Gallery: OK Go performs at the Bowery Ballroom on September 20th
September 24, 2014
At the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night, an anxious crowd waited almost an hour after the scheduled show time for OK Go to emerge onstage. Suddenly, a curtain encircling the stage was lit by a projector, and a roar from the crowd ensued. In a wacky, fitting display, the band members’ heads were projected onto the curtain, and mouthed along to the words as they launched into their first song, “The Writing’s on the Wall,” off their EP “Upside Out,” released June 17 of this year. The curtain masking the band dropped, and in between comedic interjections by lead singer Damian Kulash OK Go played a feverishly paced show full of songs from their first two pop rock albums; their last album, which sounds like a cross of acid jazz and Prince; their most recent EP; and their forthcoming album.
Famous equally for their quirky, incredibly constructed videos and their music, OK Go delivered with awesome stage antics, visuals and sounds. Damian ran into the crowd at one point, dancing and singing along with fans. Later, he perched on a platform to play an acoustic version of the song “Last Leaf.” The band even got the crowd involved in another song by recording their claps and stomps — as well as Damian’s hums — and then employing a drum machine to play them back, providing the melody. And to say OK Go is a fan of confetti is an understatement. There is still confetti filling the open pockets of the backpack I was wearing that night.
After a slew of high-energy songs, OK Go finished their set by inviting the audience onstage to dance. They performed with gusto for two hours and left every guest with a smile on their face.