Benefit concert to honor New Kensington Officer Brian Shaw

A dozen bands will play Friday and Saturday for the Back the Blue benefit concert honoring fallen New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw at the Quality Inn ballroom in New Kensington.

Tickets are $10 at door, which opens at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The first band plays at 6 p.m., with the headliner finishing about 1 a.m.

There will be auction tables, giveaways, food trucks and a cash bar.

Proceeds will benefit the Officer Brian Shaw Foundation.

Shaw, 25, was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in New Kensington on Nov. 17, 2017.

The bands are donating their services.

The two-day concert lineup:

• Friday: Safety Last, A Common Crown, Driven, East Coast Turnaround, Neutral Loss, and headliner Hellin Back.

• Saturday: Rust Project, Safety Last, Midnight Fix, Heidi and the Hellcats, The Shiners, and headliner The Buffett Man and the Fruit Cakes.

The show is produced by Leo’s Production with stage lighting and sound by Strobe Lighting and Sound of New Kensington.

Daniel and Brenda Leo, owners of Leo’s Production, manage the Sports Page bar and the Quality Inn’s grand ballroom.

The Leos put on the Shaw benefit concert last year because they wanted to do something to honor Shaw, Daniel Leo said.

Last year’s benefit was just one night and attracted about 500 patrons, Leo said.

This year, more bands wanted to play in Shaw’s honor, he said.

“We had an overwhelming response from all the bands that wanted to get involved,” he said.

So the couple decided to add a second night with a dozen bands.

“I can’t thank them enough on a Friday and Saturday when they could be doing other gigs,” Leo said. “It just shows they all got a heart of gold.”