Throughout my five-year history as a music journalist, I have seen some of the world’s largest acts and most historic bands still performing, yet I have only uttered these words a handful of times – this is one of my top ten favorite concerts. Pleasantly to my surprise, out goes one band and in comes the new as OK Go has officially cracked my top 10 with one of the best shows I have witnessed in the last five years.
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OK Go
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 Entertainment
Art
Logan Square Auditorium
Chicago, Ill.
November 10, 2006
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Perhaps part of the band’s liveliness and performance strength was driven by their homecoming, as the Chicago-breed OK Go mastered everything, and I mean everything, throughout their magical set at the historically old, flashback to the 70s, Logan Square Auditorium on a Friday night drenched by rainfalls, thunder, lightning and cold. And for those who decided to skip the concerts because of the inclement weather, too bad.
One would have thought the crappy weather was the only factor to sour the attitudes of the crowd, but for one man and one woman, a moment suddenly changed their lives forever just prior to OK Go taking the stage. In front of a packed house, a younger man walked onto the stage and professed his love to his girlfriend, who stood by his side. Unfortunately, when he got down on his knee to pop the question, the girlfriend no longer had interest in supporting him as she sprinted off the stage obviously ending their night!
But, rather than getting the crowd, laughter broke out (we are sick, America) and the Emcee said, “That’s just fucked up!”, and OK Go said “OK No” to the thought of that ruining the night.
From the get go, OK Go rocked the small stage, as the floor literally shuck with footsteps pounding the venue with every jump on every chord. The extremely popular “Here It Goes Again” had just about every person singing along. And every time lead singer Damien Kulash jumped off the stage and went for a stroll through the crowd, the audience caught eyes with one another knowing that they were witnessing a gem of a performance.
After the sixth song of the evening, OK Go gave the crowd yet another surprise, as the boys walked into the middle of the floor, instruments in hand, and played two songs, including a very stripped down version of “Million Ways” as onlookers seemed stunned to experience such an intimate concert.
Later, the band once again got the crowd excited and made them scream “Bruce” as OK Go nailed to perfection a cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don't Bring Me Down”.
And as the night came to a close and even though Kulash promised the final song of the encore was the end of the night, the stagehands quickly cleared the stage.
“We don’t have the treadmills,” Kulash said, as disappointment filled the room. “And I said we weren’t doing another song. But we do have this.”
Suddenly the band broke into a choreographed dance that mixed James Bond and Charlie’s Angels moves as “Million Ways” blasted over the speakers.
When the final dance was complete, everyone just looked at each other knowing they just had a musical experience of a lifetime – a night with OK Go.
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