OK Go @ Metro, April 17 ... with Earl Greyhound, another amazing night!

Ghost and The Witness mp3 Suspicious Package Earl Greyhound …. buy it
Everything Else Is Illusion mp3 Black Ribbons Shooter Jennings …. buy it

©Jeremy & Claire Weiss Photography/Day19.

Have you ever seen handbells at a rock concert? Seriously, I go to about 325 shows a year and I’ve NEVER seen a band haul out a table of handbells and sing a cappella. OK Go did it for “What To Do.” It was beautiful. OK Go were wonderful and the music was as well. I’m sure you’ve seen the videos, the personalities of these five guys shine out from them and it shone from the stage of Metro last night too. Damian chatted effortlessly throughout the almost two hour set as stage techs prepped and handed them guitar after guitar. I counted at least 14 of them hung on a giant rack toward the back of the stage, from my place on the rail, in the balcony.

OK Go has been promoting this album for what seems like forever now. Finally they can proudly sell it on their own label and that was not lost on the audience last night. We all applauded loudly when he announced the re-release of “Of The Blue Colour of The Sky” on their very own Paracadute Records! (even if it is perhaps the most awkward album title to say or remember.) Say what you will about their stage show, yes… there are four or five instances of confetti canons coating the crowd in layers of colorful shreds… yes, the videos stream endlessly behind the band, in giant post-modern, irony… yes, teensy cameras attached to their mic stands capture extreme closeups of each band member (save Dan, the drummer) which is then projected on that giant screen… yes, Damian prances and perhaps overemphasizes his intention to honor his fans wishes by wading into the crowd numerous times, including once armed with an acoustic guitar and a perch of some sort with which he sits and serenades the main-floor crowd, changing positions half-way through so all can be faced… say ALL this, these guys are amazing musicians! I know I’m used to understatement and lo-fi and lo-key meekness. But I also know a thing or two after seeing so many shows. That part in “All Is Not Lost” that I always thought was keyboards is some serious guitar. Those bass lines are funky, and real, and hard. Songs off this new album are pop gold and played up as such! The crowd at Metro last night ate it up. Coming home to this stage where OK Go had played so often, opening for OMD (we were told), and many other bands, was a dream come true, and the band played a very special set. Their cover of the Pixies “Wave of Mutilation” was particularly inspired, and had us “old folks” rockin in our seats. From playing the Double Door last April, to playing a sold out Metro this year, OK Go have made this business their own!

Tour Dates
Apr 20 2010 8:00P The Blue Note Columbia, Missouri
Apr 21 2010 8:00P Earth House Indianapolis, Indiana
Apr 22 2010 8:00P Magic Stick Detroit, Michigan
Apr 23 2010 8:00P Mod Club (SOLD OUT!) Toronto, Ontario
Apr 25 2010 8:00P The Haunt (SOLD OUT!) Ithaca, New York
Apr 27 2010 8:00P Pearl Street Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 28 2010 8:00P Toad’s Place New Haven, Connecticut
Apr 29 2010 8:00P Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT!) Brooklyn, New York
Apr 30 2010 8:00P Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT!) Brooklyn, New York
May 2 2010 8:00P Meadowlands [Bamboozle] East Rutherford, New Jersey
May 3 2010 8:00P Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 5 2010 8:00P 9:30 Club WASHINGTON, Washington DC
May 7 2010 8:00P House of Blues (moved from Paradise Rock Club) Boston, Massachusetts
May 8 2010 3:45P Tulip Fest Albany, New York
May 9 2010 8:00P Ram’s Head Live Baltimore, Maryland
May 11 2010 8:00P Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, North Carolina
May 12 2010 8:00P Visulite Theatre Charlotte, North Carolina
May 13 2010 8:00P The Loft Atlanta, Georgia
May 14 2010 8:00P Crowbar Tampa, Florida
May 15 2010 8:00P Firestone Live Orlando, Florida
May 16 2010 12:00P Hangout Music Fest Gulf Shores, Alabama
May 18 2010 8:00P Granada Theatre Dallas, Texas
May 19 2010 8:00P The Parish (SOLD OUT!) Austin, Texas
May 21 2010 8:00P Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, California
May 22 2010 8:00P House of Blues San Diego, California
May 28 2010 8:00P Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
May 29 2010 2:00P The Gorge Amphitheater Quincy, Washington
Jun 11 2010 8:00P Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 19 2010 4:00P Rock the Garden Festival Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jul 24 2010 2:00P Splendour Fest Nottingham
Jul 25 2010 8:00P Manchester Academy 3 Manchester
Jul 27 2010 8:00P Fleece Bristol
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Electric Ballroom London, London and South East

Earl Greyhound – Shotgun from think/feel on Vimeo.

Opening for Ok Go was the fabulous band, Earl Greyhound. I had heard this of band a few weeks before and had featured them here on these pages. Before they came on stage I was already jumping around in my seat in anticipation. I listened to the album and I knew the live show would be amazing! The stage techs began bringing out drums, shiny, sparkly blue drums…. lots of drums. It was surely more than a whole kit there. And the bass drum, wow! I saw Ricc come out and take a seat after they were all set up and he moved them even a bit further apart, that bass drum is 34″ (I asked their tour manager)! Needless to say, he’s incredible. As I told him after the show, it’s so cool to see someone find something they do so well and then watch them do it so well. Playing together since 2002, this trio from Brooklyn simply knocked the crowd OUT! When “Eyes of Cassandra” hit them, I don’t think anyone there knew what to do with it, leaving aside Kamara’s friends and family who were in the audience. Matt began his guitar solo, wreaking havoc with it, and with the vocals ringing in their ears, the crowd went crazy with applause. Photographers rushed to Kamara’s side of the stage to capture her amazing bass playing and rock-star poses. This woman exudes static electricity, sliding her hand up and down the neck of her bass and singing wildly into the mic. She is a beauty to watch, and captivating to hear. The three of them, as different as their styles are (Ricc with his incredible strength and roll after roll, a mix of soul and prog rock magic; Matt’s reigned in 70s guitarwork and resonating vocals that meld current indie sounds with the best of all that it’s based on; and Kamara’s gifted range on both instrument and voice, her command of the bass shows this instrument for what it is – not just additional percussion but a tool for gorgeous harmonies as well) merge into a trio that is inseparable. I cannot imagine any of them playing with anyone else. I don’t need to go on about Earl Greyhound. You will soon see their name everywhere and hear them too. Talent at this level is inescapable. xoxo

Tour Dates
Apr 20 2010 8:00P The Blue Note w/ OK Go Columbia, Missouri
Apr 21 2010 8:00P Earth House w/ OK Go Indianapolis, Indiana
Apr 22 2010 8:00P Magic Stick w/ OK Go Detroit, Michigan
Apr 23 2010 8:00P Mod Club w/ OK Go Toronto, Ontario
Apr 27 2010 8:00P Pearl Street w/ OK Go Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 28 2010 8:00P Toad’s Place w/ OK Go New Haven, Connecticut
May 3 2010 8:00P Theatre of the Living Arts w/ OK Go Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 5 2010 8:00P 9:30 Club w/ OK Go Washington DC, Washington DC
May 7 2010 8:00P Paradise Rock Club w/ OK Go Boston, Massachusetts
May 9 2010 8:00P Ram’s Head Live w/ OK Go Baltimore, Maryland
May 11 2010 8:00P Lincoln Theatre w/ OK Go Raleigh, North Carolina
May 12 2010 8:00P Visulite Theatre w/ OK Go Charlotte, North Carolina
May 13 2010 8:00P The Loft w/ OK Go Atlanta, Georgia
May 14 2010 8:00P Crowbar w/ OK Go Tampa, Florida
May 15 2010 8:00P Firestone Live w/ OK Go Orlando, Florida
May 18 2010 8:00P Granada Theatre w/ OK Go Dallas, Texas
May 19 2010 8:00P The Parish w/ OK Go Austin, Texas
May 21 2010 8:00P Henry Fonda Theatre w/ OK Go Los Angeles, California
May 22 2010 8:00P House Of Blues w/ OK Go San Diego, California
May 26 2010 8:00P The Fillmore w/ OK Go San Francisco, California
May 28 2010 8:00P Hawthorne Theatre w/ OK Go Portland, Oregon
Jun 3 2010 1:00P Wakarusa Festival Ozark, Arkansas
Jun 4 2010 1:00P Wakarusa Festival Ozark, Arkansas
Jul 16 2010 12:00P Camp Bisco 9 Festival Mariaville, New York