Ripe

Funky party machine with conservatory chops and basement-class team spirit

Anyone watching the funk rockers of Ripe bounce across the stage in pure ecstasy might not think they attended Berklee – the most prestigious conservatory in the world. In fact, Ripe is perhaps the most atypical conservatory band you have ever seen. There is no preconceived marketing strategy or military rehearsals for them. Their only goal? To throw a party, and they have elevated that skill to an art form.

Their first songs were born in the dark basement of a Subway sandwich shop. Six months later, they were selling like hotcakes. The hobby project became a full-time job, the beat-up van became a nightliner – but the party spirit always stayed alive.

Five albums and countless shows later, they still bring the same energy onto the stage: that of a basement-school team of friends who love nothing more than having fun together – but they are also damn good. Their sound dances somewhere in purgatory between funk and rock. Complex and super catchy at the same time. A sound that turns De Helling into the basement of a Subway: and yes, that is a good thing.