Perigopalooza features homegrown talent

By Chad Mearns

Johnstown will have no shortage of live music during Thunder in the Valley weekend, but those looking to avoid the rally's large crowds can still get their rock n' roll fix.

The fourth annual Perigopalooza, a festival for local and regional original musicians, will be held June 26 at the Runaway Tavern, located two miles east of Ligonier along Route 30.

The event is organized by musician and songwriter Jeff Perigo, of Boswell, himself a performer at Thunder in the Valley.

"When I did the first (festival), a lot of people said they were glad I did it Thunder in the Valley Weekend. It's an alternative for somebody ... who maybe wants something else to do."

The day begins at 1 p.m. and features a line-up of eight acts.

Members of Johnstown Songworks, a collaborative workshop group for local songwriters, will begin the event with a set from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Performers will include Jackie Kopco, Walt Churchey, Denise Baldwin and Ernie Peterson.

Other acts include solo musician Glenn Henry, of Davidsville, Grateful Dead cover band Flower Child, and local progressive rockers Wine of Nails. Perigo's band, The Jeff Perigo Project, will also perform.

"We do blues-rock based originals, but we also do some covers," Perigo said. "We'll take a cover song and totally make it our own."

Americana artist Leslie Addis, of Pittsburgh, and her band, the Rusty Nails, will also perform, as will the Hit and Miss Engines, an alternative country band.

"There's a bit of an emo feel to it, but it's country shuffle kind of stuff," Perigo said of the Hit and Miss Engines, who have gained a fan base playing shows at the 709 Railroad Street music club.

The event has grown from a small gathering of less than 100 music fans four years ago to an anticipated crowd of 250 or more this year, weather permitting.

Many attendees choose to camp overnight on the grounds.

"I'm really pleased at how it has progressively gotten bigger and bigger," Perigo said. "It's all people going there to camp, have a good time and listen to the music. This is for the music, the camping and the camaraderie."

Tickets for Perigopalooza are $10 in advance or $15 the day of the show and can be purchased from Perigo by calling (814) 233-6710 or e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own food and small campfires are permitted. The Runaway Tavern will sell alcohol during the event, and no dogs are permitted.

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Latest Message: 10 months, 3 weeks ago

ryancunning : This is why having everyone vote for all four people in the final round was a bad idea. Look at the final results.. with rounding everyone had the same online score! Jackie Kopco technically got third place because she had higher online votes.
HollyGoligh : So there is a tie for 3rd - Yuz Guyz and Jackie Kopco??? Will we have a tie breaker??
admin : That is correct smith. I haven't seen the final results as of yet. I'd look for the results in Our Town on the 14th. I'll post them up on the website as well though.
smith : The only difference is that at the start of the 4th round the final 4 started from scratch again
smith : sorry... 50% voter and 50% judges score make up the total score
smith : It runs the same way it has before. 50
kenbo76 : When will we find out the final results. I thought the judges final score was the final decision, not the voters.
admin : Yeah, I thought that would be a nice touch. Some of the songs from previous years are up as well. I haven't put all of the songs up as of yet.
Sorto : Cool, all the songs are up!
smith : Ok, pencils down.