Dreamland Brings Live Music Back to Martha’s Vineyard

Whether you remember climbing the stairs of the Dreamland when it was the original Dreamland Ballroom, or you remember climbing them to go to the Dreamland Gameroom, you knew when you got to the top, you were going to have a good time. This weekend, you will be able to climb those stairs again to a good time as the doors of the Dreamland will open after being closed for many years, bringing to Oak Bluffs a year-round venue for music, events, festivals and weddings.

The Dreamland is above and it was MV Chowder Company owner JB Blau along with Chef Alexander Nagi, local musician and curator Phil daRosa and many other members of the Island community that were finally able to breathe the life back into this 5300 square foot elegant room built at the turn of the 20^th century.

“Dreamland will unite the very best of music, theatre, cuisine and art into one centralized setting,” said entertainment director Phil daRosa. "We have created an expansive, blank canvas which will transform into whatever best suits the scheduled events. The possibilities are endless and we plan on bringing diverse national, regional and local talent from all genres to Dreamland."

For Island music producer and promoter Spencer Binney of Island Thunder Sound System, Dreamland has been many years in the making. “This has been so long coming that I can’t even express how exciting this is,” said Binney.

Making it happen in time for this season has been a true testament of Island community. “Everybody in our whole music scene, the musicians, the DJs, have been over there putting in the sound system, building the bars, there’s been such a crazy outpouring of community support,” said Binney.

With the new renovations and thoughtful restoration of the event space, Dreamland hopes to realize the glory it once had 112 years ago. The newly restored and renovated room features sweeping views of Oak Bluffs and will include a number of modular bars and lounges to encourage an intimate feel in the large space.

For Islanders it not only means a place to hear music, it also means a venue for hosting events, parties, weddings and festivals. For Island musicians this means there is finally a year-round space where they can perform. And for promoters like Binney, it means a way to revitalize the Island’s music scene. Binney said he plans to do everything he can with his connections in Los Angeles, New York and Jamaica to bring more live musicians to the Island. “It’s a late start for the season, but Island Thunder will be doing a solid reggae night every week and we have a lot of headlining acts for August.”

Events start with Dreamland’s grand opening this weekend. Friday will feature , Island Thunder Sound System, 2^nd Power, and Marciana Jones and the Grateful Dread; Saturday, it’s DJ Di, Isall Us and DJ Topsytail and Sunday there will be an 18 and over show featuring Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and Biggie Shorty.

With the future of s music scene still unknown, the timing of Dreamland couldn’t be more perfect.

“Since the days of the (Hot Tin) Roof, it’s been harder and harder to get the big off-Island acts to come here,” said Binney. “It’s going to take time to build our reputation again, and to do that, you either need a lot of money or a lot of people. After seeing how everyone came together to make Dreamland happen, I know we’ll be seeing some great acts here very soon.”

Dreamland is located at 9 Oak Bluffs Avenue, 2^nd floor. Doors open Friday, July 13th at 8 pm, $10, 21+; Saturday, July 14th at 9 pm, $10, 21+; Sunday, July 15th at 9 pm, $10, 18+. For more information, visit www.dreamlandmv.com or like the Dreamland Facebook page.