Thunder in the Valley 'Great for the town': Warrant, Buckcherry rock Johnstown motorcycle rally

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 25—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — There was a bit of Buckcherry and a bit of "Cherry Pie" on Saturday night's musical menu at Thunder in the Valley.

Buckcherry, a hard rock band known for songs "Sorry" and "Crazy Bitch," put on a show at Peoples Natural Gas Park's main stage in downtown Johnstown. They were followed by Warrant, a glam metal band, whose album "Cherry Pie" peaked at No. 7 in 1990.

Visit Johnstown, which organizes the annual motorcycle rally, decided to get two bigger national acts on Saturday because this is the 25th year for Thunder.

"For us, for the 25th, we really wanted to step it up," Visit Johnstown's director of advertising and sales, Jayne Korenoski, said. "I usually have one big band each night. But we thought because of the 25th, we would step it up and get two bands. It's so much more work. Then you need two RVs. You need two riders. You need to have transportation for two huge bands."

Korenoski said Buckcherry was an often-requested band.

"I try to stay within my budget and get the best bands possible," Korenoski said. "We will also do a poll. We'll ask 'This band or that band?' And Buckcherry kept coming up."

Warrant was formed in 1984, a decade before Buckcherry in 1995.

"I used to listen to them when I was young," Lori Deneen, a Salix resident, said. "It's good to see them now."

Dave Petney said Thunder is "a lot better when they have these better bands."

"We go to see all these older bands because pretty soon they're not going to be going around anymore," Petney said.

The Buckcherry/Warrant bill attracted a sizable crowd to the venue where the rain-soaked concertgoers spent money at the vendors, including Pittsburgh-based R and G Smoke Shack, a food stand that served barbecue items, such as brisket and pulled pork.

Gino Perella, co-owner of the shack, said getting better-known bands to perform "is a great idea to bring people in."

"If the advertising is out there and people are aware of it, it does a phenomenal job of bringing people in from the area and some people from outside to check out the community," Perella said. "I would have to think from a tourist and revenue standpoint it's great for the town."