95.5 WBRU Summer Concert Series: Torn Shorts

By Jeffrey Folker

June nights: not too hot for a stroll in the park, not too cold for an Awful Awful from Newport Creamery.  Growing up in New Jersey, three miles from the Atlantic Ocean, summer has always been the time of year to relax, hit the beach for a tan, and grab an ice cold beer at the local establishment.  Now living in Providence, summer has a new meaning: 95.5 WBRU’s Free Summer Concert Series.

In the heart of downtown Providence, catchy beach-y, blues-inspired, indie rock (that’s a mouthful) tones filled the scenic Waterplace Park  on June 14^th, as over 1,000  spectators sat, laid, or danced – enthralled by the musical talents of local band Torn Shorts and a night of good, clean fun.  Lead by front man Josh Grabert, Torn Shorts has taken the New England music scene by storm after winning WBRU’s 2013 Rock Hunt.

According to Michael Christofaro, (Marketing Coordinator and Photographer for the City of Providence), early June has a reputation among city event planners for rather unpredictable weather– in past years, rainouts have pushed the concert series indoors (to Lupo’s).  After a rainy morning on Friday, by mid-afternoon, the weather had cleared enough to keep the concert outside.

If nothing else, people-watching entertained many, as venders sold the usual Waterfire wares, kids as young as 1 sat with families, punks, grandparents, and even a handful of dogs, PVD Pudding Pops sold their… well, pudding pops, Dunkin Donuts handed out free samples of their newest coffee line (which was phenomenal!), and kayakers floated lazily down the Providence River, drinking in the sounds of the city.

WBRU’s Free Summer Concert Series continues this Friday, June 21 with The 1975, and runs every Friday night, concluding with Cold War Kids on July 12^th.

Stay tuned for video!