and jazz.
In just a few short years, Tauk have already shared stages with an impressive list of bands. Their broadly appealing musicality has caught the ear of such diverse artists as Widespread Panic, Umphrey’sMcGee,STS9, The Funky Meters, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Papadosio, Lettuce, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, moe., Dopapod, Tim Reynolds & TR3, Toubab Krewe, The Revivalists and many more. Festival highlights include Electric Forest, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, The Hangout Music Festival, Summer Camp, LOCKN’, Hudson Project, FloydFest, Hulaween, CounterPoint, Camp Bisco, Bear Creek, Art Outside and The Allman Brothers’ Peach Fest.
The quartet has received accolades from a number of tastemaking authorities, including an “On The Verge” feature in Relix Magazine and frequent rotation for their singles “Mindshift”, “Sweet Revenge” and “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” on Sirius XM Jam On. Jambase named Tauk “a guaranteed quickly-ascend band.” The group is reaching new heights with every live performance and album, but is nowhere close to peaking. It’s an exciting time for both Tauk and their fans, as a rocket ship of momentum ascends this young band to national prominence, while showing no signs of slowing down.
London Souls – The London Souls’ unique reinterpretation of classic hard-hitting rock and roll formulae recalls elements of the past with an ever-present boundless energy, fit to cement their place in the future. Tash and Chris have been nothing short of a best-kept-secret among New York City concertgoers since the band’s formation in 2008, building a fervent and dynamic fan base leveraged by their ever-substantiated reputation for consistently well-rehearsed and impassioned, explosive live performances.
The band’s celebrated sound and spirit draws significant influence from the driving force of British rock pioneers Cream and Led Zeppelin, to billowing and bouncing funk and soul, to the layered harmonies and memorable hooks of The Beatles and The Hollies, to the contemporary psychedelia of My Morning Jacket among many more.
Chris Smither — Honing a synthesis of folk and blues for 50 years, Chris Smither is truly an American original. As Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote, Smither sings about “the big things – life, love, loss – in a penetrating and poetic yet unpretentious way.” A profound songwriter, Chris Smither draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets, and philosophers. Reviewers continue to praise his dazzling guitar work, gravelly voice and songwriting. He last appeared at our festival in 2000 and 2004, returning in 2012 to present a concert at Peoples Natural Gas Park.
Additional artists include:
· The Record Company – rock
· Jimmy Adler – blues
· Bastard Bearded Irishmen — Irish rock
· Boogie Hustlers – funk (Thursday)
· Chrome Moses — rock
· The Commonheart – soul (Thursday)
· Billy Price — soul
· Suitcase Junket – novelty
· Whiskey River Panhandlers – Americana
Several artists will be added to the lineup in the near future.
In addition to AmeriServ Financial, major festival sponsors include Von’s United Beverage, 1st Summit Bank, Spangler Subaru, and Concurrent Technology Corp.
Camping
The festival will continue to offer on-site camping in 2016. Primitive tent camping will be available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights on the festival’s lawn at Peoples Natural Gas Park, just steps away from two of the festival’s four stages. The campground will be gated, and only campers will have access to it. For $50 plus handling, patrons receive one camping spot for all three nights. Camping can be purchased when you buy tickets.
“We got off to a great start with camping in 2015,” Wagner said. “We think our lineup this year will appeal to festivalgoers who think of camping as an important part of the experience.”
Packages & passes
As in 2015, the festival is working with the Cambria County War Memorial for ticketing. Tickets may be bought online and printed at home through the festival’s website at www.floodcitymusic.com, but patrons can also purchase in person at the War Memorial or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will not be for sale at the Heritage Discovery Center. Early-bird pricing is in effect through June 6.
Tickets to the Thursday night Grace Potter concert, which also includes performances by The Commonheart and The Boogie Hustlers, will be sold on their own (no early-bird pricing) and also in a package with festival 3-day passes, as follows:
Package | Early-bird price (face value) | Regular price (beginning June 6)| |
Grace Potter | $40 | $40 |
Grace Potter + 3-day Pass | $80 | $95 |
Grace Potter + Oilhouse Pass | $85 | $105 |
3-Day Pass | $45 | $60 |
Oilhouse Pass | $50 | $70 |
Oilhouse Pass purchasers receive:
· One ticket to all three days
· One wristband providing access to the Oilhouse Lounge, which has the site’s only full cash bar and flush restrooms
Weekend pass holders receive:
· One ticket to all three days
Campers may buy camping online when they purchase any type of pass or package. Parking will be sold for $5 per day on-site only. Single-day tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be sold in advance beginning June 6. Face value of the tickets will be $40 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, and $10 for Sunday. Any single-day ticketholder for the Grace Potter show, Friday or Saturday will receive a Sunday ticket free.
“We are excited to be able to offer Grace Potter tickets in a package with 3-day passes,” Wagner said. “Further, to encourage people to go ahead and get their passes, we’ve lowered the early-bird price of 3-day passes and Oilhouse Passes by $5 this year. We encourage Johnstown locals to get the best deal possible by buying early-bird tickets in person at the Cambria County War Memorial – buying in person provides some savings on Ticketmaster service fees.”
Corporate and business packages that include Corporate VIP parking, corporate VIP tickets, tickets for customers and clients, and additional perks are also available. For details, click on “support” at floodcitymusic.com.
As in the past, JAHA members get 15% off packages and passes (in addition to early-bird savings.) To take advantage of this benefit, members must purchase in person at the War Memorial, or call (814) 814-536-5156 ext 148 or 126. War Memorial Box Office hours are 10:00 am-4:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
About the festival
The event is produced by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA), a non-profit organization that brought the National Folk Festival to Johnstown in 1990 for a three-year run. JAHA began to produce the festival on its own in 1993, renaming it the Johnstown FolkFest and holding it annually over Labor Day weekend. In 2009, the festival underwent some changes, including a name change to better reflect the types of music offered, as well as a date change. AmeriServ Financial has been involved with the festival since its beginning.
JAHA is a non-profit, membership-based organization that preserves and presents Johnstown’s nationally significant stories to the nation. It operates the Johnstown Discovery Network, which includes the Johnstown Flood Museum and the Heritage Discovery Center, and the Wagner-Ritter House and Garden, as well as the new Johnstown Children’s Museum. JAHA also produces various special events throughout the year, including the music festival, the Johnstown Film Festival, Last Friday at the Ethnic Social Club and more. For more information on JAHA, its museums and special events, visit www.jaha.org.
For more on the festival, visit facebook.com/floodcitymusic or floodcitymusic.com.
