Ripe Live! | Lincoln Theater

RIPE

Ripe is seven musical soulmates who refuse to believe in a single definition of dance music. They are an unstoppable groove, an extended moment of ecstatic release, the catalyst for taking “just another night” and elevating it into something else entirely. They are the swagger of funk filtered through a rock anthem, a musical journey that somehow gets as stuck in your head as your favorite pop banger. They are the anchors of a rapidly growing community, a series of new friends becoming good friends becoming part of the extended family as their sound spreads and their world deepens. They are here to look at joy with the same depth as most people look at sadness, to find a happiness that is heavier and more meaningful than simply a distraction from the negative. Born all over, formed in Boston, Ripe is ready to bring the whole world to its feet. ~ History of Ripe from their Facebook page.

Concert Review

I first heard of the band RIPE a few weeks ago when a video popped up in my video feed on YouTube with their cover of the song “On my Mind” by Ellie Goulding. I liked the way they added their own twist to the song by giving it a very upbeat, dance style and uplifting tempo. I did some research on the band and they have this very fun and uplifting funk style of composing their music. I also listened to the song “Little Lighter” and the beats, mixture of vocals, horns and overall tone of the song makes you just bop your head automatically. I honestly could not stop bopping my head and swaying my body with the rhythm of the song! I saw they had a tour stop in Raleigh NC and new I had to cover their show so I could share their music with everyone. I arrived to the Lincoln Theater not knowing what kind of show to expect so I put my gear in the back and took a seat by the soundboard. Some time later the lights went a little dim and the band came out to the stage and the fans let them know that they were happy to see them with their loud screams. They said hello to Raleigh and started to play music right away. During their first song I saw a sea of people just swaying, bopping, dancing, smiling, laughing and just really relaxed. I would walk into the crowd to get particular pictures and fans would just smile at me while one saying “hey bro, you want to take some pictures here man?” I have rarely experienced that kind of relaxed and chilled out vibe from fans when covering a show. The band was really interactive on stage and Robbie Wulfsohn (lead vocals) walked all around the stage while signing and dancing to the crowd. The entire band looked like they were having a blast and excited to be there.

After a few songs the energy level only got stronger and the crowds energy was strong as well. You could hear the crowd singing back lyrics while dancing and smiling. If you are wanting to get some grade “A” funk music streaming through your eardrums then this is the band to see. They sounded great and put on a very engaging and fun concert. Check them out. You can purchases their latest release from 2018 down below.