The Chapter, in partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation, hosted a GRAMMY SoundChecks with rock band Ludo at the Troubadour on Nov. 13.
The St. Louis-based Ludo offered 24 local GRAMMY U members exclusive access to their pre-performance soundcheck. Students mingled in front of the venue and were greeted by Chapter GRAMMY U Representative Daniel Rojas and Project Coordinator Daniel Mendoza while waiting for the soundcheck to begin.
As the GRAMMY U members filed into the venue, lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew Volpe jumped down from the stage and greeted everyone. Volpe conducted a question-and-answer session and began by sharing that his earliest vocal influence was Queen's Freddie Mercury. He touched on the band's willingness to fight for their sound though Volpe explained that their label Island Records has been extremely supportive of their music. When asked about the video to their popular single "Love Me Dead," Volpe shared that he got idea from the Paul Simon and Chevy Chase music video "You Can Call Me Al" — both videos take place in a single room while the performers act out the lyrics. The band also talked about life on the road and how the routine of playing shows every night in a different town became a healthy routine that helped the band perform better.
After the discussion, the band went back to their soundcheck and broke into their first song, performing with confidence and skill. Their presence was larger than life as they coasted through the first two songs, playing to the GRAMMY U students as though they were performing to an amphitheater of thousands of people. Painted with catchy lyrics and creative vocal harmonies, "Love Me Dead" was easily the GRAMMY U members' favorite song.
Asked for a final piece of advice, Volpe advised the students to believe in themselves and play as many gigs as possible.