Many people tend to think of Rocklin as a small town, isolated from the outside world within its own closed off “bubble.” What most residents here, particularly teenagers, fail to realize is that Rocklin is actually one of the fastest growing suburban cities in California. The City of Rocklin reports that Rocklin’s population has grown by 64% since 2000.

Its population isn’t the only thing growing. Rocklin is expanding both socially and economically. The evidence of this growth can be seen in the emergence of new shopping centers such as Rocklin Commons and Rocklin Crossing, which contain popular destinations such Target, Walmart and Studio Movie Grill.

Rocklin recently added another public destination that has been highly anticipated throughout 2016: Quarry Park. Unlike other new additions to the city, Quarry Park is located in old Rocklin near the historic district. It is right behind the fire station, Historic City Hall and Memorial Park off of Rocklin Road.

Quarry Park features an outdoor amphitheater that accommodates about 1,000 people and can be used as a venue for concerts, play productions and other entertainment purposes. On April 20, Quarry Park Amphitheater hosted its first of many concerts. Music artists Ruth B and James Bay performed for a large audience at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth B, a 20-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter discovered on Vine back in 2013, opened the concert. She performed four original songs without a band, using only her voice and a piano. Her set included her most popular single, “Lost Boy,” which was released in January 2015 and has made appearances on the Hot 100 billboard.

Each of her songs told a raw, emotional story that was often concealed within a metaphor. In “Mixed Signals” and “If By Chance,” Ruth B sings of relationship troubles and lost loves. In “Two Poor Kids,” possibly the best song she performed at Quarry Park, she explores themes of wealth, fame and power.

Her work displays a sense of honesty and authenticity that is difficult to find in modern-day music. Furthermore, she performed extremely well vocally, which is impressive considering her lack of concert experience. She showed great promise as a music artist, and undoubtedly has a successful career in front of her.

James Bay, a 25-year-old English singer-songwriter and guitarist, took the stage with his band following Ruth B’s performance. As the main act, he performed a much longer set. He performed many songs from his debut studio album Chaos and the Calm, which was released on March 23, 2015.

His set included two of his most popular songs, “Hold Back the River” and “Let It Go.” Like these two songs, most of his work examines themes of love, relationships and loss. One of the best songs that he performed at Quarry Park, “If You Ever Want to Be in Love,” details a man’s willingness to wait for the one he loves.

Both Ruth B’s and James Bay’s music made for an incredible emotional experience and an excellent first concert at Quarry Park. A talented list of artists are also scheduled to perform at Quarry Park this summer, which will likely boost the venue’s image and stimulate Rocklin’s economic activity.

The next act coming to Quarry Park is The Marshall Tucker Band, a country-rock group from South Carolina. The concert is this Friday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m.

Concert-goers at Quarry Park are able to enjoy good music, beautiful scenery in old Rocklin and a variety of food options. Ruth B’s and James Bay’s performances were only the first of many great shows coming to Rocklin in the near future. For that reason, it is likely that Quarry Park will drive economic growth in Rocklin and attract visitors from across northern California.