From local talent to Rastafarian drumbeats, Martha’s Vineyard Sound Festival brought the Island to life this weekend, uniting Island talent with international acts in a festival that put the Vineyard’s music scene center stage.
The day began at 2 pm at Island Cove Miniature Golf in Vineyard Haven. Vendors including Pocket Dogs, Ophelia’s Treats, and Chef Deon’s Kitchen provided food and refreshments for festivalgoers. Also present was Island Spray MV, spray-painting koozies and T shirts onsite, Woven Echoes offering tarot readings, and Fat Cat Seeds, a cannabis company offering free samples of their product for interested buyers.
One of the first attendees on Sunday was Nate Sawyer, who helped set up gear on stage. Now 22, Sawyer grew up on the Island and has been working at Soundfest since he was 6. “When I was very young surrounded by old people, it was cool to watch people do their thing and learn,” said Sawyer.
A big reggae fan, Sawyer was most excited to see Barrington Levy later in the evening, noting that Levy once played with Bob Marley. “He’s like an OG [original gangster],” said Sawyer. “That’s the best way to put it.”
Sawyer’s favorite song is “Cool Down the Pace” by Gregory Isaacs, another reggae legend who appears on several albums with Levy. He emphasized the stress-free environment of Soundfest, highlighting its local roots: “Everybody knows everybody, it’s less of a business,” said Sawyer.
Sawyer once worked at Flatbread Pizza, which took over the old Hot Tin Roof building — once the beating heart of Vineyard live music. “All the greats played there; you can never fill that void, but a place for local live music is always good,” said Sawyer.
As Sawyer reminisced about Flatbread Pizza and shared photos featuring the old pizza grill and music venue, Sarah Shaw Dawson’s vocals spread throughout the crowd. Onstage, Dawson was joined by Lexie Roth and Lydia Fischer on vocals, Avery Lazes on drums, Luke Lefeber on guitar, and Sean Clarke on bass. Sunday was their first time all playing on stage together.
“It was so fun, really cool,” said Dawson, who is also a reporter at The Times, and was excited to be on the other end of the interviewing process. “We had a great time. It’s a really good lineup of local voices and local musicians,” she added.
“Sarah’s incredibly creative and is doing her thing,” added Lefeber.
Though pressed by a busy summer, the group carved out rehearsal time, and their effort showed. Mid-set, they threw out a possible name for their new band — Solar State; after their set they considered how it had landed, and admitted that they are still working on an official title.
Lazes describes their sound as ethereal. “I think it’s distinct from a lot of different musicians,” Lazes said.
Clarke highlighted the thrill of performing “Underwater,” which was a song introduced to him just a day before the gig. “We did a great job with it,” said Clarke. “I like that I get to play a cool riff in it.”
As the band sat around a picnic table after their set, planning out the rest of their evening and discussing possible names, Dock Street Fight Club, an Island-based rock band, took the stage.
Known for originals and crowd-favorite covers, Dock Street Fight Club has been making the rounds this summer at Island venues including Dock Dance, Port Hunter, the Wharf, the Ritz, and even First Friday.
Lead singer Atlas Zack returned from college at Holy Cross just in time to perform. Onstage, he was joined by James Murray on drums, Jack Holmes on bass, and Emmett Athearn on guitar. They closed with “Younger,” a single released last January, before sneaking in a round of mini-golf at the Cove.
“This was actually our first year,” said Murray, “it was amazing, and we love Phil, and I’m very glad they asked us to play.”
Murray described their sound as versatile, energetic, and most important, loud. “I like the fact that sometimes we’ll have our differences during the day, but once we start playing we leave it all at the door,” said Murray, who also included that his position on the drums gives him the perfect view of all of his bandmates’ butts, which is a close second favorite part of playing with them.
“When I look back at it, it’s the whole thing about connection and really getting together onstage,” said Holmes, reflecting on their set. “I like when we start up, once we start the first song and get into the groove of things.”
“Even if we’re not playing, I think it’s definitely something I’ll be attending in the future, it’s an awesome thing for the Vineyard to have, especially for the people here all year,” concluded Murray.
“It’s all coming together,” said Phil DaRosa mid-day. DaRosa is the co-producer of the festival, and he was excited with the turnout, noting that they did excellently on advance tickets. DaRosa estimated there were somewhere between 500 and 600 people in attendance.
“Everyone had a good time and no one got hurt so overall we’re pretty happy,” said DaRosa. “The Black Brook singer’s opening was a really special thing and I’m just super grateful, that was a really significant thing that set the stage for the day.”
As dusk set over the festival, Willy Mason finished his set and Rose Guerin followed, her “sweet, melodious” voice carrying songs about her Chilmark hometown and her nights bartending at the Ritz Café, shouting out two current Ritz bartenders she saw in the crowd.
Next up was the Philly Project with special guest Prophecy, a reggae artist from Jamaica, on the Island to share his Rastafarian tunes. “This is my first time performing for you people,” Prophecy told the audience. “Your acceptance is something that, trust me, I love you.” His set got the crowd dancing, loosening them up for the headliners to come.
Following Prophecy was Brandon Rootz, who opened for Levy. Rootz has spent the past 10 years in Jamaica, working on a new album in Bob Marley’s studio in Kingston. His message was clear: positivity and peace. “We don’t want no, we don’t want no war, so we hit them with a righteous sound,” he sang.
Finally, Barrington Levy took the stage to thunderous applause. A towering figure in reggae since the 1980s, Levy’s voice carried the same soulful power that made him a legend. He thanked the Vineyard crowd for their warmth and pushed back against claims that reggae has faded. “If reggae music is dead then Barrington Levy is dead, and I’m right here.”
The crowd rose with a wave of sound, fully immersed in the rhythm. With bare feet in the gravel, hands in the air, and smiles all around, the scene was as Levy described: reggae not only alive, but thriving, and Martha’s Vineyard was swaying right along with it.