To the editor:

The latest controversy to hit Bristol is the recent announcement by the 4th Of July Committee that their popular concert series leading up to the 4th has been moved from Independence Park to Roger Williams University, with a large outcry on social media, individuals threatening to boycott the concerts, and other various complaints. What caused this brouhaha is quite simple — the concert series has become a victim of its own success, with the committee regularly booking nationally known acts that draw thousands of attendees to their shows at Independence Park, which is ill-suited to handle large crowds.

As a lifelong Bristolian, I remember the uproar when the concerts were moved from the front of the Colt School to Independence Park due to a lack of space, and I also remember when there was no concert series whatsoever. Fast forward to today, and the concerts now draw thousands of people to Independence Park, which does not have the infrastructure, the required handicapped access, nor the room to hold large crowds, especially on nights when a very popular band is performing.

As I see it, the 4th of July committee has only two options-either stick with their plan to move the concerts to RWU, which is much more suited for handling large events, or book much less popular performers who do not have a large following, and keep the concerts at Independence Park.

The bottom line here is that whichever venue the committee chooses for the popular concert series is not going to please everyone, and they're surely stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding the concert location. But more importantly, to the individuals who are complaining about this change of venue, threatening boycotts, flooding social media, etc., perhaps they can channel their energy more productively and join the 4th of July Committee, where they can have an official input and vote regarding the location of the concerts.
As the saying goes, it's easy to sit back and level complaints from the sidelines, and it's something else altogether to join the 4th of July Committee, give of your time, and do the hard work necessary to ensure a successful celebration.

Mike Proto
245 Chestnut St.