The Cambria County War Memorial Arena is a 4,001-seat multi-purpose arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania , United States. It is managed by SMG Entertainment.
58-844: It was built in 1950, for the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern Hockey League . The arena was built on the site of the Union Cemetery, Johnstown's first cemetery. The film Slap Shot , based on the Jets, was filmed in this arena. The arena was the home of the Johnstown Chiefs ( ice hockey ) for 22 years, but they were relocated in 2010 to Greenville, South Carolina . A banner was hung at the final home game on April 4, 2010, stating "The Greatest Fans in Hockey." It
116-675: A 30-city tour. The band appeared in an episode in the third season of the American TV series Ozark , which was released on Netflix on March 27, 2020. After the appearance, four of REO's songs reentered the Billboard rock charts. The song "Take it on the Run" features prominently in a 2018 episode of the first season of the TV series "Cobra Kai"; Daniel and Johnny are riding in Johnny's car when
174-491: A Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken , with Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung ) on drums, was a commercial disappointment. The album produced only one Billboard Hot 100 single, to date the band's last, " Love Is a Rock ", which peaked at No. 65. Disenchanted by the album's failure, Harms left the group in early 1991. Shortly after his departure, Richrath assembled former members of the Midwestern band Vancouver to form
232-423: A change in sound, going from hard rock to more pop -oriented material. Hi Infidelity spawned four hit singles by Richrath and Cronin, including the chart-topping " Keep On Loving You " (Cronin), " Take It on the Run " (#5) (Richrath), " In Your Letter " (#20) (Richrath), and " Don't Let Him Go " (#24) (Cronin). It remained on the charts for 65 weeks, 32 of which were spent in the top ten, including 15 weeks atop
290-539: A joint tour, which included a June 9 appearance at Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis , which was released as the live concert video Arch Allies: Live at Riverport (September 2000). REO's portion of the show was released again under three separate titles: Live - Plus (2001), Live Plus 3 (2001) and Extended Versions (2001), which was certified gold by the RIAA on April 26, 2006. REO once again teamed with Styx in 2003 for
348-732: A namesake band, Richrath. After touring for several years, Richrath (the band) released Only the Strong Survive in 1992 on the GNP Crescendo label. Richrath continued to perform for several years before disbanding in the late 1990s. In September 1998, Gary Richrath briefly joined REO onstage at the County Fair in Los Angeles to play on the band's encore song, "157 Riverside Avenue". He rejoined REO in Los Angeles in May 2000 for
406-399: A new band with Doughty where everyone but Doughty would sing. The new band made a list of songs to learn over the summer break. Doughty landed a summer job and bought his first organ. On his Farfisa organ, he learned The Doors ' " Light My Fire ". The members returned to school in the fall of 1967 and had their first rehearsal before classes started. They named the band REO Speedwagon, from
464-500: A new single, "Can't Stop Rockin'", released in March 2009, as well as for a full tour that included special guest .38 Special . In November 2009 REO Speedwagon released a Christmas album, Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon . On December 2, the band released an online video game , Find Your Own Way Home , produced by digital design agency Curious Sense. The game was the first "downloadable casual game " produced with
522-701: A performance of "Ridin' the Storm Out" to end REO's set at the sold-out concert. He stayed on stage to help with the encore of " With a Little Help From My Friends ", along with Styx, Marx, and others. Richrath was originally from East Peoria, which was damaged during the storm. Families affected by the storm and first responders sat near the stage for this concert. In early 2014, it was announced that REO Speedwagon and Chicago would team up for 15 dates throughout 2014. Gary Richrath died on September 13, 2015, of complications from surgery. In 2016, REO toured with Def Leppard and Tesla . The band and Pitbull performed
580-509: A rainstorm and brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport , Connecticut , where it recorded original material for its first album. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin and Luttrell. In the early days, REO was managed by its University of Illinois classmate Irving Azoff , who later managed the Eagles and many others, becoming one of
638-517: A record for number of viewers. They performed "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Roll with the Changes" with members of the Beach Boys , the band members' families, and Paul Shaffer on stage for backing vocals. 1987's Life as We Know It saw a decline in sales, but still managed to provide the band with the top-20 hits "That Ain't Love" (U.S. #16) and " In My Dreams " (U.S. #19). The Hits
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#1732773114062696-591: A restaurant. In early 1989, Richrath left the band after tensions between him and Cronin boiled over. Cronin had been playing in The Strolling Dudes, a jazz ensemble that included jazz trumpet player Rick Braun (who had co-written "Here with Me" with Cronin), Miles Joseph on lead guitar, and Graham Lear on drums. Lear had already been invited to join REO in September 1988 as Gratzer's successor and Joseph
754-526: A rock band and was cited by numerous publications as an innovative marketing product for a music act. In mid-2010, the band—then touring with Pat Benatar —announced that it would release a 30th anniversary deluxe edition reissue of Hi Infidelity . REO Speedwagon headlined the M&;I Classic Rock Stage at Summerfest in Milwaukee Wisconsin on June 30, 2011. On March 11, 2012, Cronin appeared on
812-418: A second trumpeter named Steve (last name unknown). Doughty joined them as a third horn player on some tunes. But Shepard left during the following year and horns were dropped from the group altogether by the summer of 1969. Bob Crownover played guitar for the group until mid-1969, when Bill Fiorio replaced him. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe , and went on to form
870-559: A touring replacement for Doughty. On November 7, 2023, Hall announced he was taking a leave of absence from touring to prepare for and undergo back surgery for an accident he had a number of years earlier. Hall was expected to rejoin the band on tour in 2024. Later that day, Cronin announced that bassist/singer Matt Bissonette would be Hall's touring replacement. On September 16, 2024, the band announced that they will cease touring effective January 1, 2025. The announcement said that Hall had not sufficiently recovered from his back surgery
928-399: Is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois . Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies. REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million records and charted 13 Top 40 hits, including
986-673: The Billboard 200 . Hi Infidelity sold over ten million copies. The band's follow-up album, Good Trouble , was released in June 1982. Though not as successful as its predecessor, it performed moderately well commercially and featured the hit singles " Keep the Fire Burnin' " (U.S. #7), "Sweet Time" (U.S. #26), and the Album Rock chart hit "The Key". In November 1984, the band released Wheels Are Turnin' , an album that included
1044-594: The 2010-11 ECHL season and another 10 regular season "home" games during the 2011-12 ECHL season . The Cambria County War Memorial also hosted several indoor football franchise. The Johnstown Riverhawks of the Atlantic Indoor Football League (later renamed American Indoor Football ) called the Cambria Country War Memorial home from 2005 to 2008, posting records of 6–4, 8–6, and 6-9 respectively before folding in
1102-657: The Canadian reality TV series Star Académie . He sang a sampling of REO's hits with the show's singing finalists. On November 22, 2013, REO announced a benefit concert with Styx, "Rock to the Rescue", to raise money for families affected by the tornadoes in central Illinois . The concert was held on December 4, 2013, in Bloomington, Illinois . Richard Marx joined REO on stage for a joint performance of two of his hit songs. Gary Richrath reunited with REO one final time for
1160-507: The Johnstown Chiefs , which named itself after the Jets' fictional counterpart from Slap Shot . List of Johnstown Jets who played in the National Hockey League , 46 in total. The following players were named to the league's respective All-Star team, announced at the end of the season. Most All-Star appearances REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon ), or simply REO ,
1218-675: The NHL's Detroit Red Wings in 1979. The franchise averaged 2,309 fans over the two seasons and folded after the 1979–80 season. Professional hockey returned to the War Memorial a third time when ACHL franchise owner Henry Brabham wanted to place a new franchise in Johnstown. The Johnstown Chiefs were founded in January 1988 and played one partial season in the AAHL . The Chiefs would leave
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#17327731140621276-481: The REO Speed Wagon , a 1915 truck designed by Ransom Eli Olds . Doughty had seen the name written on the blackboard when he walked into his History of Transportation class on the first day they had decided to look for a name. Rather than pronouncing REO as a single word as the motor company did (" REE-oh ") , they chose to spell the word out, pronouncing each letter individually ("R-E-O"). An advertisement in
1334-647: The Tampa Bay Lightning , 4–2. 40°19′23″N 78°55′22″W / 40.32296°N 78.922654°W / 40.32296; -78.922654 Johnstown Jets The Johnstown Jets were a professional ice hockey team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania . The Jets were founded in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League for the 1950–51 season, playing at the newly constructed Cambria County War Memorial Arena . The Jets won consecutive EHL championships in 1951–52 and 1952–53. When
1392-637: The 2008 offseason. Arena football returned to the Cambria County War Memorial a second time in 2011 with the UIFL 's Johnstown Generals . The team played two seasons in the arena, compiling records of 6-8 and 2-8 respectively. The Generals were suspended by the UIFL on May 15, 2012 "due to a lack of funds", and suspended operations during the 2012 offseason. Saint Francis of Loretto, Pennsylvania hosted select men's basketball home games at
1450-695: The AAHL for the ECHL (a league co-founded by Brabham) during the 1987-88 offseason, where they played until 2009–10. The Chiefs were relocated to Greenville, South Carolina after the 2009-10 ECHL season and rebranded as the Greenville Road Warriors . Upon the Chiefs' departure, the Wheeling Nailers played one preseason game and 10 regular season "home" games at the War Memorial during
1508-558: The All Star Frogs. Steve Scorfina (who went on to found the band Pavlov's Dog ) came aboard for over a year, composing with the band and performing live, before being replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970. Richrath had driven 100 miles (160 km) to see the band and become a part of it, saying, "I'm going to be a part of that band whether they like it or not." He was a Peoria, Illinois -based guitarist and prolific songwriter who brought original compositions. With him on board,
1566-1003: The Cable Guy , LeAnn Rimes , Lonestar , Loverboy , Loretta Lynn , Louis Armstrong , Lynyrd Skynyrd , Matchbox Twenty , Martina McBride , Merle Haggard , MercyMe , Meredith Andrews , Metallica , Miranda Lambert , Nat King Cole , Night Ranger , Ozzy Osbourne , Phyllis Diller , Quiet Riot , RATT , Reba McEntire , Rebecca Lynn Howard , REO Speedwagon , Rob Zombie , Santana , Sara Evans , Skillet , Rick Springfield , Styx , The Carpenters , The Hooters , The Supremes , TobyMac , Tom Jones , Trace Adkins , Randy Travis , Willie Nelson , The Yardbirds , and ZZ Top . Other events have included Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus , Disney On Ice , Sesame Street Live , Harlem Globetrotters , WCW , Professional Bull Riders , Impact , WWE SmackDown Wrestling and WWE NXT wrestling. The Cambria County War Memorial hosted several minor league hockey teams. The Johnstown Jets called
1624-658: The Classic Rock's Main Event tour, which included another band from their common rock era, Journey . The band released a self-financed album entitled Find Your Own Way Home in April 2007. Though it did not chart as an album, it produced two singles, "I Needed to Fall" and "Find Your Own Way Home", that appeared on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary radio chart. REO Speedwagon continues to tour regularly, mostly performing their classic hits. It teamed up with Styx to record
1682-671: The EAHL suspended operations in 1953, the Jets transferred to the International Hockey League , where they played two seasons. Johnstown were Turner Cup finalists in 1953–54, losing four games to two, to the Cincinnati Mohawks . In 1955, the Jets joined the Eastern Hockey League (a league founded from the EAHL), and won three consecutive EHL championships in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1961–62. Johnstown remained in
1740-672: The No. 1 hit single " Can't Fight This Feeling " and three more hits: " I Do' Wanna Know " (U.S. #29), " One Lonely Night " (U.S. #19), and "Live Every Moment" (U.S. #34). REO Speedwagon toured the US in 1985, including a sold-out concert in Madison, Wisconsin, in May. On July 13, on the way to a show in Milwaukee, the band stopped in Philadelphia to play at the US leg of Live Aid , which broke
1798-666: The PAHL. In 2002, a $ 16.2 million grant from the commonwealth was approved for an entertainment complex in downtown Johnstown. In addition, the Tampa Bay Lightning organization contributed significant funds toward a renovation of the arena. As part of the grant, the Cambria County War Memorial Arena underwent an $ 8 million renovation. This included the addition of new seating, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, dasher boards, an elevator to
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1856-613: The Pennsylvania Cheerleading Championships, and basketball championship games for PIAA District 6 and the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference. The arena has hosted political rallies with presidents John F. Kennedy , Richard Nixon , George W. Bush , Donald Trump , and vice presidential candidates Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Senator John Edwards . Performances at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena over
1914-565: The Quincy Youth Arena ( Quincy, Massachusetts ). With winning round 1 the War Memorial moved to round 2 with Pullar Stadium. Johnstown won round two, advancing to the finals against Decatur Civic Center ( Decatur, Illinois ). In the final round, Johnstown won and the War Memorial was given $ 150,000 in upgrades and hosted an NHL Preseason Game on September 29, 2015. The match up included the Pittsburgh Penguins defeating
1972-683: The arena as their home. These teams include Bishop McCort High School and Westmont Hilltop High School of the PIHL and Conemaugh Valley High School and Greater Johnstown High School of the LMHL. The Westmont Hilltoppers won a PIHL championship in 2003 and the Bishop McCort Crushers won the Pennsylvania Cup in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999. The Johnstown Warriors is the arena's amateur youth representative, and competes in
2030-507: The arena home from 1950 until 1977 and won four league championships during their time at the arena. The Johnstown flood of 1977 caused damage to the arena and the ice-making equipment, which resulted in the Jets folding the franchise during the 1977 offseason. The Johnstown Wings joined the newly founded Northeastern Hockey League in 1978 and were rebranded as the Johnstown Red Wings after they secured an affiliation with
2088-572: The band stayed while recording in Leka's studio in Bridgeport. Although the rest of the band's lineup remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists three times for their first three albums. Luttrell left the band in early 1972, eventually becoming the vocalist for Starcastle . He was replaced by Kevin Cronin . Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. but left during
2146-465: The band's regional popularity grew tremendously. The St. Louis -based radio station KSHE , one of America's most influential rock stations, began supporting it, elevating the band's profile outside its Midwestern stronghold. Epic Records signed the band to a recording contract in 1971 after Paul Leka , an East Coast record producer, saw them play before an enthusiastic outdoor crowd in Peoria during
2204-440: The basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory. Gratzer continued to perform with his band (which had a keyboard-playing lead singer), and Doughty began turning up at gigs. Doughty eventually began sitting in on a few songs. On the last day of the university's spring semester, guitarist Joe Matt called the band's leader and told him that he and the other members (Gratzer and bassist Mike Blair) had decided to start
2262-675: The league until its demise in 1973. The Jets then joined the new North American Hockey League in 1973. Dick Roberge coached Johnstown to the Lockhart Cup championship 1974–75, defeating the Broome Dusters . That season's playoff run included the Carlson brothers, Jeff , Jack and Steve , who became the basis for the Hanson Brothers in the movie Slap Shot . Jeff and Steve Carlson portrayed their fictional selves in
2320-580: The most powerful people in the recording industry. With its equipment hauled to gigs in a friend's station wagon, REO played bars and clubs all over the Midwest. Its debut album, R.E.O. Speedwagon , was released on Epic Records in October 1971. The most popular track on this record was " 157 Riverside Avenue "; it remains an in-concert favorite. The title is the address in Westport, Connecticut , where
2378-609: The movie, while former Jet Dave Hanson portrayed Jack. The Jets played four seasons total in the NAHL before the league folded in 1977. The team itself folded in the offseason, when the Johnstown flood of 1977 damaged the arena's ice making equipment. Johnstown was later represented by the Johnstown Wings (later Red Wings) from 1978 to 1980. The Red Wings folded after two seasons, but hockey returned to Johnstown in 1988 with
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2436-587: The number ones " Keep On Loving You " and " Can't Fight This Feeling ". In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty was just beginning an electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois in Champaign , Illinois , as a junior. On his first night of classes, he met fellow student Alan Gratzer. Doughty had learned some Beatles songs on his parents' piano, and Gratzer had been a drummer in local bands since high school. The two held an impromptu jam session in
2494-420: The opening act. Gregg Philbin died on October 24, 2022. On January 4, 2023, the band announced that its sole remaining original member, Neal Doughty , would retire from touring with the band after 55 years. Bassist Bruce Hall said Doughty would always be part of the REO brotherhood, and left open the opportunity for Doughty to appear at select dates. The band announced Derek Hilland (ex- Iron Butterfly ) as
2552-400: The position for lead vocalist after becoming a Christian. In 1977, REO convinced Epic Records that its strength was live performances. Epic agreed to let them produce the band's first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For (January 1977), which was eventually certified platinum . That same year, the band moved to Los Angeles. Also in 1977, Philbin left the band, either because he
2610-553: The recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out because of internal conflicts. Ridin' the Storm Out was completed with Michael Bryan Murphy on lead vocal, and featured Doughty's "wailing storm siren" synthesizer intro on the title track. Murphy stayed for two more albums, Lost in a Dream (1974) and This Time We Mean It (1975), before Cronin returned in January 1976 and recorded R.E.O. , released in July of that year. Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down
2668-533: The same encore, but no serious plans for a reunion ever materialized. Having lost its recording contract with Epic, REO Speedwagon released Building the Bridge (July 1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on Castle Records , which also experienced financial troubles. REO ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart, though
2726-534: The school newspaper produced their first job, a fraternity party that turned into a food fight. They continued to perform cover songs in campus bars, fraternity parties and university events. In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer and Bob Crownover joined as the guitarist, replacing Matt after he graduated. When Mike Blair left the band in mid-1968, Gregg Philbin replaced Blair and Joe McCabe played sax until he moved on to Southern Illinois University . Marty Shepard then came aboard on trumpet, soon joined by
2784-410: The second floor, and general building enhancements. The project was completed in August 2003. The arena's capacity for hockey is 4,001. In 2015, the Cambria County War Memorial Arena was nominated to the top 10 of the first ever Kraft Hockeyville USA contest with Pullar Stadium ( Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan ), HealthyZone Rink ( East Aurora, New York ), Highgate Sports Arena ( Highgate, Vermont ), and
2842-513: The song "Messin' Around" live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016 ; that version of the song was released as a single on iTunes. The band toured the UK arena circuit with Status Quo in December 2016. The band toured the US with Styx and Don Felder on the "United We Rock" tour, debuting June 20, 2017, at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. In 2017, the Hi Infidelity album received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over ten million copies. REO and Chicago teamed up again in 2018 for
2900-413: The song comes on the radio. Both men begin nodding their heads to the song, and Johnny, with some surprise, says to Daniel, "You like Speedwagon?" Daniel replies, "What kind of man doesn't!" In 2021 REO Speedwagon was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum in Joliet . The group spent summer 2022 touring with Styx , on the Live and Unzoomed Tour , with Loverboy serving as
2958-542: The title track made R&R's AC Top 30 chart. The commercial failure of the band's newer material with its revised lineup demanded a change in marketing strategy. As a consequence, Epic began rereleasing recordings from older albums with updated artwork and design. Since 1995, Epic has released over a dozen compilation albums featuring greatest hits, including 1999's The Ballads , which features two new songs: "Just for You" (Cronin and Jim Peterik) and "Till The River's Run Dry" (Cronin). In 2000, REO teamed up with Styx for
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#17327731140623016-420: The venue shortly after it opened. The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Ice Cats' hockey team ( CHE ) is one of the War Memorial primary tenants and is currently the longest-serving tenant at the arena, having played there since 2009. The Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League moved into the War Memorial for the 2012-13 hockey season. Four local high school ice hockey teams utilize
3074-625: The years have included AC/DC , Aerosmith , Alabama , Alice Cooper , Beach Boys , Blue Öyster Cult , Bo Diddley , Bob Hope , Bob Dylan , Bob Seger , Bon Jovi , Boston , Bryan Adams , Brad Paisley , Brooks & Dunn , Bruce Springsteen , Chicago , Corey Hart , Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young , Dave Clark Five , Def Leppard , Dolly Parton , Duke Ellington , Foghat , Foreigner , George Jones , George Strait , Heart , Billy Idol , Iron Maiden , Jeff Dunham , Johnny Cash , Johnny Mathis , Josh Turner , Judas Priest , Kansas , Kelly Clarkson , Kenny Rogers , Kid Rock , Kiss , Larry
3132-462: Was a 1988 compilation album which contained the new tracks "I Don't Want to Lose You" and "Here with Me". These were the last songs recorded with Richrath and Gratzer. "Here with Me" cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten on the Adult Contemporary chart and was the group's final Top 40 hit. By the late 1980s, the band's popularity was starting to decline. Gratzer left in September 1988 after he decided to retire from music to open
3190-503: Was brought in as a temporary stand-in for Richrath. Backup singers Carla Day and Melanie Jackson were also added. This lineup did only one show, on January 7, 1989, in Viña del Mar , Chile , where it won the award for best group at the city's annual International Song Festival. After that, Joseph and the backup singers were dropped in favor of former Ted Nugent guitarist Dave Amato (brought aboard in May 1989) and keyboardist/songwriter/producer Jesse Harms . The 1990 release The Earth,
3248-404: Was disenchanted with the new corporate-structure REO where Cronin and Richrath got bigger slices of the pie instead of the equal credit they once shared as a "garage band", or because he was asked to leave as his lifestyle issues affected the music quality. He was replaced by another Centennial High School alumnus, Bruce Hall, to record You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish . The album
3306-466: Was released in March 1978 and has received much FM radio airplay over the years, thanks to songs like "Roll with the Changes" and " Time for Me to Fly ". It was REO's first to make the Top 40, peaking at No. 29. It sold over two million copies in the US, ultimately achieving double platinum status. In July 1979 the band turned back to hard rock with the release of Nine Lives . On November 21, 1980, Epic released Hi Infidelity , which represented
3364-427: Was the alternate venue of the Wheeling Nailers for the following two seasons. The arena is home to the Johnstown Tomahawks of the NAHL and the Pitt-Johnstown Ice Cats of the College Hockey East . The arena plays host to a variety of events throughout the year. Many local high schools and youth leagues also use the arena for their games. The arena hosts the annual PIAA Southwest Regional Wrestling Tournament,
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