Jul. 26—Playing at various festivals over the years, musician Derek Woods of Hempfield had a vision for creating one of his own.

"I always wanted to start a festival that had a semi-circus theme to it," said the front man for the Derek Woods Band.

The dream became a reality when Woods and his wife and fellow musician, Sara Woods, came up with the JamBrewzle Music, Art & Brew Festival, set to celebrate its seventh year July 30.

"We've always loosely run on the circus theme," Woods said. "Every year we have fire dancers and things happening that you wouldn't see at a normal festival. There are people walking around juggling, someone on a unicycle, things like that."

Gates will open at noon for the all-ages event on the grounds of Four Seasons Brewing Co. in Latrobe, with performances scheduled from 1:30 to 11 p.m. While music is the big draw, Woods said, there also will be food trucks, vendors and other special features including a fire dancing performance at sunset.

Woods's award-winning Americana/rock band has the headliner spot at the end of the night, following Pittsburgh's widely acclaimed Jim Donovan & Sun King Warriors.

The lineup of regional music acts is as varied as the rest of the event.

"Jambrewzle is a multi-genre event, with a wide variety of music throughout the day. This year we have a pretty big mix," he said.

Opening act is singer/songwriter Alyssa Hankey, a self-described "Rust Belt folk singer" whose lyrics reflect "the heart of the steel mills and the bucolic landscape of rural America."

Next up is bluesman Tim Woods doing an acoustic set. The New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee (and Derek Woods's father) is a fixture of the regional music scene. He has played with the likes of Mick Fleetwood, George "Commander Cody" Frayne, Sonny Landreth and Donna Godcheaux, formerly of the Grateful Dead, and also plays with Derek and son Ryan in The Woods Family Band.

Veteran rockers FlowerChild will play "a mix of Grateful Dead covers and danceable jam music," Woods said. Along with playing originals, they also cover the Rolling Stones, The Band, Bob Dylan and other classic rock and funk acts.

Pittsburgh's pop/funk Steeltown Horns, veterans of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Toronto Jazz Festival, "will bring some great energy," Woods said.

Jim Donovan is known as the original drummer for Rusted Root, a world-beat rock band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh and best known for the 1994 platinum-selling album, "When I Woke," and its hit single "Send Me on My Way"

"With Sun King Warriors, Jim sings now and plays guitar, but he goes back to the drums for a really big drum jam," Woods said. The band's website describes their sound as "rhythm-heavy roots rock, with a strong dose of big barreling drums."

The JamBrewzle set will be a 10th anniversary celebration for his band, Woods said. Formed in 2012, the band has played with acts such as Jefferson Starship, Allman Betts Band and Rusted Root and won a 2020 Hollywood Music in Media Award for their single, "Unforgiving Tree."

Festival-goers can browse a variety of regional vendors offering wares such as candles, gift items, tie-dyed T-shirts, jewelry, metalsmithing, boutique clothing and more.

Food trucks on site will include Speal's on Wheels, Elegant Catering, Grateful Smoke BBQ and Franks Munchies. The Marino's American Eatery kitchen will be open inside the brewery, where attendees 21 and older also can order beer.

DWB drummer Chris Belin also will offer a drum workshop during the afternoon, with participants asked to make a donation.

Last year's JamBrewzle drew a crowd of about 2,000, and Woods said he expects similar numbers this year.

Free admission is supported by local business sponsors and vendor fees.

For information, visit JamBrewzle on Facebook.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Despite the fact that the image shown was credited to a Twitter handle run by a digital artist who creates memes, Kilmeade tried passing it off as real.

Alicia Silverstone revealed her epic abs and legs in a bikini while on vacation in an Instagram photo. She stays active by walking, dancing, and doing yoga.

If you ever saw the Blassic (Black and classic) movie “Friday,” then you know when Smokey initially attempts to convince Craig to try cannabis, it is done with the 1978 Rick James classic “Mary Jane” in the background.

The TikTok — which shows the cat upstaging the opera singer mid-performance — has been viewed more than 4.1 million times since it was posted on Wednesday

Megan Thee Stallion surprised fans with the release of her second album, "Traumazine," which explicitly bares the body and soul of the rapper.

'American Idol' 2022 winner Noah Thompson revealed the truth about why he sang a country version of "Stay." The ABC contestant originally said it was inspired by his girlfriend, Angel.

Burak Cingi/Getty ImagesAgainst all odds, Megan Thee Stallion is readying herself for a new phase. After a messy two-year legal battle with her current record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, the Houston rapper could soon be emancipated from what she considers an “unconscionable” contract, freeing her up to sign with a major label more suited for her level of stardom—possibly Roc Nation, with whom she already has a management deal.This all depends on whether her latest lawsuit against 1501—d

Comedian Jason Cheny asks “why Asian [Americans] have to hate on other Asians” in a video posted to his TikTok account. As of now, Cheny has stops lined up all the way to April 15, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas, but appears to be adding more shows according to his social media.

Hoda Kotb recently celebrated her 58th birthday with her two daughters by her side

Tommy Lee posted a full frontal NSFW nude pic across his social channels and it's still up.

After two years of delays, Lady Gaga’s "Chromatica Ball" has finally begun. The stadium tour kicked off its U.S. leg starting in New York (but very much actually in New Jersey) last night on August 11, 2022. “This is the biggest audience that has ever come to just see me,” Gaga tearfully shared ...

Commonly referred to as “The Black Album”, Metallica’s self-titled record packed a bigger punch than ever before, upping the ante on heavy metal.

Classic rock band the Eagles will be appearing on Nov. 17 in Des Moines as part of the group's 'Hotel California' Tour.

Of course he got "SG" inked onto his cheek, and it's not even Mother's Day!

Well, that was a lot.

What’s happening with the HBO Max and Discovery drama, and how does it affect your viewing plans?

The song had both historical significance and huge poignancy in the pre-ABB days of Duane and Gregg Allman.

During a recent TikTok Live, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas revealed their favorite Taylor Swift album.

"I’m kind of epic."View Entire Post ›

Rhea Seehorn and Bob Odenkirk do career-best work in a boldly disturbing, downbeat aftermath.