Free Throw in Providence

About Free Throw

Free Throw is a pop punk and emo band from New Jersey that built a devoted following on the strength of introspective songwriting and infectious melodies. Their 2016 debut "What's Golden" introduced listeners to singer Mat Kerekes' particular brand of anxious vulnerability, where he'd examine his own neuroses with the kind of specificity that made them feel universal. Songs like "Lavender" and "Strawberry" became the kind of tracks people looped endlessly, catching new details in the production each time. The band kept releasing solid records—"Piecing It Together" and "Jet Black Jetpack"—each time refining their approach without losing the raw emotional core that made people connect in the first place. They're the kind of band that plays smaller venues but inspires genuine devotion from the people who find them.

Their crowds are engaged and vocal, singing along to every word like these songs have been soundtracking their lives. Energy is intense but intimate, the kind of show where people genuinely feel heard. Kerekes connects with the room; it doesn't feel performative.

Known for Lavender, Strawberry, Graphic, Map of the Sun, Gawker

Free Throw + Providence

Free Throw last touched down in Providence at The Met on March 31, 2019, bringing their particular brand of emo-adjacent indie rock to a room that's seen plenty of similar touring acts pass through. The band has always occupied that weird middle ground between math rock precision and genuine melodic sensibility, and a Providence crowd tends to appreciate that kind of thing. They'd been circulating for a few years by that point, building a modest but devoted following on the strength of albums like 'What's Golden' and their knack for writing songs that sound both cerebral and quietly devastating. The Met's a decent venue for that—not too big, not too small, just right for a band that doesn't need a arena but deserves more than a basement show.

Free Throw in Providence News

• Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. No. 1/1 Connecticut Providence College Athletics · Feb 20, 2026
• What happened in high school hoops Wednesday? Here are the stories and scores The Providence Journal · Jan 22, 2026
• Azzi Fudd has not missed a free throw this season. Where she ranks in UConn women's basketball history CT Insider · Jan 14, 2026
• Providence Looks to Rebound from a Defensive No-Show with Villanova Coming to Town Substack · Jan 13, 2026
• Colorado Beats Providence, 97-88; Boyle Calls for Sold-Out Crowds Denver Gazette · Nov 14, 2025

Live Music in Providence

Providence has a solid tradition of supporting the kind of guitar-driven indie and emo-adjacent bands that Free Throw represents. The city's underground has historically been more about scrappy DIY ethos than polish, which means touring acts like this tend to find receptive audiences. There's a decent pipeline of bands moving between New England venues, and Providence sits right in the middle of that circuit. The indie rock crowd here doesn't demand arena-sized production—they just want songs that feel honest and musicians who seem like they actually care.

Providence road trip to see Free Throw?

Stay in College Hill, where you can actually walk around without feeling like you're in a dead zone—the neighborhood has real restaurants and bars. Eat at Chez Pascal or Oberlin for something serious. Before the show, spend an afternoon at the RISD Museum, which is legitimately excellent and free if you're a student or cheap enough if you're not. The museum's collection is small enough to actually process in a couple hours, which beats most cities. Walk down Benefit Street afterward. It's the kind of place that reminds you why people actually used to settle in New England intentionally.