Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – Music in the Park, a City of Warren tradition since 1998, is in full swing in 2021, and doing so without all of the health and safety protocols of a year ago.
“I took a chance last year during COVID, but people were happy,” said Music in the Park Coordinator Bill Thompson. “With the City of Warren and Northwest both being sponsors, I wanted to make sure they were on board last year, and they were alright with it as long as we went by CDC guidelines.”
This year, however, things are back to normal at Soldiers and Sailors Park, with people being able to go outside without masks and enjoy events in larger crowds.
“People are just excited to be back out and get back to normal and be able to enjoy stuff outside,” Thompson said.
The program runs every Friday beginning at 7 p.m. through Aug. 27. The upcoming attraction, ‘Border Ride’ is a bluegrass band.
There is a wide variety of music being featured this summer, and they like to keep it local.
“I try to change it up every year,” Thompson said. “There’s all kinds of good groups locally, and the surrounding area. I try to go up into the Jamestown area as well. There’s a good mix of different groups. I try to give everyone a chance but I try and promote local.
“I’ve got bluegrass, country, classic rock, blues band, oldies. So we mix it up. It’s just not a certain crown, I want it for everybody. That’s part of Music in the Park.”
The Jeff Fetterman Band, performing on Aug. 13, is one that Thompson is particularly excited about.
“Jeff’s been around for a lot of years and he’s one of them (groups that he’s excited to hear.),” Thompson said. “He was actually scheduled last year and there was a conflict in scheduling so they weren’t able to play. I reached out to them this year and everything worked out.”
The rest of the schedule is as follows:
July 9 – Border Ride (Bluegrass)
July 16 – Kokomo Time Band (Variety)
July 23 – Night Shift (Classic Rock)
July 30 – Pearl City Jazz (Jass)
Aug. 6 – Good Life Band (Oldies)
Aug 13 – Jeff Fetterman Band (Classic Rock)
Aug. 20 – Trixx (Classic Rock)
Aug. 27 – Temple Grey (Soft Rock)
“Pearl City Jazz is like a jazz orchestra. Basically, it’s like 17 or 18 guys, so I’ll have 17 or 18 chairs on the stage.
“Trixx and I got back into the early 80s. Back then there were six members. Now there’s only three. It started out as a combination of guys from Brookville and three guys from Marienville.
“Temple Grey is another local Warren group and they play soft rock and are always a fan favorite.
“Kokomo Time Band’ is another one. They’re kind of a beach party type band.
“Night Shift I had a gentleman that was actually attending Music in the Park one year and came up to me and said ‘hey I have a group, would you mind booking us.’ And they’re phenomenal. They’re from the Sugar Grove, Jamestown area.
“Good Life Band is another one that’s popular every year. It’s a couple guys that have a good time playing the oldies.
It’s those popular local groups that Thompson likes to bring back every year. And people come back, year after year to enjoy good music and good company.
“Those are mostly the ones in Warren,” he said. “I try and give them a chance every year and just have to mix up the other ones a little bit.”
Touring Warren County series: The Wilder Museum • Kinzua Point • 4th of July Celebration
