Ripe at Terminal 5 (photo by Kyle Ostrander)

 

Boston based funk band Ripe played an upbeat and energetic show at Terminal 5 this past weekend. The venue was packed with their dedicated fan base (who call themselves the Goon Squad after one of the band’s songs), wearing an endless sea of their merch. The band took the stage with full force, starting their set with “Get Over,” before diving right into “Flipside,” followed quickly by a cover of “Lola” by The Kinks. The enthusiastic crowd was dancing and singing along to every word, matching the vibe of the band beat-for-beat. “New York City…is this for real?!” said vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn excitedly in-between songs, showing a true appreciation for their fans’ dedication. Even in the crowded venue, the band’s connection with the audience made it feel like you were at a small, intimate show, but with all the excitement of an arena rock band. If this show is any indication of what’s next for Ripe, it seems like even bigger and better things are on the horizon.

 

 

Kicking off the show were fellow Boston band Couch, who were the perfect start to the funky and soulful night of music. Coordinated band dance moves, layered vocal melodies, and even what appeared to be a Jeff Goldblum pillow were all brought to the stage from the band. Couch’s band members dancing and jumping up-and-down on stage had the crowd doing the same. Several times, the band even asked the crowd to sing along with their choruses, to which the engaged audience happily obliged.

 

Second on the bill were NYC natives Melt. “It’s great to be playing a hometown show on this tour!” said the band happily in-between songs. Throughout the set it was clear the band was having a lot of fun at their homecoming show. All of their members interacted not only with the audience, but with one-another as well, while their vocalist made use of every inch of the stage. Their set even featured a band intro and solo section, showing off an impressive level of musicianship from each member. It makes sense the band’s name is Melt, because I think all of our faces were melted by the end of their set.

 

Scroll down for setlist, pics of the show (photos by Kyle Ostrander)

 

Setlist: Get Over, Flipside, Lola (The Kinks cover), Brendan, Stanky, All or Nothing, Paper Cups, Beta Male, Say it to Me, Young Tom Rose, Queen of the City, Talk to the Moon, Noise in the Forest, Goon Squad, Downward, Settling Encore: Passerby, Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 (Pink Floyd cover), Little Lighter

 

COUCH

MELT

RIPE