Livingston Taylor, RIPE and More Help Launch the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series at The Loft
Live Entertainment Will Return In August
(Oak Bluffs, MA) The Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series is partnering with The Loft to bring live music back to Martha’s Vineyard with a full lineup of live music and comedy starting in August. The live entertainment returns August 2, 2021 with dream pop band Luna and continues to rock all month long with performances by RIPE (August 5), Crooked Coast (August 14), G. Love & Chuck Treece (August 24), Livingston Taylor (two shows August 28). Additional shows will be announced soon. Tickets go on sale Friday June 11 at 12:00 PM ET at MVConcertSeries.com.
The new partnership between the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series and The Loft will not only bring great musicians to Oak Bluffs, but create a premier club venue on the Island. The Loft will undergo a six-figure renovation of the sound and lighting systems funded by the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series, bringing a theatre experience to one of Oak Bluffs’ best hangouts. Sound engineers will map out the room and create a system specifically designed to bring professional concerts to the Loft. While much of the interior will look the same, the venue will have a new professional sound that transforms the entire experience.
Luna (Monday, August 2 8:00 PM):
Luna was formed in 1991 by Dean Wareham after the breakup of Cambridge, MA-based Galaxie 500. Now consisting of Wareham, Guitarist Sean Eden, Drummer Lee Wall, and Britta Phillips on Bass the band has put out 11 albums and toured extensively across Europe and North America. Known for their unique dream pop sound, Rolling Stone once referred to them as “the best band you’ve never heard of.”
RIPE (Thursday, August 5 8:00 PM):
Blending rock, funk, R&B, jazz, and pop, Boston-based Ripe have won over legions of fans by compelling crowds night after night to get up on their feet and dance. Every performance fans get a unique show as the band improv off one another, creating a unique sound that feeds off the crowd’s energy. Formed in 2011 while the band members were at the Berklee College of Music, Ripe has gone on to garner seven million listeners and more than 40 million streams, has performed at Bonnaroo and the Firefly Festival.
Crooked Coast (8:00 PM Saturday, August 14):
Hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Crooked Coast distilled celebratory summers and bleak winter into a joyful explosion of indie rock riffs, reggae rhythms, hip hop flows and pop melodies.
After self producing a string of albums and singles they were heading to Hollywood, CA to record an EP with acclaimed producer/engineer Courtney Ballard (5 Seconds of Summer, Good Charlotte, The Used) when the pandemic hit. They holed up in their local studio and created the single “Rise & Shine”. When Courtney heard it, he wanted to mix it. The result is the next level of Crooked Coast’s sound. “Rise & Shine” debuted at #5 on the iTunes reggae chart.
Love & Chuck Treece (8:00 PM Tuesday, August 24):
Born Garrett Dutton, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production.
Love’s magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic.
Livingston Taylor (4:00 PM & 8:00 PM Saturday, August 28):
Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.
From top-40 hits “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,” the last two recorded by his brother James, Livingston’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres—folk, pop, gospel, jazz—and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances.
Livingston has never stopped performing since those early coffeehouse days, sharing the stage with major artists such as Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, and Jethro Tull, and he maintains a busy concert schedule, touring internationally. He is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans. His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or something from the best of Broadway.
The MV Concert Series will launch at The Loft in August. Tickets for the initial lineup of shows will go on sale Friday, June 11 at MVConcertSeries.com. Stay up to date on all concert announcements by following the MV Concert Series on Facebook and Instagram.
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About the Loft:
Built in 1900, the Loft is a historic venue located in the heart of Oak Bluffs. The recently renovated space at 9 Oak Bluffs Avenue is just steps from the ferry docks, shopping and hotels. The Loft is the Island’s hottest lounge, open year round and serving some of the best Neapolitan style Pizza from Pizza di Napoli!. The high gabled ceilings, clean white walls, sweeping views of Oak Bluffs, make this a can’t miss spot for locals and tourists alike.
About the Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series:
Created by groundbreaking live events company Innovation Arts and Entertainment, the company behind Martha’s Vineyard’s music festival Beach Road Weekend, The MV Concert Series brings artists and entertainers to intimate settings on the Island. Launched in 2016, the series presents dozens of shows a year across Martha’s Vineyard and the Cape.
