YouTube coined the genre “yacht rock” to describe the soft rock sound of the 70s and 80s, and Warwick native and guitarist with the band Yächtley Crëw Tom Gardner invites you to join the vibe when their “Full Steam Ahead” tour stops at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Saturday, July 27.

“It’s like a feeling that reminds you of your childhood or your first love. It’s nostalgia,” says Gardner, who goes by the stage name Tommy Buoy. “It’s basically a jazz-rock fusion that’s quite difficult to play. We had to improve our playing to learn these songs, many of which were originally performed by high-quality studio musicians.”

After years of performing solo and in bands around the region—you may have heard his song “Summertime in Rhode Island” with the rock/reggae band Someday Providence—Gardner moved to Los Angeles in 2010. He joined forces with six other musicians to form Yächtley Crëw, which first performed in January 2017, and he says “it’s been kind of a rocket ride ever since.”