If you haven’t heard of Ripe, don’t blame yourself but do your ears a service and look them up on Spotify immediately. The seven-member band from Boston, Massachussets redefines what dance music is and can be. Their funk-infused sounds can make even the rainiest of days sunny. Their songs are contagious: you find yourself listening to one on your Spotify Discover Weekly, and suddenly it’s your favorite pop banger, favorite work-out song, favorite study track, favorite band. The band just released their first EP in April of 2018, featuring tracks such as “Downward,” “Little Lighter,” and “Beta Male,” — which is my personal favorite. The music is infused with bright horns, thumping bass and catchy rhythms, all tied together with Robbie Wolfsohn’s smooth vocals. They are playing the Theater of Living Arts on February 7th and tickets are $20 in advance. This is a band that I fully believe is going to blow up and any concert of theirs is bound to be endless fun.

The Boston-based band will be touring North America in the spring of 2019, with stops in cities including New York City, Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington D.C. Playing smaller venues is an advantage to bands with a small audience base, as it allows them to form a more personal connection with the dedicated fans. 

The best way to describe Ripe’s music is music that makes you want to dance no matter where you are. The horn-infused funk toes the line between alternative rock, indie and jazz, finding the sweet middle ground with captivating lyrics and catchy melodies. Wolfsohn’s arresting vocals give each song a unique sound that stands out on whatever Spotify playlist you happen to put them on. The most arresting song, in my humble opinion, has to be “Makin’ Ice,” off their first EP “Produce the Juice” which was released in 2013. The song starts with a simple guitar riff, and then Wolfsohn’s voice drops in, beckoning the other instruments to follow until the song takes off. It feels like you’re listening to your own personal concert on the third floor of the Falvey Memorial library, and the only thing keeping you from singing along is the knowledge that everyone studying on the floor would not understand the pure joy emaniating from your headphones and would likely be annoyed rather than energized by the infectious rhythms. 

What makes Ripe unique is that they found their niche sound in a conglomerate of other genres. By mixing trombones with electric guitar and trumpets with bass, the band has created a sound quite like no other. If you like groups like Lawrence, Juice and Vulfpeck, give Ripe a listen, because they may just become your new favorite band.