Editorial | Music festival highlights region

Ron Carnevali says “advance ticket sales are at the highest level they’ve ever been” for the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival, which starts Friday in downtown Johnstown.

The festival co-chairman and booster, speaking to our Kelly Urban recently, described this year’s slate as “a pretty diverse lineup” that “speaks to a lot of music festival fans.”

“A lot of these bands are very popular on the festival circuit, and it’s a lineup that has a lot of appeal to the regional music audience,” Carnevali said.

Headliners Andy Frasco & The U.N. and Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain in Light will perform Friday and Saturday, respectively – bringing a touch of star power to Johnstown: Harrison is the founding guitarist for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Talking Heads, and Belew was the lead singer and guitarist for prog-rock legends King Crimson.

“This is a big show and a big band with lots of horns,” Carnevali said of Harrison and Belew’s group. “It’s going to be a real sight to see. People are going to love it with these two legends, and I think it’s a can’t-miss.”

And of Friday’s headliner, he said: “Andy Frasco is a spectacle and an unbelievable performer. There are typically some antics involved in his shows, and oftentimes you’ll see him crowd-surfing all the way to the back of a packed festival venue.”

Per an announcement at floodcitymusic.com, organizers have navigated a late hiccup in the lineup.

Canadian country-rockabilly fusion band The Hypochondriacs had to cancel its U.S. tour because its members’ work visas were not issued in time. But Cool Cool Cool, the backing band for Harrison and Belew, will fill in the gap with its own set from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

It’s an example of the complexity of organizing a music festival – and the organizers again deserve a tip of the hat for putting together an event that brings people to Johnstown.

Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St., is the venue. A full schedule can be found online at floodcitymusic.com, at TribDem.com, or in The Tribune-Democrat’s Living section from this past Saturday.

We second a comment made earlier this year by Jeff Stopko, president and CEO of festival title sponsor AmeriServ Financial: “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.”