David Ford at Avalon Theater, Friday

Augustana and local favorites Mesa Drive were also on the bill Friday night, but even the Rolling Stones would have been hard-pressed to top British singer-songwriter and one-man band David Ford's five-song opening set.

The amiable and dazzlingly talented Ford played one song as a Dylanesque troubadour, another as a Billy Bragg guitar-slinger, and another as an Elton John piano man.

But the highlights were two songs Ford performed using a unique looping method: He played a few notes each on the piano, guitar, percussion, and each simple chord structure was recorded, and then repeated, over and over again, throughout the song.

Check out his "Go to Hell" video on YouTube to see what he did to open his set.

- David Burger