I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Ha Ha Tonka doing a whole tour with Ludo. After all, the Treaty of Paris fans at their CD release show were annoying enough, and Ludo is a lot more popular, especially in their home town of St Louis. I arrived at the Pageant to find that since this was an all-ages show, alcohol was only allowed on the upper levels of the cavernous Pageant. As much as I wanted to be close for Ha Ha Tonka, I knew I was going to need beer more, besides I couldn’t have gotten close since the floor was already pretty packed. The limited seating on my level was occupied by Ludo fans who had bought stacks of merch on their way in, posters and CDs were piled on the counters in front of the 21 and older fans.
I ended up standing on that level next to the sound board, which actually turned out to be a pretty good choice. Not only were the sight lines good, but it allowed the friend I was meeting there to find me easily. It also gave me a chance to run into a couple of the HHT boys, drummer Lennon Bone at the bar when I went up to get the first round of beers and lead singer/guitarist Brian Roberts when he came up to talk to the sound guy. Both were happy to see me, but neither was particularly surprised. I guess that happens when they’ve seen me outside of Madison as much as they have seen me there. The first opener Without a Face was pretty entertaining. A 12 year old with an acoustic guitar, he sang funny songs about how he didn’t have a band anymore. OK, actually he just looked 12, Lennon told me he was really 22.
The second band Meese was the cheesiest of the lot. Named after two brothers in the band, lead singer Patrick Meese and guitarist Nathan, they were poppy but completely lacking in substance. The most entertaining part of the band was guitarist Mike Ayars who came dressed as a nerd, complete with skinny tie and thick rimmed glasses. As predicted (by me), Ha Ha Tonka stole the show (according to me). The Ludo fans embraced them wholeheartedly and I heard later they sold a lot of merch to their new fans. They played their standard set, one not much different than those they played at Summerfest and at the Bloodshot parties. It had been two months since I had last seen them, so a healthy dose of the new record along with debut favorites “Caney Mountain” and “St Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor” was exactly what I needed.
Their new record is so ridiculously good that I find I can’t go a week without hearing it, I’ve already accepted that I will have to buy a second copy since I will wear this one out. One of those records that get better every time you listen to it, Novel Sounds of the Nouveaux South is a the leading contender for record of the year. Song of the year goes to “Close Every Valve to your Bleeding Heart,” a slow burner than starts simply with mandolin and maracas and builds and builds. It stands as the first time my favorite song has name-checked Dostoyevsky. They ended their set with the ridiculously catchy “12 Inch 3 Speed Oscillating Fan” which turned into an orgy of percussion as they invited all the other bands on stage for their last song. Noisy, but fun.
I hadn’t seen Ludo in probably a half dozen years or more. I’m on their e-mail list so I know what they’ve been up to, but I hadn’t seen them or bought a record since a show at Union South where I bought their self-titled debut. So how did I know almost every song they did? Well, it seems that Ludo and their follow-up Broken Bride have been mastered for the first time and re-released, and this was the release show for it, which made it seem like no time at all had gone by. Tim Convy is still the center of attention. A handsome but exceedingly hyperactive guy, he makes himself hard to ignore with his aerobic workout behind the keyboard. Lead singer Andrew Volpe, who doesn’t even look a year older, still sing-talks their entertainingly silly lyrics about parties and failed relationships. The first is the hilarious “Girls on Trampolines” about a group of friends on their way to a party where “they have more beer than you’ve ever seen and they’ve got girls on trampolines,” while the second damns a lover with the curse, “You can watch Good Will Hunting by yourself.”
They called all the other bands on stage for their hit “You’re Awful I Love You,” which also sounded familiar even though I was pretty sure I hadn’t heard it before. The Ha Ha Tonka boys gathered around one mike for backing vocals. Admittedly it was all a whole lot of silly fun, just like I remembered. If I had my way, Ha Ha Tonka would always be headlining and they would always be playing clubs the size of my basement, but as they keep touring and their fan base continues to grow it is apparent that is not going to happen. In fact, their next show in Madison is at the spacious Majestic Theater where they are opening for Cross Canadian Ragweed (who I strongly suspect may be a jam band). Oh well, I’m certainly not going to complain.
Without a Face
Meese
Ha Ha Tonka
Ludo
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