Melvin Seals and JGB offer ‘spectacular’ show

Aug 12, 2023

Reporter

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Melvin Seals sat behind his organ on Saturday with his head down at the keys, nodding and smiling as his fingers unlocked rich streams of sound from his instrument.

At times when he wasn’t playing, he sat and smiled at the other musicians at work – the saxophonist blew and wiped sweat from his brow; the drummer thumped on the drums while tendrils of his hair floated away from his face; the guitarist and bassist plucked and strummed electric chords.

Hundreds of people danced, swayed and threw their hands up.

Seals smiled over the crowd reflected in his shades under his flat cap.

Melvin Seals and JGB traveled from San Francisco to perform Saturday night at Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St., Johnstown.

“This is an iconic person to see,” said Quinn McQuaide, of Johnstown.

Seals is best known for his musical partnership with cultural icon and guitarist Jerry Garcia. Seals played with the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years and in doing so helped pioneer and define what has now become “jam band music.”

Alex Franell and Trevor Hutchison, both 23 years old and of Altoona, said they came to have a good time and forget about the problems of everyday life. The concert was presented by Highlands Health to do just that.

The concert raised funds for the clinic to provide medical, pharmaceutical and wellness services to people in the Johnstown community who are uninsured.

The cause was important to Seals, said Bryan Hummel, event organizer.

Hummel is also co-chair of the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival and had tried to book Seals for years, but the travel from San Francisco, where Seals is based, presented a challenge.

“When I went to the agency and asked about Melvin’s availability for this concert, they said it would be difficult,” Hummel said. “But when I told them about the cause, they took it to Melvin. Then they came back and said, ‘He wants to do the show.’ You don’t get that from artists at this level. He had a personal interest in what we are doing.”

Rosalie Danchanko, executive director of Highlands Health, was thrilled by the crowd in attendance.

“I’ve had concerts in the past, but I’ve never seen this many people as soon as the gates open,” she said. “This is the most spectacular and exciting attendance in the 11 years I’ve been doing this.”

The gates opened at 6 p.m., and the first act, a local band called FlowerChild, began at 6:30, with Melvin Seals taking the stage at 8:30.

“I have known FlowerChild from way back,” Eric Heinze, of Johnstown, said. “It’s amazing they are opening up for Melvin Seals. I didn’t believe it when they said Melvin Seals was coming here.

“This is a good thing for everybody, a good thing for Johnstown.”

Russ O'Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.

Reporter

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