My husband and I arrived at the Beaumont Club nice and early to get a table. The crowd was smaller than I expected, but it was still early. I didn’t anticipate much from the first opening act, Tommy and the High Pilots, but they were fantastic. I’ve found some of my favorite artists through opening acts (I’m looking at you, Miniature Tigers), and I’ll probably add these guys to the list. Their music has a Killers vibe that mixes acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizer, bass, drums, vocal harmonies and the occasional trumpet. The band looked like they were having a great time, and kept the energy high. With Matt Palermo from Ludo on drums (as a permanent member of the band), catchy and accessible songs and playfulness on stage that engages the crowd, there’s much to like. Appearances by Ludo band mates Tim Ferrell and Tim Convoy towards the end revved up the crowd for the next two acts. 
After the high-energy funfest that preceded them, I was completely bored with The Graduate. Every song ran together in one long, loud deluge of noise that had no distinguishing characteristic other than reminding me of 10,000 other bands that I routinely turn off when they come up on the radio. That said, the lead guitarist had some riffs come through that caught my ear and made me wish the sound had been turned down a bit so I could hear more. They have two albums under their belt, but I’m not inclined to purchase either.
The final opener was There For Tomorrow. Like The Graduate, the sound was way too loud and needed to be notched down a few. While their energy was better than The Graduate, the performance style and music were off-putting. The melodies were clumsy and all over the place, and the lead singer was whiny and hard to understand. I enjoyed the band most when there was no singing – just instrumental, but that rarely happened. The set stretched on far too long for my tastes, but the crowd at the front of the stage was into it.
Ludo finally took the stage and the crowd (noticeably larger, but still not what I expected) went wild. If I had to describe the performance style of Ludo in one word, it would be theatrical. Not Dresden Dolls theatrical, but an engaging and often comical theatricality that makes Ludo a joy to watch onstage. Their songs are like modern-day sea shanties as interpreted by land-locked fellows 200 years too late (in a good way). Lead singer Andrew Volpe and co-front man Tim Ferrell interact with each other, the band and the crowd in a way that makes the audience feel like we’re in Ferrell’s living room being treated to an impromptu performance by friends. The band brought out music from all four of their albums, including the most recent, Prepare the Preparations. The new stuff is very similar in style to the older releases and blended well with the whole set. Highlights of the show included the band leading the audience in a dance inspired by their new single, “Whipped Cream” (think air humping many, many times), and a really nice pulled-back version of “Love Me Dead.” For this one, the band came out into the crowd and performed while the audience was seated on the floor. It was sort of like being at camp, without the s’mores.
Written by: Lynn Magrone
