Here is a listing of Altoona area live music happenings for the weekend and week of Friday, March 8 through Thursday, March 14.
A number of interesting and fun live music-related events take place during this weekend and upcoming week.
For starters, Altoona’s Greenbean Coffee House is presenting the first annual “Singing For Survivors” awareness event on Friday evening, benefiting Family Services, Inc. of Blair County. The event takes place at the Bavarian Hall in Altoona, with music starting at 5 p.m. Performing will be Michelle Barnes, Asbury Lane, This Albatross and Shallow 9. Admission to this event is free, but donations will be accepted, with proceeds helping to provide services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
To help you warm up as this cold winter starts to draw to a close, Downtown Bedford, Inc. presents the “Feel the Heat Chili & Soup Cook-Off” event on Saturday in downtown Bedford. Postponed from January, “Feel the Heat” will feature local and regional eateries offering their best chili and soup creations for sampling among seven different downtown Bedford locations. Attendees can sample them and then vote on their favorites in several categories. Sampling locations include HeBrews Coffee Company, Locality, Briar Valley Winery, Oak Spring Winery, Pigeon Hill Studios, Deepwood Gallery and Founder’s Crossing. Live music entertainment will take place at each location; see the listing below for the performers at each location. “Feel the Heat” begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 2 p.m. Advance tickets are $18 and are available through Eventbrite online until 11 p.m. Friday night.
To wet your whistles before St. Patrick’s Day next weekend is the annual “Kegs, Corks and Kilts,” an Irish-themed craft beer and wine-tasting event happening in two sessions on Saturday afternoon and evening at the Altoona Grand Hotel. The first session starts at 4 p.m., with the nightcap session beginning at 8 p.m. Sampling of craft beers and wines will be offered by a number of regional breweries and wineries, along with food and live music during both sessions by local Irish-rock favorites Full Kilt. Tickets are $25 each which includes a souvenir sampling glass, but only 300 tickets are being sold for each session. The event is limited to ages 21 and older.
This area’s punk rock scene remains popular and vibrant, and celebrates that fact on Saturday night at McGarvey’s in Altoona with the third annual “Punkfest: Who Says It’s Dead?” event. At least six different area punk-rocking acts – Dave Hates Everything, Owned By A**holes, The Flannels, The Snipped, Railroad City Murder Machines and Jean Claude Trans Am – will display their brands of punk-fueled vigor and vinegar starting at 8 p.m.
McGarvey’s also hosts a rare Sunday night multi-band event, as local performers From Down The Road and Kevo Can’t Dance, plus Philadelphia-based art rockers Diaphane and Susquehanna region-based acoustic group MA’AM, will perform starting at 7 p.m.
And if a wedding is in your future, the U.S. Hotel in Hollidaysburg presents the “Not Your Average Bridal Show” event on Sunday afternoon from noon to 5 p.m. This event will feature local wedding-related vendors, demonstrations, giveaways, appetizers, and live music from area acoustic favorites Lauren & Joe. Admission is $5 per person.
For outdoor shows, in the event of inclement weather, please call or use social media to check ahead to make sure the show is still taking place, especially if you are driving any distance to attend.
Check out and support the area live music! And if you celebrate heavily while doing so, please designate a sober driver or call a taxi to get you home.
FRIDAY NIGHT 3/8:
“Singing for Survivors” (Awareness Event) at Bavarian Hall, Altoona; featuring Michelle Barnes, Asbury Lane, This Albatross and Shallow 9 (starts 5 p.m., free admission; proceeds from donations help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault)
“Friday Wine Down” with Coltt Winter Lepley at Oak Spring Winery, Altoona (starts 6 p.m.)
Eric McCrum at Railroad City Brewing Company, Altoona (starts 7 p.m.)
The Dillons at Holiday Bowl (Strike Zone Bar & Grill), Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
100 Proof at Black & Gold Tavern, Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
3 Of Hearts at Bavarian Aid Society, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
The Boomers at Newburg Firehall, Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
Borrowed Time at Hungry Duck, Roaring Spring (starts 6 p.m.)
Rue Moyer at Blue Knob Clubhouse, Blue Knob Ski Resort (starts 7 p.m.)
Open Mic with Dylan C. Miller at A.C. Darby Studio, Huntingdon (starts 6:30 p.m.)
Phil McCaulley at Woody Lodge Winery, Ashville (starts 6 p.m.)
Dan Stonerook at Castle Pub, Ebensburg (starts 7 p.m.)
Felix & the Hurricanes at Osceola Moose, Osceola Mills (starts 10 p.m.)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 3/9:
“Feel the Heat Chili & Soup Cook Off,” downtown Bedford (starts 11 a.m.):
- Happy Hour (Sarah Mellott and Tom Fix) at Founder’s Crossing
- Coltt Winter Lepley at Oak Spring Winery
- Borrowed Time at Briar Valley Winery
- Brandi Naugle at Deepwood Gallery
- Bad Luck Lover Boys at Locality
- Charles McClanahan at Pigeon Hill Studios
- (TBA) at HeBrews Coffee Company
“Kegs, Corks & Kilts” (first session) at Altoona Grand Hotel, Altoona; featuring Full Kilt (starts 4 p.m.; admission $25 includes souvenir tasting glass)
SATURDAY NIGHT 3/9:
“Kegs, Corks & Kilts” (second session) at Altoona Grand Hotel, Altoona; featuring Full Kilt (starts 8 p.m.; admission $25 includes souvenir tasting glass)
“Who Says It’s Dead Punkfest 3” with Dave Hates Everything, Owned By A**holes, The Flannels, The Snipped, Railroad City Murder Machines and Jean Claude Trans Am at McGarvey’s, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
Triple Threat at Family Pizza & Pub, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
The Hope Fallacy at Four Dees Lounge, Altoona (starts 10 p.m.)
Bodacious B at Trianon, Altoona (starts 10 p.m.)
R2B2 at Altoona Grand Hotel (Grouse’s Nest), Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
Jud Bussard at Holiday Bowl (Strike Zone Bar & Grill), Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
St. Patrick’s Day Party with the Irish Pretenders at Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
Bone Jacked at Newburg Firehall, Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
Eric Delozier at Blue Knob Clubhouse, Blue Knob Ski Resort (starts 8 p.m.)
Alyssa Hankey at R & J’s Tavern, Bedford (starts 8 p.m.)
Railtowne at Everett VFW, Everett (starts 9 p.m.)
Felix & the Hurricanes at Huntingdon Elks, Huntingdon (starts 7 p.m.)
100 Proof at Steele’s Tavern, Hopewell (starts 9 p.m.)
Pass the Hat at Woody Lodge Winery, Ashville (starts 7 p.m.)
Ed N’Born at Patton American Legion, Patton (starts 10 p.m.)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON 3/10:
Lauren & Joe at U.S. Hotel, Hollidaysburg (“Not Your Average Bridal Show” event, starts 12 noon)
SUNDAY NIGHT 3/10:
Ron “Music Man” Balestino at Family Pizza & Pub, Altoona (starts 6 p.m.)
OZ at Newburg Firehall, Altoona (starts 6 p.m.)
Felix & the Hurricanes at Black & Gold Tavern, Altoona (starts 9 p.m.)
From Down The Road, Diaphane, MA’AM and Kevo Can’t Dance at McGarvey’s, Altoona (starts 7 p.m.)
TUESDAY 3/12:
Adam D at D’Ottavio’s Gran Sasso, Hollidaysburg (starts 8 p.m.)
“Tuesday Night Therapy” at Bedford Tavern, Bedford (starts 6 p.m.)
WEDNESDAY NIGHT 3/13:
Open Mic Night at Unter Uns, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
THURSDAY NIGHT 3/14:
Open Stage Night at Green Bean Coffee, Altoona (starts 6 p.m.)
Steve Summerhill at Jethro’s, Altoona (starts 7 p.m.)
Full Kilt at Molly Maguire’s, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
Ed N’Born at McGarvey’s, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
Conner Gilbert at Joe’s 58th Street Tavern, Altoona (starts 8 p.m.)
(NOTE: More shows may be added to this list as information becomes available. Feel free to check back.)
To report additional shows or corrections to this listing, email information to jptheprofessor@gmail.com. Deadline to submit information for the initial posting is each Friday morning at 9 a.m.