The country concert this summer at Warsaw’s Central Park will be offering two headlining acts instead of just one, while the rock concert may have fans of Guns N’ Roses stoked.
Tuesday morning on radio stations WRSW 107.3 and Willie 103.5 FM, the acts for the two free big concerts of the summer at Glover Pavilion were announced.
Recess will be the opening act for The Rockin’ Concert for Riley June 20 at 6:30 p.m., with the headlining act - Steven Adler, the original drummer of Guns N’ Roses until 1990 - starting at 8 p.m. Adler was inducted into the Rock ’N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 with Guns N’ Roses.
The Country Concert for St. Jude will feature Confederate Railroad at 7 p.m. and The Kentucky Headhunters at 8:30 p.m. on July 18.
Rock
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Warsaw Parks Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer explained when they start the process of picking the bands for the concerts, she’s given a budget to work with and then she tells the promoter what that budget is.

    Pictured is Confederate Railroad
  

“He starts looking at who is available for our date, and then he will tell me ‘they fit within your budget,’” she said.
Five bands are selected for each of the two concerts, and the band names are provided to the promoter to start making offers to the bands.
“Usually, within a good week, we know that some of them either aren’t available for that timeline or they’re not going to be in the area, or they don’t like how much money we’ve offered them,” Schaefer said.
The list is narrowed down.
Adler was on the list last year.
“I was in high school in the ’80s. I, personally, still listen to some of the hair bands from the ’80s. So, they were a well-known group. I did like some of their songs,” she continued.
Helping make the final decision on the bands are Warsaw Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer and the radio stations. Schaefer said they all sit down and talk about why they should bring an artist in. Adler is a well-known band member of Guns N’ Roses, she stated.
“We narrowed it down and they accepted our offer. So we’ve known since December. That’s when I got the signed contracts back from the promoter. I’ve been keeping it a big secret and today I finally was able to tell everyone, and everyone I talked to was really excited,” she said. “They promised us a very good family-friendly show, which is something we want and expect. We want everyone to come and have a good time.”
Schaefer said she was told Adler “has the rights to the Guns N’ Roses music and they would be performing those songs.”

    Pictured is Kentucky Headhunters
 Joe McNally   

Recess, named 2023 Best Alternative Band by the Cleveland Music Awards and one of the top three best bands in Cleveland by Cleveland Scene Magazine, is an epic and theatrical pop/alt band from Cleveland, Ohio, according to information provided. Performing for over 15 years, the band has played iconic venues like the Cowan in Nashville, the Viper Room and Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles. They were special musical guest twice on NYC’s “Wonderama” and Top Golf’s “Who Will Rock You” TV shows.
After releasing three EPs and two new singles, going viral numerous times, and touring the U.S., Recess has committed itself to not only bringing the most epic emotion and fiery live performances they possibly can to every stage, but also continue to release memorable, distinctive and catchy music that makes you feel like you're in the movies, the information provided states.
Country
The biggest thing Schaefer wanted people to know about the Country Concert for St. Jude this year is the times have changed a little bit.
Confederate Railroad will open up at 7 p.m., instead of the usual 6:30 p.m. The Kentucky Headhunters will then take the stage at 8:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
“They’re two national acts, so we wanted to give them equal opportunities to perform, because they’re both really well known,” she said, noting both bands will have equal time on the stage.
It was possible to get two well-known acts because, in part, the promoter knows them personally.
“So when he wrote the offer up, he asked for both of them to come and perform and they accepted our offer, which is huge!” Schaefer stated. “That’s something that doesn’t happen very often.”
She was fortunate to get to talk on the phone Monday night with Danny Shirley, a founding member of Confederate Railroad, and Richard Young, a founding member of The Kentucky Headhunters.
She said Shirley was very polite. “We had a great 20-minute conversation on the phone. He talked about why he started this band. Told me a little bit about his life experiences. Asked me questions about how long I’ve been at the parks department, things like that. He was just very easy to talk to, very polite,” Schaefer recalled.

    Pictured is Recess.
  

Shirley shared with her that he did some work with Billy Ray Cyrus, and “they just love to play music. That was the biggest thing he talked about. How it was their passion, and we talked about how when you love what you do, it’s not really a job. I feel that myself.”
Young told Schaefer that The Kentucky Headhunters’ roots run deep in the bluegrass state.
“He comes from a 700-acre farm there, and they still get together in his grandmother’s home to play music,” she said, adding that she believes they will put on a really great show.
Confederate Railroad, based out of Georgia, will have four band members on the stage July 18, as will The Kentucky Headhunters.
“I just want people to know when they come out to these concerts, that we’re supporting great causes. What St. Jude and Riley does - both of them are great hospitals that really take care of the children,” Schaefer said.
Sponsors help make the free concerts, that benefit children’s hospitals, possible.
“We can not do this without our sponsors, so I always give them recognition,” she said.
Sponsors for the rock concert are Zimmer Biomet, Boldt Enterprises’s McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, 107.3 WRSW and Rabb Water Systems. Country concert sponsors are the Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation, Boldt Enterprise’s McDonald’s, Willie 103.5, Zimmer Biomet, Johnson & Johnson and Rabb Water Systems.
“Come out and have a good time,” Schaefer concluded.
Other Summer Concerts
Also this summer will be a variety of Friday evening performances that are part of the Summer Concert Series. The concerts also are free to the public.
They include:
• Hipposonics, pop/classic rock, Central Park Plaza, May 23.
• Blue Holler Band, bluegrass, Lucerne Park Amphitheater, May 30.
• Chris Golden, gospel, Central Park Plaza, June 6.
• DeeBee’s, Jimmy Buffet hits, Lucerne Park Amphitheater, June 13.
• OK Boomer Band, acoustic classic rock, Lucerne Park Amphitheater, June 27.
• Seymour, John Mellencamp tribute, Central Park Plaza, July 11.
• The Resurrection Blues Band, blues, Lucerne Park Amphitheater, July 25.
• Lake Area Community Band, concert band, Central Park Plaza, Aug. 8.
• Tege Holt, country, Glover Pavilion, Central Park, Aug. 15.
All the Summer Concert Series shows are scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m.