On Friday night, Zao Island kicked off summer with the first concert of the ValpoLife Live Music on the Island Summer Music Series with a performance by local band Soulshine. The two-person band sang their hearts out on the ValpoLife stage as guests of all ages danced and sang along.
The first concert of the series welcomed families from all around Northwest Indiana to Zao Island, located on Route 30 in Valparaiso, and entertained the audience all night with hit songs, old and new, along with plenty of attractions to keep everyone in high spirits.
“This is the first concert of our summer music series and tonight we have the band, Soulshine, performing,” said Ryan Wright, Partner of Zao Island. “They’re a great band. It’s a beautiful day and we have a lot of families ready to have fun, hang out, and enjoy the band.”
Zao Island has hosted a summer music series for years now. Every June through August, the favorite family entertainment spot welcomes different bands to perform live for patrons. Along with rockin’ music, families are able to enjoy Zao Island’s family-friendly attractions like laser tag, go carts, arcade games, and the always favorite mini-golf. It’s a perfect way to bring families together for a night everyone can enjoy.
“We just love working with the community out of the goodness of our hearts,” Wright said. “Both my dad, Don, and I are busy-bodies, so we really love to be involved in the community. Our main goal is to give back to kids and families.”
As Jerry Scott Jr. and Mike Ferri, lead vocalist and guitarist respectively, took to the ValpoLife stage, families grabbed a seat and listened to the all-genre band as they played hit songs like Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) and many more.
“I’m really excited about tonight,” said Theresa Potesta, Bartender at Zao Island. “It’s all about the community and family.”
Families and their kids relaxed as they listened to the music, while some parents led their kids out on to the dance floor. While Soulshine’s music has a slightly older demographic, some little kids got front row access and happily danced along to the music, generating some laughs and plenty of pictures from the audience.
“I think our demographic has changed a little bit,” Scott Jr. joked. “We’re going to be huge with the one and two-year olds!”
It was a family affair for Scott as well; his own family came to the show to cheer him and his bandmate on, as well as enjoy the beautiful weather and the perfect start to a wonderful summer.
“It’s really nice to be out in the summer time and the beautiful day like today, sitting outside and listening to some great music,” Scott’s father, Jerry Scott Sr., said. “Music is a beautiful thing and today is a cultural event. Valparaiso has a lot of culture and this is just another opportunity for the Valparaiso community to get together out in a beautiful place.”
It was a successful opening night for the ValpoLife Live Music on the Island Summer Music Series. Thanks to the wonderful performance by Soulshine, families spent Friday night enjoying some quality time together while also savoring the beginning of a great summer.
You can check out more live music every Friday and Saturday night at Zao Island from 7:00pm until 10:00pm through August 31st. The music series provides a great opportunity for adults to go and enjoy a night of fun while kids enjoy the newly renovated and expanded Zao Island game room. You can learn more about the Live Music Series by clicking here.
For more information about Zao Island, go to www.zaoisland.net.
