MusicBoxPete Bands of Summer 2026 Part 2

MusicBoxPete
1 hour ago
5 min read

Wrapping up your summer with another edition of MusicBoxPete's "Bands of Summer" shirtless photo special! A time honored tradition here on the site, the special captures musicians in a unique way that makes the audience roar with approval and makes the audience feel comfortable and right at home with the artist. To wrap up the special for this year, we have an assortment of musicians that fit the bill with rising country star Hank Ruff, indie folk singer Joshua Quimby, up and coming U.K. hard rock quartet Red By Night, rising pop star Thomas Day, plus a honorable non-musical mention from the St. Mary's High School hockey team. And to close out the summer, here they are:

Kicking off our special with an entry from Indiana based up and coming country artist Hank Ruff. Hank has an old school mentality when it comes to performing, with his midwestern drawl adorned with his trademark country hat that is tailor made for bars and venues alike, crisscrossing the land delighting fans near and far. It was during one of those shows that Hank was convinced to go shirtless at the behest of comedian Bert Kreischer who was in attendance that night for a promo event. The crowd definitely roared in approval as the entire band joined him too, and made the night that much more enjoyable for those in attendance.

Next up is Joshua Quimby, an emerging indie folk artist based out of Connecticut. He gained some fame recently with his Drake Maye tribute vid that he did during the Patriots playoff run last year that showed off his gritty, weathered vocals that are his calling card and showed how remarkably gifted and talented he is. One thing Joshua is not shy about is baring his skin for all to see, as you can see from this pic above with tattoos and all that shows his confident and charismatic side with his audience. He has a way about him that is intriguing and compelling, and he is one artist that is worth the price of admission.

Up next is an young hard rock act from across the pond in Birmingham, UK by the name of Red By Night. The group consists of Emerson Harris on bass, Joseph Sheppard on lead vocals and guitar, Oliver Morrough on drums, and Theo Hubbard on guitar and backing vocals. These guys have a style that is all their own, with dark-edged style guitar melodies and a punching, melodic combo that has drawn praise for the emerging group's ingenuity and ability to be different and think outside of the box. After one of their performances, almost all of the fellas decided to strip off the shirts and pose with their fans taking a victory lap of sorts. The guys are continuing to pick up steam, and this group displays the smoldering talent that the boys have in their arsenal.

Next up we have Thomas Day, an emerging singer-songwriter based out of Nashville. You may remember him from a few years back when he appeared on America's Got Talent. He dropped out early in the round, but that turned out to be the best thing going for him as he's developed quite a following on TikTok and with his frenetic, fast paced blend of pop that has delighted the masses from coast to coast. One thing that has become a common occurrence at his show is the absence of a shirt as you can see from the pic above. The crowd clearly has no complaints about that whatsoever as he knows how to best communicate with the crowd and grab their attention as well.

We head back across the pond with Tobi Duncan, frontman of the emo-rock outfit Trash Boat. The band have been obsessions of mine for years now, bringing back the sounds of yesteryear with more primal screaming, and a vivacious, youthful energy that is best reciprocated by their adoring crowds at their shows. Tobi has always been a charismatic presence, and some of those shows results in him shedding the shirt much to the roaring approval of the crowd. Bands know how to stay dialed in with the crowd and give them all their needs and desires, and Trash Boat are doing exactly just that.

Some local love coming in from Vince LaRosa, a trombonist based from right here in Boston. Currently a student at Berklee College of Music, Vince has an immense, glowing aura surrounding him with his sleek, sophisticated style that is all of his own creation, displaying his trombone skills in the park to unsuspecting passersby. Most days, Vince plays trombone with no shirt on that you can see from this pic above. He is a magnificent looking creature, and it's impossible to look away from this talented individual.

Another local entry coming in from Vince Welch, bassist for the local act Bent Knee. They're a band that are very well known in the Boston area having seen them a couple of times before. Known for their unique live sets and groundbreaking musical charisma displayed onstage, the collective give you everything you ask for and a little bit more when you least expect it. During one of these shows, Vince took off his shirt due to the intense heat emanating from the green stage lights that makes for a sleek looking photo you see above. It's a pleasant sight for sure, and makes you appreciate the band that much more for their aura.

A steamy entry coming in from Zende Murdock, drummer for the emerging indie rock act The Runarounds. You may remember his bandmate Axel Ellis was featured in the previous edition of the special that showed him making love to the camera with his beautiful, tousled hair and remarkable physique that made it very eye catching and stand out. His drummer Zende is just as charming and captivating with this pic of him sans shirt from behind the drum kit, smiling to the crowd gathered in attendance. It's clear what drives the people wild, and will be returned in favor by performing a killer show in the process.

A honorable mention to close out this issue belongs to the St. Mary's High School hockey team. Based out of Lynn, MA the team finished 11-9 last year in the CCL league but have made great strides and gotten incrementally better as a team, and are in a much better place than they were the season before. One area in which they have improved is in their physical conditioning, and in this photo the boys went tarps off in a team photo during senior night in their season finale this past year to show their physical strength and agility they achieved in the weight room. You can see how built the boys are, and there is no limit to what the boys can achieve in their careers.