‘Enjoy the Ride’ While You Can: A 502s Concert Review
Olivia Romesburg ‘27 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
On October 1st, beach folk band The 502s performed at the House of Blues in Boston as part of the tour for their new album Easy Street. Their five current members, Ed Isola (lead vocals), Graci Phillips (guitar), Joe Capati (saxophone), Sean Froehlich (drums), and Nick Melashenko (bass), collectively refer to themselves as the “happiest band on Earth,” which definitely translates to their performances.
Ed Isola may be the band’s lead singer but Joe Capati is the real star of the show. He is an insane entertainer, on top of playing countless instruments including the saxophone (both alto and soprano), trumpet, and many more. He lit up the stage all night, wailing away while singing, dancing and jumping with every chance he got.
The 502s in general are outstanding entertainers; you don’t have to like their music to have a good time at their concerts. Before “Your Nonsense Makes Sense,” a song about the silly quirks that endear you to your friends, the band asked people from the audience about the weird things their friends did.
About halfway through the setlist, the band took a break from the show’s up-beat mood to sing their song “Enjoy the Ride”. This song is about enjoying the journey of life and not taking things for granted because they might not always be there. The lighting mellowed out, and prop and set elements such as a bench and rustic lantern accentuated the silence.
Still, at the end of the concert, the band came out into the audience and played their last song “Just a Little While,” dancing the whole way through. .
The “happiest band on earth” are still on tour until May 24th, 2026, so make sure to see them!