JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (PTTP) – Not a remembrance, but rather a rejuvenation of some of Rock’ n’ Roll’s greatest albums have taken place at the State Theater in Johnstown, Pennsylvania this past year. Cardinally organized by Jeffery Webb, an associate professor of music and Director of Choral Activities at Pitt-Johnstown, as well as Director of the Johnstown Symphony Chorus, the “Classic Vinyl Concert Series” performs influential classic albums in their entirety for a live audience.
This past weekend, in a double-header, “The Best of Earth, Wind, & Fire: Volume One” was played on Friday night and Chicago’s “IX”, their greatest hits album, was performed on Saturday night. Nearly a year prior to this, Stevie Wonder’s iconic “Songs in the Key of Life” was played as the series opener, and later in the fall another double-header of two Beatles albums were featured: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, and “Abbey Road”. All five of the shows were entirely sold-out.
Webb takes it as no light task to perform these albums in a way does them justice. For the Beatles shows, 27 local and regional musicians were recruited, particularly to recreate the uniquely Indian-influenced sounds heard on Sgt. Peppers. This past weekend’s show utilized 16 musicians and “Songs in the Key of Life” used 17.
“We don’t get albums in quite the same way that we used to,” remarks Webb, noting the way that the streaming-based structure of today’s music industry incentivizes musician’s to make shorter projects, like an EP. “An artist used to have concepts that they wanted to share with people, both in sound and in thought. The way to do that was to make this work of art within a whole album, so that it’s a complete story or entity.”
He makes sure to say he is not claiming musicians don’t still make full albums with all the same thought and care. Instead, he believes that young people can identify with the topics of classic albums, and he wants to expose them to their timelessness while also providing a platform for local musicians to shine and for the community to indulge in musical merriment. “We encourage people to make it like an actual pop-rock concert,” says Webb. “If the spirit moves you, we want you to get up and dance and have a good time.”
The concerts proceeds are going back into the theater, which has big plans for the coming years. By 2026 the State Theater at Johnstown is planning to be a multi-media entertainment center, that will include fine-dining, lodging, recording studios, and an IMAX Theater in addition to the new and improved concert theater.