OK GO
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that my favorite band is Ok Go, "the guys who did the treadmill video". Tonight they played their first ever show in Sydney. And I was there.
I took a friend, with whom the gig had just come up in conversation, but it turns out she's a veteran music-goer from way back and even worked in the industry for a while, so she was completely comfortable and an excellent companion. And she also has exquisite taste in bars and food - we had a really nice drink and dinner beforehand as well.
The gig was...how to describe?
Well, first, a pause for some bloggy reflective thoughts. I have been into various bands in my life, and of some I've been a big big fan, so tonight I had the fan's delight at being in the physical presense of my heroes. But there was more. This is the first band I've had this kind of relationship with in the internet age, the web 2.0 interactive post-YouTube era. So, of this band, I've seen tons and tons of footage, including lots of footage of their live act, recorded on people's phones while held up over other people's heads at gigs all over the world. So the whole set-up and look of it had a familiarity that I haven't had with other bands - you see videos and stuff, sure, but not so many, and of such different things. I've also seen all this footage on my computer, mostly in the middle of the night, so it's quite personal. But then also, seeing images captured in a little screen gives it a 2-dimensionality, a remoteness. And so, seeing them actually live, actually right there in the same room as me breathing the same air, it was even more exciting than usual.
And how was the gig? The gig was amazing. The songs were amazing, they all sounded incredibly strong and artful, and they've developed and expanded things on the road. They play together so well, and the guitar player has a virtuosity (albeit a grunge virtuosity) that suprised and impressed me. And Damian, he's so charismatic, and personable, and gracious. I was worried, because I know Australian audiences can seem quite reticent and hard to please to American performers. But people were screaming and putting their hands in the air from the very beginning, so I think they felt well-received.
There were some surprises. I won't tell you what they were, because you should go seem them yourself and find out, but you could tell the band has a kind of performance-art bent (like you couldn't tell that already from them doing a video on eight treadmills). And they did two covers. They let us vote at first, did we want an ELO song or a Violent Femmes song - we picked the Violent Femmes and it was "Prove My Love".
But then, first song of the encore, they said they felt sorry for the people who had voted for ELO and did this absolutely scorching version of "Don't Bring Me Down". Damian just screamed out the vocals at the beginning. Like a vintage Paul McCartney "I'm Down" kind of scream, but more. I had chills. I hope they cut a version of it, because it was history-making, the best cover I'm sure anyone's done of that song.
I was transported. I was impressed, and entertained. I was feeling bad, beforehand - partly because of bad day at work, actually walked out early because I was so angry, and partly because I have a sinus infection and only just started the antibiotics today so I'm still feeling pretty bad. I was worried I might have to sit down, or leave early, but you don't miss something like this. And I'm so glad I didn't. I was transported. Everyone in the room was grinning wide happy grins (how often does that happen?). And the music moved me with its power. And I was dancing around and letting my body get taken over by the experience, especially toward the end when there wasn't much more to go ("Do What You Want"). And it was great to go with my friend, and she really enjoyed it too, and we found out we have another shared interest so we might do this more often in the future. And she didn't want to kick on, which is fine with me because I'm sick and need to sleep.
But I will dream dreams of paisley and rock and roll.
I took a friend, with whom the gig had just come up in conversation, but it turns out she's a veteran music-goer from way back and even worked in the industry for a while, so she was completely comfortable and an excellent companion. And she also has exquisite taste in bars and food - we had a really nice drink and dinner beforehand as well.
The gig was...how to describe?
Well, first, a pause for some bloggy reflective thoughts. I have been into various bands in my life, and of some I've been a big big fan, so tonight I had the fan's delight at being in the physical presense of my heroes. But there was more. This is the first band I've had this kind of relationship with in the internet age, the web 2.0 interactive post-YouTube era. So, of this band, I've seen tons and tons of footage, including lots of footage of their live act, recorded on people's phones while held up over other people's heads at gigs all over the world. So the whole set-up and look of it had a familiarity that I haven't had with other bands - you see videos and stuff, sure, but not so many, and of such different things. I've also seen all this footage on my computer, mostly in the middle of the night, so it's quite personal. But then also, seeing images captured in a little screen gives it a 2-dimensionality, a remoteness. And so, seeing them actually live, actually right there in the same room as me breathing the same air, it was even more exciting than usual.
And how was the gig? The gig was amazing. The songs were amazing, they all sounded incredibly strong and artful, and they've developed and expanded things on the road. They play together so well, and the guitar player has a virtuosity (albeit a grunge virtuosity) that suprised and impressed me. And Damian, he's so charismatic, and personable, and gracious. I was worried, because I know Australian audiences can seem quite reticent and hard to please to American performers. But people were screaming and putting their hands in the air from the very beginning, so I think they felt well-received.
There were some surprises. I won't tell you what they were, because you should go seem them yourself and find out, but you could tell the band has a kind of performance-art bent (like you couldn't tell that already from them doing a video on eight treadmills). And they did two covers. They let us vote at first, did we want an ELO song or a Violent Femmes song - we picked the Violent Femmes and it was "Prove My Love".
But then, first song of the encore, they said they felt sorry for the people who had voted for ELO and did this absolutely scorching version of "Don't Bring Me Down". Damian just screamed out the vocals at the beginning. Like a vintage Paul McCartney "I'm Down" kind of scream, but more. I had chills. I hope they cut a version of it, because it was history-making, the best cover I'm sure anyone's done of that song.
I was transported. I was impressed, and entertained. I was feeling bad, beforehand - partly because of bad day at work, actually walked out early because I was so angry, and partly because I have a sinus infection and only just started the antibiotics today so I'm still feeling pretty bad. I was worried I might have to sit down, or leave early, but you don't miss something like this. And I'm so glad I didn't. I was transported. Everyone in the room was grinning wide happy grins (how often does that happen?). And the music moved me with its power. And I was dancing around and letting my body get taken over by the experience, especially toward the end when there wasn't much more to go ("Do What You Want"). And it was great to go with my friend, and she really enjoyed it too, and we found out we have another shared interest so we might do this more often in the future. And she didn't want to kick on, which is fine with me because I'm sick and need to sleep.
But I will dream dreams of paisley and rock and roll.
posted by Ellen at 11:50 pm
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