JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – From rock to country to hip-hop, summer concerts at 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial in downtown Johnstown are bringing the entertainment.
Chad Mearns, marketing and box office manager at 1st Summit Arena, said there’s an incredible variety of music being offered throughout the month.
“This is great music and some great opportunities for people to see a show here, no matter what their taste is,” he said.
• At 7 p.m. Sunday, Alter Bridge, with special guests Sevendust and Mammoth WVH, will present its “Pawns & Kings” tour.
Over nearly two decades, Alter Bridge has climbed to the forefront of hard rock, with more than a billion streams and millions of units sold worldwide.
The quartet of Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips went gold with their 2004 debut LP “One Day Remains,” and has built its fanbase and critical acclaim with each subsequent album, including 2007’s “Blackbird,” which earned Guitarist Magazine’s distinction of “Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time” on the title track.
Alter Bridge drummer: ‘Great players … great songs’ coming to 1st Summit Arena
Subsequent albums continue to resonate with hard and alternative rock fans, Mearns said.
“We’ll have a legitimate rock star in our midst with Myles Kennedy … He’s gone on to do a lot of notable work alongside Slash from Guns N’ Roses,” Mearns said. “Alter Bridge has been putting out quality popular hard rock for nearly two decades.”
He said the show has supporting acts who are just as exciting as the headliner.
“Sevendust is a band that has quite a following with fans of hard rock. They’re veterans of the hard rock scene,” he said.
“Mammoth WVH is a band that a lot of people are excited to see. This is Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Eddie Van Halen, and he’s done a lot of high-profile work lately and had an album that came out last week that’s getting a lot of buzz.”
Tickets range from $29.50 to $89.50.
• At 8 p.m. Aug. 18, country artist Lee Brice, with special guest Payton Smith, will perform.
With more than 3.7 billion on-demand streams and more than 4 billion spins on Pandora, Brice has seen success on country radio and digital streaming services.
One of the most-played country artists of all time on Pandora, Brice was inducted into the company’s “Billionaires Club” in June 2018, becoming only the second country artist behind Keith Urban to receive the plaque.
Brice is a Grammy nominee and a CMA and ACM award winner. He has taken nine radio singles to No. 1, including “A Woman Like You,” “Hard to Love,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Drinking Class,” “Rumor,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “One of Them Girls” and “Memory I Don’t Mess With.”
Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney have recorded his songs, and he’s performed on NBC’s “Today Show” and “The Voice” and ABC’s “The Bachelor.”
“This is the kind of artist that Johnstown audiences love to come out and see,” Mearns said.
“It’s high-energy country music and a fun show where you can hang out with friends and have a couple cold ones. We’ve seen a lot of interest for the show.”
Tickets range from $40.50 to $70.50.
• At 7 p.m. Aug. 19, Summer Jam with Ja Rule and Ashanti with special guests Ginuwine and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will be presented.
Ja Rule – a rapper, songwriter, singer, record producer and actor – is known for hit songs that include “Mesmerize,” “Between Me and You,” “Livin’ It Up,” “Holla Holla” and “Always on Time.”
Co-headliner Ashanti is known for her hit songs “Foolish,” “Happy,” “Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)” and “Body on Me.” She also was featured in two of 2002’s biggest hits, Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always on Time.”
Ginuwine has released several multi-platinum and platinum- selling albums and singles, becoming one of the top R&B artists during the late 1990s and early 2000s. His hits include “Pony,” “So Anxious,” “Differences,” “In Those Jeans,” and “Same Ol’ G.”
Regarded among the greatest hip-hop acts of all time, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are known for hit songs such as “Bone Thugs,” “Tha Crossroads,” “Let’s Ride,” “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “Creepin’ on Ah Come Up.”
He said the show features top-level performers.
“To have them all together on one ticket is pretty exciting and should make for a great night,” Mearns said. “It’s also a good value, ticket-wise. You’re getting four concerts in one, so we’re happy to bring a lineup like this to the city.”
Tickets range from $55 to $85, $75 for floor seating and $150 for VIP floor seating.
For more information, call 814-536-5156 or visit www.1stsummitarena.com.
