Our headline performers are confirmed! Oldies, Jazz, Country, Polka, Folk, and Contemporary music and more will fill the air at the 2011 Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival. Learn more about the performers below and be sure to check the schedule of the day's events to see all of the performances on tap for the day.

Augsburg German Band

The Augsburg Band is a premier German band from the Pittsburgh area. Consisting of eight members that have been together for over 15 years, the band travels around western Pennsylvania attending Oktoberfests, clubs, and festivals. The music is a Bavarian style, which seems only fitting due to the band’s roots. Chris Decker, who plays the tuba, keyboard and also sings, was stationed in Augsburg, Germany, with the United States Army. While there, Decker grasped his German ancestry with food, drink, and especially music. Once he returned home to the Uniontown area, impromptu jam sessions of Bavarian music between him and other soon-to-be band members lead to the creation of what is now known as the Augsburg German Band. The upbeat sounds of this band are a favorite at the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival.

Dr. Zoot and the Suits

What first started out as a steady weekday gig at a local club in Pittsburgh in 1998, grew into the nationally recognized swing band Dr. Zoot and the Suits.

The band’s popularity grew after pianist and vocalist Sal Ventura began writing original songs for the band and encouraged the other band members to write horn charts or chord changes to rehearse. It was the creative flow of ideas that caused the band to flourish and lead the group to record their first album, “Ghosts of Swing.”

After the album was released, Dr. Zoot and the Suits took their show on the road and began playing at clubs in Harrisburg, Hershey and Philadelphia. Their performances captured the attention of a representative of Slimstyle Records who put the band’s song “Jump Jive and Shake” on a compellation of swing music titled “Swing This Baby vol. 2.” This opened up avenues for the band to perform in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Los Angles and New York City.

Today, the band regularly performs at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.,Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Key West, Fla., and this year at the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival.

Harold Betters

Harold “Mr. Trombone” Betters grew up in Connellsville and credits his musical success to his parents, who owned and operated an area jazz hotspot. Betters has played his trombone at numerous venues such as The Encore in Shadyside, now known as “The House that Betters Built”; Pittsburgh’s Holiday House; The Virginian in Shaker Heights; Cleveland’s Theatrical Grill; and The Cabana Club’s Nero’s Nook in Palo Alto, California. He has played with greats, including legends Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt, Slide Hampton, Ramset Lewis, and Urbie Green. He has also been on tour with his own quartet and Ray Charles. Better’s has been on “The Tonight Show,” “Merv Griffin,” “Mike Douglas,” and local Pittsburgh shows. He has been recognized as one of the best trombonists in the country, named “Mr. Versatility” by Downbeat Magazine, and “Man of the Year in Music” by the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. This is Harold Betters’ third appearance at the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival, where he is a crowd favorite.

Johnny Angel and the Halos

For more than 30 years, Pittsburgh band Johnny Angel and the Halos has been performing music of the fifties, sixties and seventies to delighted audiences everywhere. This year will mark the debut performance of the band at the annual Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival.

Johnny Angel and the Halos has worked with several music industry legends including The Four Tops, James Brown, The Beach Boys, The Turtles, and The Monkees.

In 1995, Johnny Angel and the Halos released its solo CD, “Jeet, Jet? … No, dju?” on Olah Records. A year later in November, the group released its first solo Christmas album, “Good Christmas Tonight.”

It does not matter if Johnny Angel and the Halos is performing for audiences of 60,000 or 100, they deliver a high energy show that will have people on their feet dancing.

NewLanders

Another local band, NewLanders combine American-style music with the culture, heritage, and history of Pennsylvania. The band uses traditional instruments, such as the Appalachian lap dulcimer, a fiddle, a mandolin, an electric guitar, and bass. Sometimes, even bones are thrown into the instrumental mix. Their songs tell about the Pittsburgh region, the mills, mines, rivers, and fields. Member’s biographies go deeper than the band’s background. Award-winning musician and vocalist Paula Purnell is an educator, Commonwealth speaker, and certified trainer and conductor of art integration for child caregivers. Gerard Rohlf, a writer of music and poetry, can also be found in a classroom teaching Poetry Appreciation. He has been performing music since the age of seven. Art Gazdik is the township engineer for Ross Township and a string enthusiast. He plays the violin, octave violin, mandolin, fiddle, and sings. Doug Wilkin is the owner and operator of a recording studio in Pittsburgh, and works as the engineer, producer, and musician. He has made appearances on a number of other projects ranging from jazz to folk and rock to country. NewLanders is returning to the Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival for a third year by popular demand.

The Stickers

Pittsburgh-based band The Stickers will add their country twist to this year’s Coal and Coke Heritage Music Festival.

Three brothers, Joe, Jim and John Wodarek, and their childhood friend, Miguel Garcia, The Stickers have been delighting audiences with their dynamic stage show and likeable down-to-earth personalities.

The band has opened for several famous country acts including Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, and Blake Shelton.

The Stickers’ current single “She Don’t Like a Thing” jumped 10 spots to #25 in its second week on the charts. This marks their third single to break into the Top 40 this year.

Not only have The Stickers received accolades for their performances, they are also three-time Billboard Song Writing Award Winners for original songs.

Tres Lads

Tres Lads is a powerful acoustic trio from Pittsburgh. Not the type of acoustic band you'd listen to while sipping a latte. People always ask, “How do three guys with acoustic guitars make such a huge sound?” With all three Lads singing lead and playing guitar, you'll hear soaring vocals and three part harmonies on covers of crowd favorites such as Journey, Queen, The Beatles, Jane's Addiction, Oasis, Bon Jovi, and many more. Logging in 180-plus shows last year, Jean-Marc, Freddie and Kevin have never left an audience unsatisfied. Whether it's sharing the stage with Bad Company and The Clarks, headlining festivals and colleges, or playing regular Friday nights at The Hard Rock Cafe and many other clubs across the Tri-State area, every performance is a “SHOW” and will make a fan out of you for sure.