Jun 1, 2019 3 min read

There’s something so magical about watching live music outside. The vibe is completely different than catching a show indoors, be it a local musician or a national act. For years, when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came to KeyBank Pavilion (or Star Lake Amphitheater, Post-Gazette Pavilion, really whatever era you choose to stay in with the name is fine by me), I was there. In the more recent years, when his tours took him to PPG Paints Arena (or CONSOL Energy Center, again the name could be subjective here), I skipped his shows. The first year that he played inside in the summer, I was very pregnant. On the subsequent times, I just didn’t want to be inside for a show in the summer months. Naively, I always thought there would be more time to see Tom play – and I assumed he would end up back out in Burgettstown.

But that’s just how much I love seeing bands play under the summer sky. Over in South Park, Allegheny County’s special events manager and well-known local musician Bill Deasy gets to combine his professions when it comes to the Summer Concert Series. Previously, acts have been a mix of local and national, and have included the Pittsburgh Symphony, Buckwheat Zydeco, Bo Diddley and Blue Oyster Cult. The best part? The shows are free, and they go on rain or shine. While lightening will certainly cancel a performance, knock on wood, those situations seem to be few and far between.

As of press time, this year’s lineup hadn’t been announced. But, now that it’s early May, if the schedule isn’t online when you are reading this, rest assured, it should be soon. In the meantime, read staff writer Brad Hundt’s story on the summer concert series on page 12.

Another great way to take advantage of the summer months is to hop on a boat. We’ve got the Three Rivers practically in our backyard, and if a lake is more your speed, we aren’t far from Deep Creek in Maryland, Lake Erie, or the Pymatuning Reservoir. For Peters Township resident Eric Shereda, who has been sailing since he was a kid in Virginia, it’s that proximity, along with his love for the water, that has led him to build his own boat. A real life Leroy Jethro Gibbs (“NCIS” fans will get the reference), Shereda is finishing up a 14-foot-long Merlin Rocket sailboat after three years of construction. Staff writer Harry Funk chatted with Shereda and got a first-hand look at his work. You can learn more on page 20.

Finally, we close out this issue on page 30 with some old photos of Carnegie’s pride and joy, the late, great Honus Wagner. The professional baseball player is honored with a museum in his name in his hometown. And really, is it summer if you don’t catch some sort of baseball game?

Here’s to enjoying summer to the fullest,