Singer-songwriter puts his back into benefit show

Kenny Greco’s back is fine now, two days before his annual benefit Christmas show.

Not that it would have mattered if it wasn’t. The singer-songwriter said he would play this show even if he was on crutches.

Saturday’s event at Bean’s Petri Club, 3650 Shady Run Road, Youngstown, will mark the fifth year Greco has done the show. All proceeds benefit God’s Warehouse, a food pantry on Western Reserve Road in Poland that feeds 450 local families each month.

Greco had some minor spinal disc surgery a few weeks after last year’s benefit show. The Youngstown native is all better now, but even if he was still sore, this show gives him such an adrenaline rush that he would have felt no pain.

As always, Greco will go on at 9 p.m. Saturday and play for three, maybe four, hours. He’s the kind of performer who you’ve got to remind to take a break.

Admission is free. Guests are encouraged to donate, by cash or check, to God’s Warehouse. Many people also donate nonperishable food.

“One of the reasons I have been so supportive of [God’s Warehouse] is that I know for sure that 100 percent of the money raised goes directly to food to those who need it,” said Greco. “No salaries, no rent, no utilities. All food.”

A total of $20,000 has been raised at the four annual shows he’s done so far, dating back to 2010. That figure is kind of astounding, but it no longer surprises Greco.

“This area, for all of its bad press, has the most generous, giving people in the country,” he said. “I have been witness to it. A lot of the money comes from everyday people.”

Jim Hughes, owner of the Petri Club, offers his room to Greco every year for the fundraiser and puts out food for the guests. Local radio personalities Viking Jim and Dan Rivers also get involved every year in promoting the event.

Greco does the show alone, although some musical friends usually sit in with him for a song or two. He has even contacted the management of his musical idol, Bruce Springsteen, the past two years to extend an invite. Maybe this year ...

Saturday’s set list will include mostly covers that Greco makes his own, as well as a few of his originals, including some new songs. You’ll definitely hear “Southside Girl,” his popular ode to the girls in his old neighborhood.

For Greco, Saturday’s show is much more than music. The annual Christmas benefit has become the highlight of his music, if not personal, calendar.

“Basically, this show is my everything,” he said. “Not a record, a song, a moment or anything good I’ve experienced in my music comes close to what I personally get out of this show. I see faces I haven’t seen in years, and I get a front-row seat to see the good and generosity in the Valley come out in people from all walks of life to help out their neighbors.”