Photos: Flood City Music Festival, Johnstown, PA, August 1-3

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The Flood City Music Festival, held annually the first weekend in August in Johnstown, PA, has always been good to New Orleans artists.

This year’s fest included four New Orleans acts: Dumpstaphunk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, The Iguanas and Hurray for the Riff Raff. Each group took their place among other festival acts like Boz Scaggs and Leftover Salmon featuring Bill Payne from Little Feat, and all delivered riveting sets that forced the western PA music faithful out of their seats and on the dance floor.

Dumpstaphunk had just announced that long time drummer Nikki Glaspie would be leaving to pursue her other project, The Nth Power, full time. This meant they had three gigs left with her, and the band responded with a high energy performance that was charged right from the start.

Big Sam played the main stage right before festival headliner Boz Scaggs, brandishing the call-and-response/you-better-get-up-and-dance set that has them crisscrossing the country from festival to festival.

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s quick rise in popularity had the Pavilion stage packed before they started, and the band did not disappoint. The Iguanas also had the crowd on their feet for an hour and a half before the festival closer, Lee Fields and the Expressions.

Big Sam, Flood City Music Festival, Bob Adamek, OffBeat Magazine

All photos by Bob Adamek. Click here to view the gallery on Flickr.