If you think of OK Go as solely defined by their imaginative music videos and not much else, I'm here to prove you wrong. The rock band brought their joyous live show to The Ritz in Raleigh this past weekend, and I'm still trying to "Get Over It."
Don't get me wrong here — the four-piece are indeed very popular for their viral music videos, such as the treadmills in "Here It Goes Again," or the video featuring the massive Rube Goldberg machine (built by NASA engineers and the band) in "This Too Shall Pass," or even the zero-gravity video for "Upside Down & Inside Out" — but the guys have also been playing together for an impressive two decades and have put out five incredible studio albums, in addition to EPs and live albums. After an 11-year gap, they released the most recent album, And The Adjacent Possible, this year, which is the namesake for this tour.
Today's topic, though, is about just how much fun you can have at an OK Go show.
The fun began the moment the house lights went down and the lights behind the band began to light up! The band began playing one of their more popular songs, “This Too Shall Pass,” which included an explosive frenzy of confetti. It was the perfect way to kick off the evening.
While the evening was certainly full of visual delights, it definitely didn’t go unnoticed that their chemistry onstage was undeniable. As one would expect for a band that’s been in the scene since 1998, they performed perfectly in sync and almost seemed to be able to communicate with each other telepathically.
A few notable highlights of the evening included the entire band performing “Shooting The Moon” with only hand bells, and vocalist Damian Kulash coming out into the crowd to perform “This Is How It Ends” acoustically.
When the moment was finally upon us that they played their mega-hit anthem, “Here It Goes Again,” the energy noticeably shifted. The light show behind them matched the tempo as they played, with rainbow-like soundbar style lights for the chorus. And, you guessed it, even more confetti! It was a sensory overload in the best way possible.
But, of course, the audience wasn’t quite satisfied without a proper encore, so they played “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill” and “The One Moment.”
Walking out of the venue, with a smile and a camera bag full of confetti, I began wondering how I’d sum up an evening like this for you. I decided to share with you that seeing OK Go live is an unforgettable experience that showcases what they truly are at heart — just a really talented rock band that throws a hell of a party.
SETLIST (via setlist.fm)
This Too Shall Pass // Get Over It // I Won’t Let You Down // Take Me With You // A Good, Good Day At Last // White Knuckles // The Writing’s On The Wall // Shooting the Moon // This Is How It Ends // Needing/Getting // Obsession // Better Than This // Do What You Want // Oh Lately It’s So Quiet // Love // Upside Down & Inside Out // Here It Goes Again // ENCORE // A Stone Only Rolls Downhill // The One Moment
