Rock Show! (2 of 2)

OK Go's big dance number

First a few words on why I like OK Go. I know I already discussed this back in June when I first saw them live, but you know - what's the point of a blog if I can't endlessly dissect what pleases me and what displeases me? I have this whole half-baked analogy about how they are like a friendly tiger. First - striped trousers; second - they are friendly and affable (like a friendly tiger might be), but then a tiger could take your head clean off your shoulders with one bite. You wouldn't expect it, because - hey- friendly tiger, right? OK Go are so likable, and I'll go ahead and say it - adorable - but they rock like a monster! This might be unexpected if you weren't paying attention. Moral of the story: be nice to friendly tigers, but don't forget that they are also powerful wild giant cats who play very loud guitars and have vast wells of rock-star brio.

Back to the show - once the Bobble Head Beatles (aka The Redwalls) finally vacated the stage, the set up for the headliners began. This was well after midnight - OK Go had been scheduled to go on at 11:30. This somewhat stretches my personal acceptable definition of a headliner, but I don't (I'm told) get to decide these things. The stage at Dante's is very small, so there was lots of lifting and shifting equipment from the previous set over the front of the stage, and then through the crowd and cabaret tables out the front door. It looked like there were probably a couple of people there from Dantes, plus the one band guitar guy, and the band themselves decked out in their rock-star dandy suits (I love these!), taping wires down and fiddling with knobs and whatnot. Bec said that she had seen the band wandering around during the previous acts, but I missed out because I was trying to suss out tiny Prince/Dylan Redwall's ensemble.

From the sound check (or whatever you call that thing they do where someone taps on the mic and says 'testing, testing, testing, one two, one two) there were problems with too much feedback in the microphones. As I said earlier - not much of a problem for The Colour, or even The Redwalls - they both employ a blusier, bar-bandier sound. feedback? no feedback? hard to tell. OK Go plays a crisper style of rock. I've read various definitions of their style - but I would have to say classic Power Pop comes the closest in my mind. I mean good old-school Power Pop - loud and melodic - like Cheap Trick, new-wave Pop Rock like The Cars, and a goodly portion of infectious giddy Power Pop like I don't know who. I do know I like it. (they should totally cover Material Issue's Goin' Through Your Purse)

OK Go finally bounded out on stage and started right up with one of their new songs. There was a little bit of band banter with an edge to it, bitching (rightfully) about the microphones. They blasted through songs pretty fast - not many breaks for chit-chat or audience banter like there usually is during a show. I thought at first that they played an abbreviated set list because they were on and off in 45 minutes or less- but maybe they just burned through them really fast. It's not like they have lots of noodly guitar solos (thank god!). It became increasingly apparent that the microphone thing was Not Going Well. They played a cover of the Violent Femmes' Prove My Love, which started off with a bang and then ratcheted up as Damian (lead singer) threw his mic back toward some equipment. He went over and tried everyone's mic, knocking them down or throwing them as they didn't work. He then jumped off of the stage, walked all the way to the back of the club (not that far, really) and then started stalking back toward the front. The rest of the band had their eye on him, but played on. He got to a table in the front jumped up on it, finishing the song by SHOUTING it from the top of the table. It was a great moment in hissy-fit bravado. Then he jumped into the crowd between the table and the stage, which was pretty sparse at this point because a lot of people had gone home (!!!), but they managed not to drop him and before you could spell out man-diva, he's back on the stage. They sang a few more songs and ended with their big choreographed dance routine (which is SO FUN as always). It was a fun and frantic set, but it lacked the chest-bursting exhiliration of what I imagine the Platonic Ideal OK Go concert would have. However, I had a great time and now it gives me a quest - the Perfect Concert (OK Go Division). They tour a lot, so I'll keep going!