Best of the Northland

Big Wave Dave & The Ripples

If you haven’t checked out Big Wave Dave and The Ripples yet, you’re missing out. This band is all about a good time. While we know it’s perfectly respectable to sit alone in a dark room with your cat listening to Low, however, Big Wave Dave and The Ripples is about getting that introverted ass of yours out on the dance floor and shaking it like you don’t care. They were a mainstay at The Rex on Thursday nights for quite sometime but have since branched out to playing other gigs. We checked in on Dave Adams, the front man, of The Ripples and he shared some history about the band and his gratitude to all of you who voted. “We’re an eight-piece soul band that has been bringing funk to the Northland since 2010. We’ve enjoyed every minute of it! The group was formed to help people get down and have good time and we’re thrilled whenever we can make that happen. We’d like to say thanks to everyone that has come out and danced over the last four years and the clubs that have put us on their stages. A special thanks goes out to Dicky Brooks, Mike Lemon and everyone at The Rex Bar that moved the ping pong table and gave us a home every Thursday night for two years. Finally, thanks to our families for their support. Get in, get on, get up and get down!” Big Wave Dave and The Ripples consists of Adams, Peter Knutson (guitar), Alex Piazza (bass), Dave Mennes (drums), Alex Nordehn (trombone), Steve Rogers (tenor sax), Matt Wasmund (baritone sax) and David Rode (trumpet). Adams’ high energy performance along with the well filled out horn section provides a fun and unique stage show that is unlike any other in the area.

2nd Place: Trampled by Turtles…whoa, who are they?