Related Links
Flood City Music Festival
Johnstown Area Heritage Association

Yeah, time to get back to posting again. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do and, although it’s a lot of fun to annoy Theresa by not doing anything, it’s probably past time to fulfill her fantasies, so here are the shots from the 2009 Flood City Music Festival.

Kudos to JAHA and Ameriserv for taking a huge risk by turning the Johnstown FolkFest inside out. The bigggest change is probably in the timing of the event. JAHA has moved the Fest from Labor Day weekend to the middle of August. This means that Johnstown PA now enjoys 3 weekends of big summer events rather than just 2, and that can only be a good thing for the city and surrounding area. The organizers are now actively soliciting “contributions” for admission to the event. While this may rub some the wrong way, I was more than happy to throw for the $20 weekend pass in anticipation of bigger name future acts and for access to the Train Station area. The Fest is also presenting fewer acts than in the past, encouraging the hiring of bigger names and minimizing the “Okay, which one should we listen to now” dilemma. Oh yeah, almost forgot. They got rid of the scrip! Woo-hoo!

All that said, I’ve got a few suggestions regarding the event that I hope JAHA and Ameriserv will take in the spirit in which they are intended:

1. More Blues! What this town really needs is a good blues club and/or an annual blues festival. In the meantime, FCMF could help a brother out by adding a few more blues acts to the lineup.
2. Jams in the Train Station – I sat in the Station for a bit, drinking my beer amid the ferns and other decorations, wishing there was something to listen to; maybe some local accoustic acts or, here’s an idea: how about some blues?
3. Scheduling – As always, the ’09 Fest generally had a good variety of musical acts from which to choose, but all the early Sunday afternoon acts were just a bit more laid-back than I might have hoped for. I’d like to see the organizers put just a little more effort into scheduling divergent acts playing at the same time.
4. Did I mention “more blues?”
5. Bring back the scrip!! – Just kidding

Anyway, we had us a real good time at the ’09 Fest and look forward to bigger and better events to come. Good job JAHA.

Enjoy the pics.

Related Links
The Laurelight Wheels and Wings Gallery
Ebensburg’s Wheels and Wings

Don’t let the sparseness of the crowd in the photo to the left fool you. I haven’t seen a crowd this thick since the 1987 Boston Ice Cream Festival. Behind me, on the wing block, it was “shoulder to shoulder, backs to the wall.” You couldn’t slip a sheet of paper between any 2 people there. But it was all good. It gave me an excuse to try my first slice of Clark Powell’s pizza. And that led to my second. And so on, and so on… Anyway, I was in town to shoot cars, meet folks and have a good time, not to eat wings. And they had some real pretty cars in Ebensburg, including the sweetest ride I’ve ever seen: Chris Ryan’s, of Ninety Six, S.C., 1948 Cadillac Series 62 convertible. Oh, what a beauty car. Check out the photos.

Related Links:
The Laurelight Wheels and Wings Gallery
The Laurelight Parade of Lights Gallery
The Laurelight Bike Rally Music Gallery
The Laurelight Bike Rally Food Gallery
The Laurelight Bike Rally Crowds and Faces Gallery
The Laurelight Bike Rally Bars Gallery
The Laurelight Bike Rally Sights Gallery
The Full Kilt MySpace Page
The Wheels MySpace Page

Okay, there were no mason jars, except for what I found cleaning Mom’s garage, but there were plenty of cars and bars and bikes and trikes, and more great jams than Donnie Iris can shake his dipstick at. Saturday was the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen in Johnstown, PA. This event is going to take 7 stand-alone galleries and 3 posts just to catch a glimpse of what a blast every moment was. For convenience sake, I’ve combined 4 of the galleries into this post and set aside Wheels and Wings and Parade of Lights for their own posts, but, as always, you can catch the individual gallery links up at the top of the post.

The Company You Keep

The quality of life is often determined by the quality of those you choose to keep around you. This year’s rally was top-shelf because of the moments I got to share with Karen, the En Brothers (Glenn and Ken – no relation), Ken’s new friend Theresa, and, the lightning in my thunder, the Lovely Brenda. And we got to meet plenty of other fine folk along the way, and it seems, since Satori Sunday that I’ve acquired the habit of meeting old friends I never knew I ever knew. All in all, I had me a real good time.

Location, location, location…

I’ve got thousands of biker pics on the hard drive, and hundreds on the site. This year was time to branch out and see what else could be seen. We took in the sights at Richland Fire Hall, Ebensburg’s Wheels and Wings, and along Graham Ave. in Windber. The En Bros. and I even incorporated the World Famous Windber Walking Tour into our visit. I missed Beavedale Hill Climbs and Cernic’s Somerset party, and blew off Greenhouse Park and Cambria County Fairgrounds. We hit a lot of bars, Hurdle’s, TNC, Windber Hotel, Town Tavern, Crousey’s, Jerry’s, Ohio Street Lounge; but left many undiscovered. Maybe next year. Ate lots of great food: snack at Clark Powells (no wonder their pizza has a county-wide reputation), breakfast at Erikson Field (Geistown-Richland Lions), lunch at the Knights of Columbus (best halupki ever), and dinner split between TNC (blow-you-away baked Italian hoagie) and Town Tavern (just a quick chef salad, cause I’m not getting enough veggies). Again, next year I’ll have to try harder on the food.

Jammin is My Life

The Wheels Rock! Course, any band that covers Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons, as well as writes their own excellent material, is okay by me. Check out their MySpace page up above. Nice to catch up with The World’s Greatest Cover Band, The Desperados, once again. Michael Obrian and Full Kilt (also linked above) rounded out the cream of the crop. The Desperados don’t need no stinkin’ website. WHOA! Almost forgot. Honeys abounded once agan. I LOVE this town and I love my life. Thank you Jesus.

All right, wrap it up. I’ll take it. Here’s most of the phots and more to come in the next 2 posts.

the Balko Finds the Best Seat in the House for Johnstown, PA’s 4th of July

I’ve seen some fireworks in my time. There’ve been bi-, tri, and sesqui-centennial celbrations; First Nights and New Year’s Eves, Tall Ships and Millenia, big cities and small towns. We did Boston’s Esplanade 4th one time, along with 300,000 others: couldn’t see the band, no alcohol, couldn’t get to the bathroom, couldn’t get IN the bathroom, couldn’t get out of the park at the end of the night, and getting onto the T was murder. But sitting directly behind those howitzers was a BLAST! Man, dig that crazy sound: BOOM! BOOM! Like much of my Boston experience, though, once was enough. Coolest show I ever saw was Ocean City’s 2000 NYE from the door of my tent on Assateague Island across the bay. But that entire night was special. Last night in Johnstown was pretty special, too.

A Plethora of Pyrotechnique

After shooting last year’s unlooked for 4th of July at Highland and Wheat from the shelter of Larry’s porch, I determined to take advantage of a higher vantage. So, with the cooperation of Albert’s weather, I humped my lard ass and 20 pounds of photo kit up to the top of Wheat Street. I had no idea! I got to witness dozens of fireworks displays in a 180 degree arc, from small, personal shows to the official programs from Westmont and Johnstown; some at my feet, some directly in front of me, to all the way down the length of the valley. What a show! There were at least several sources from each neighborhood and municipality I could see: Ferndale, Lorain, Yoder, Hornerstown, Kernville, Oakland, Daisytown, behind Yoder Hill from Brownstown and/or Cambria City; and even flashes from the West End; and ALL OVER Moxham. No, it wasn’t a BETTER show than the Boston Pops, it was just different, and at least as satisfying and far more comfortable. Next year I’ll have to load up some Tchaikovsky on the iPod before I head out, or, better yet, Exile on Main Street. Now THERE’s some fireworks music.

This isn’t your father’s Windber. It seems that, ever since the hospital told the Memorial mega-medicinal conglomerate where to stick it, this town has been redefining it’s character, and I’m giving serious consideration to moving there. They’ve got great people, low taxes, some very cool bars, their own theatre, and they know how to throw a party. They’ve even got their own vampire convention.

Three weeks ago, the En Brothers (Glen and Ken – no relation) and I took the World-Famous Walking Bar Tour (another post for another time) on a road trip to Windber . Since then, I’ve been back 4 times. This past Friday, it was for the Inaugural Friday Night Cruise In: classic, antique, and state-of the-art muscle cars and hogs lining Graham Avenue, jams in the Gazebo by Day Well Spent, and beer by the Windber Fire Department. Clear skys, a beautiful sunset, and a typical good-natured Windber crowd all contributed to the good times.

There was a time when this sort of thing drove the authorities nuts. Even today, in Lancaster, driving up Prince Street or down queen Street, you can see the signs forbidding “passing this point three times in one hour.” Some towns still don’t like this activity. But progressive Windber has embraced it, and they’re reaping the rewards.

Sponsors for the (almost) weekly event include Conzatti’s Market, Rizzo’s Restaurant, and the Windber Hotel. I know there are more, and as soon as I get back there, I’ll get a handle on the details and repost for you. They’ll be doing this all summer long, but it’s not exactly every week. They’re skipping Memorial Day weekend, but coming back the following week. Anyone who can add more info, provide links to other sponsors, or who can help identify the cars in the photos, leave your comments below. You can check out the photos from here / / /, or click the galley link at the top of the post, or the 2009 Galleries link at the top of the page.

Related Links:
The Laurelight Big Oaks Gallery
The Front Porch Country Band
Green Valley Recording
The Midlife Cowboys
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Scores of hidden gems are waiting to be discovered in Pennsylvania’s Southern Highlands. One of these little-known jewels is the music and arts fest presented annually on Ridge Road by Dan and Geeg Eash. Of course the Eash’s use the event to showcase Dan’s hand-made pottery, but the primary purpose is to give back to the community and share their joy of music, antiques and the good life with neighbors, friends and friends-to-be.

Entertainment at the 2008 event included Dr. Gary Stoner, OB/GYN, singer, songwriter, member of the Midlife Cowboys and composer of the song Johnstown Pride, written in the wake of the 1977 Johnstown Flood; and Richard & Alison Rupert, singers, songwriters, members of the Back Porch Country Band, and proprietors of Green Valley Recording Studio. Dan Eash, as well as gracing the crowd with a tune, provided a pottery demonstration during the course of the day’s activities. Geeg was everywhere, organizing, introducing and worrying a little more than she needed to.

It was a wonderful afternoon, complete with flawless performances of classic country and bluegrass tunes, beautiful and original pottery, spectacular scenery, and the sort of friendly, casual company you would expect of a Highlands gathering. To top it off, the Eash’s are gracious hosts, going so far as to babysit for several months a piece of equipment forgotten by a neglectful photographer. I look forward to a similar event this year.

I got down to the creek about 7:00am and found a couple of folks and 2 dogs camped on the banks, but no fishermen. My original assumption was that fishermen don’t get up as early as photographers do. It was only when I got to work the following Monday that I learned Opening Day doesn’t start till 8:00am. It was my first jaunt down the 1/4 mile long Fisherman’s Path (accessed from Clear Shade Road) and I found myself about 50 yards further upstream than I had ever been. So this was the splash dams that my brother and his buddy, Larry Kmeil, had talked about: a broad glade of ponds, reeds and shrubs right in front of my camera. With no fishermen around, I took a few shots of the Creek and the adjacent John P. Saylor Trail and headed out. Ascending out of the glen, I finally saw my first fishermen of the day, on their way down to the creek.

The photo of the Flight 93 Memorial is certainly the non sequiter it appears to be in this gallery, but I wanted to scope the fishing action along the Stonycreek, and thought, while I was in the area, I’d try to reshoot a photo I had taken a couple years before and wasn’t happy with. Who knew they had moved the Memorial across the road and completely altered the composition? As for Opening Day, anglers dotted the Stonycreek from Shanksville, near it’s source, down through Kantner, Hooversville and at least as far as Hollsopple. Thirty years ago, this river was orange and dead. Now look at it. Hollsopple looked like a real fine party going on, and I regret I didn’t have more time to spend there.

One more point to make (okay, a couple more): heading back to Johnstown along 403 and feeling a little peckish, I was trying to work out a scenario for lunch. Cheap and lazy as I am, with my time as well as my money, I hesitated to stop at Sheetz or some other “fast food emporium (there’s a reason they call it JUNK food). Well, God bless the Conemaugh Township Fire Department. Making my way through Tire Hill, there stands a woman at the side of the road waving a sub in my face. Hallelujah! Good food cheap AND quick. Pretty smart having a sub sale on Opening Day,

Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about trout fishing in the highlands, check out the Mountain Laurel Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Good info and pics and a chance to join up.

Enjoy the photos.

I only hope the IRS doesn’t come a-knocking. Only a few places in this country understand that most taxpayers work on most Wednesdays. (Leave it to Johnstowners to schedule an event for convenience rather than symbolism – and that’s a good thing.) So, this sunny spring afternoon I moseyed on down to Johnstown’s Central Park to catch a whiff of civil non-disobedience from the gathered alienates. Taxes are taxes and will be with us always, but, as a practicing anarchist, I’ll empathize with anyone attempting to limit the scope of government, or even simply voicing their displeasure for government.

Being a photographer, and not a journalist, I’ve got no details for you. Besides, I don’t like listening to people talk. Here’s my take on the whole picture: left, right, up, down, inside out; the powers-that-be need to keep us at each others’ throats so we don’t notice them stuffing their pockets with goodies from the buffet table, most of those goodies being the covered dishes we brought from home, so I paid little attention to the rhetoric. If you’re looking for the play-by-play, you’ll have to catch the coverage in the local provincial rag. It turned out to be a well-behaved, enthusiastic and reasonably-sized crowd, and it’s always nice to see people downtown. I hung for a few, got my shots and headed home.

If you’re like me, though, and looking for the real skinny on the Tea Party, “down low and on the q-t,” I’m sure Straight Outta Johnstown will have something entertaining to say, as soon as they get over their obsession with VoraFest. Meanwhile, enjoy the pics.

Rolled out early early last Saturday looking for some mood pictures in the morning fog. I was hoping for one of those pre-dawn shots where the sky is just starting to lighten and the fog doesn’t quite reach the hilltops?

Problem with the Highlands and Johnstown, though: it’s tough to find a vantage point high enough and the fog low enough to get the photo right.

First, I headed up the MoxhamVu overlook on Belmont Hill. Nothing but a sea of white. So I dropped down a bit and grabbed a few shots of under the fog from the top of Wheat Street in Moxham. From there, a change of tactics, and I headed up to Grandview to try and capture a mood instead of an atmosphere.

They’ve got a saying in New England: “Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute.” Well, Johnstown weather doesn’t change that quickly, but the sky and the light certainly do. I barely got a handful of shots around the cemetery entrance when the fog appeared to lift. Before packing up, I took a quick run over to the Incline Plane to see what was up there. Pleanty of fog in the valley and a brief glimpse of Cover Hill across the way. Then, a minute after I snapped the shot of the Yoder Hill, the entire hilltop socked in.

And that’s when I realized I was trespassing. I had no idea they could pop me for trespassing for taking pictures from the observation platform. Welcome to the Friendly City. Anyway, short story longer, it being after my normal 8am starting time, I packed up and headed for a beer. I’ve been in a fog ever since. Enjoy the photos.