Greensburg concert series ‘breath of fresh air’ following pandemic regulations

Adam Seifert knew if one more concert series across Westmoreland County was canceled, the community would start to feel the loss.

So on Thursday, the Westmoreland Cultural Trust hosted their annual Thank Goodness It’s Summer concert series at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center.

It drew 250 people to one of the first summer events held after strict regulations put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus were lifted.

“The whole climate of the county lives and dies with organizations doing this kind of work,” said Seifert, manager of corporate and community engagement at the trust, about why the organization decided to host the event.

It followed a slew of cancellations, including Latrobe’s Fourth of July fireworks and Greensburg’s SummerSounds concert series.

Still, red lines spray painted in the grass signaled the edge of several seating “pods” designed for up to four people to enjoy the show while social distancing. Those attending the event were required to wear masks while not sitting in their seat, and they were encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.

“It’s the new norm,” said John Kling, of Latrobe, who was at the event with his girlfriend, Susan O’Donnell. “This is our new world. I guess the best analogy is when you go into some stores they say, ‘No shoes, no shirt, no service.’ And what do you do? You put on a shirt, you put on shoes, you get service.

”And now it’s going to be, ‘No shoes, no shirt, no face mask.’”

Kling and O’Donnell said they were excited to get to out of the house and listen to live music again. On Thursday, Cash4Life, a Johnny Cash tribute band, was set to perform.

Carol Schorpp, of West Newton, who attended the event with Missy Greenberg, 50, of Jeannette, said TGIS was one of the first big events she’s attended since regulations were lifted.

“I think that they’re doing a good job,” Schorpp said of the precautions. “I know our state has diminished in cases, so I think we’re doing the right thing the best we can. And that’s all we can do.”

Typically held at Greensburg’s Palace Theatre, the concert was moved to make sure there was enough space for people to gather outside. Pre-registration was required for the free event so organizers could keep count of the number of attendees.

Roy Myers, 72, of Greensburg, waited for the show to start with his wife, Jane, 73.

“We wanted to get out,” he said. “This is our first event we’ve gone to in several months. We’re big followers of the Palace Theatre and other theaters around. We go to those a lot, but we had a lot of the shows canceled so far this year. This is our first chance to get out and actually get to see some shows and hear some music.”

Bonnie Weissinger, of Greensburg, agreed, adding: “Love it. Just absolutely love it. It’s a breath of fresh air.”

The event is slated to run through the summer. A full schedule can be found by going to thepalacetheatre.org and searching for TGIS.