For those unfamiliar, for the first three years the project was just Ed Schrader on a floor tom and vocals. When he was asked to play a Baltimore rave in 2009, he decided to bring Devlin Rice in on bass and the two have been working together ever since.

A strange combination, the duo is surprisingly versatile given that their songs are pretty narrow in scope. Rice acts almost as a guitar player at times, switching from melody and harmony as he transitions between chords and vigorous traditional bass lines. That power is then blended with Schrader’s unseemly ability to transform his voice from smooth and almost romantic to a distorted, animalistic echo while simultaneously hammering at the tom with unfounded energy. Even the lyrics are wildly diverse, from “rats coming over me” repeatedly shouted throughout the appropriately titled “Rats,” to a thoughtfully beautiful ballad inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. 

All of the songs were short and sweet, typically two minutes or less, and even the set was modest at about an hour long sans encore. The crowd was filled with dedicated fans seemingly all familiar with every song, which suited the pair’s interactive nature. Schrader changed the set list a few times and welcomed requests, and the two had a chat with an audience member about the weather in Europe. There was a clear dynamic between band and audience alike.

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat wasn’t the only spectacle for the night, with local band (New England) Patriots kicking it off. Their music was a little frantic at times, but all together these noise rockers put on a rad show. The lead singer theatrically danced in the crowd, played a distorted recorder and melodica, and managed a line of effect pedals under an illuminated easel featuring a picture of baby Jesus.

Next on the bill was Gondoliers, another Boston hard rock band starring a lead singer dressed like a priest, a female bassist in a bra and lederhosen, a drummer in bunny ears and vintage short shorts and a vested guitarist/synth player. If that wasn’t bizarre enough, the lead singer read jokes out of a book between most of the songs.

Locals The Abominable Skimask wrapped things up before Ed Schrader’s Music Beat took the stage. The group rumored that this was their last show, an unfortunate demise as the lead singer threw another band’s gear into the crowd and ended the set two songs deep after breaking the equipment. Despite angering the opening bands, the crowd stuck with The Abominable Skimask until the end, calling out for more music through the debacle. After the lead singer stopped a few songs to ask the band to improv and “make everyone dance,” the group ultimately ended their set and left the stage to everyone’s dismay. Though The Abominable Skimask is known for high-energy, wild live shows, the violent performance is out of character for the band. As for their future? Boston will just have to wait and see.

Hungry for more? You can catch (New England) Patriots at DeepTHOUGHTS on June 22 and Gondoliers at O’Brien’s Pub on July 2.