Video: Ok Go - "This Too Shall Pass", Live At T5

We've espoused the awesomeness of Ok Go's live show on many an occasion, but for any of you doubters out there, we think we may have dug up a little video that may edge you closer to the converts. We took the video above at the band's recent Terminal 5 performance, as they closed the show with "This Too Shall Pass". Not only is it a fantastic rock video, period, but we think it captures the awesomeness, humor, and excitement of Ok Go's live show to T. Check it out and see what you think.

Ok Go Played Terminal 5 - Pictures, Review

Ok Go is unquestionably on an upward trajectory. Over the past year, the band released their latest record Of The Blur Colour Of The Sky, and despite the departure from their record label, managed to make a huge success of it. Bolstered by some notoriously fantastic videos, the band has been steadily building a following, and with good reason. The videos are one piece of a band that is a self-proclaimed multimedia experience, and thankfully, their stage show more than lives up to those claims. Saturday night the band played Terminal 5, and more than demonstrated their comfort with the big time.

In a way, playing a big room is a given for Ok Go: Their show has always been bigger than life, and often was a bit shocking when seen seen in a small room. Many of the elements that are epic in small rooms simply became more so in a larger setting. Confetti streams, LED jackets and laser guitars; all of these elements played out well in Terminal 5's vacuous space.

The more showy elements, however, were not the only thing that translated well to the larger room. The quiet moments did better in this large setting as well. When lead singer Damian Kulash dragged his guitar and stool to the center of the room for an acoustic turn, his willingness to be out amidst the fans was even more notable. Put differently: it's a hell of a task to drag a stool and guitar out into the middle of a room of 500 people, but if it's 1800 people, it's even more so.

All the above being true, the bottom line is that Ok Go can simply deliver musically. Small room or big room, this is a band that has an extremely solid hold on their setlist, and isn't resting on the laurels of backing tracks, or some sort of reimagining of their studio material. That, and a set of killer rock and roll jams that are perfect for the big stage.

Interestingly, the material from Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky was just as (if not better) received than the band's older material. Earlier in the year, we'd say that the band's fans still seemed somewhat fixated on the back catalogue, but that's clearly changed. Whether it be from video publicity or just greater traction by the record, tunes like "This Too Shall Pass", "White Knuckles", and "End Love" were met with serious audience enthusiasm.

We left Terminal 5 feeling one way: that Ok Go are exactly where they should be. Terminal 5 often feels to big for a band, or leaves one feeling like it's an oddball space that simply wasn't really designed for rock and roll. Quite to the contrary: apparently you just need to know how to fill it. Ok Go did exactly that on Friday night, and left us with little doubt that the next room they play might be even bigger.

More pictures in the HAD Archive

Ok Go, Earl Greyhound, and Grand Lake Played The Fillmore - Pictures, Review

After being super stoked on Ok Go's Williamsburg rock show, we couldn't help but be incredibly excited when the offer came through for Hippies Are Dead Records' own Grand Lake to open for the band at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore. Needless to say, our pals in Grand Lake were more than a little stoked themselves. As such, we headed over to the Fillmore to catch what would end up being a night of fantastic music, as the two Californi bands were joined by New York's Earl Greyhound.

Grand Lake opened the show, and what can we say? It is our distinct opinion that they fucking nailed it. Playing to a crowd of wonderfully enthusiastic Ok Go fans, the band ran through much of their full length Blood Sea Dream.

As usual (Okay, look, We signed them to our label - we fucking love them), Grand Lake played a set that transcended their on-album energy, and took the already solid songs to a new level of awesomeness. Guitarist Jameson Swanagon was in particularly top form, tearing through his guitar lines with edgy enthusiasm.

We hadn't seen the band since last December, and frankly, they've grown quite a bit. In addition to adding a fourth member (Swanagon's wife Danae) on samplers and synths, the band has also tied down their live arrangements to match the record in their fervor.

In short, Grand Lake is continuing the upward ascent that we've been observing over the past couple of years, and we couldn't be happier that we're riding it with them. In addition to the Blood Sea Dream tracks, the band also debuted a new song, and we'll just say this: get out there and see them, because it just keeps getting better.

Grand Lake was followed by Brooklyn's Earl Greyhound, who delivered what can only be described as a set of epic rock and roll. The trio delivered a sound that was so big that it was shocking, especially given their simple stage setup. Combine that with an uncanny stage presence, and you had a rock vibe that harkened back to the Fillmore's heyday,

While the band's hard rocking style wasn't exactly to our taste, there's absolutely no question that Earl Greyhound can deliver live. Their set is completely tight, and filled the big room of the Fillmore perfectly. Put differently, we're probably a little too candy cane around these parts to rock this hard, but if you love you some hard rock, do not fail to check these guys out.

After Earl Greyhound and a short interlude, Ok Go took the stage to riotous applause. It was clear that the fans couldn't wait to see their rock idols on the Fillmore's legendary stage. They would certainly not be disappointed, as Ok Go's well timed live show, unquestionable stage presence, and bulletproof setlist all served them perfectly in the hallowed hall.

While there's not necessarily a lot of setlist variability night to night with Ok Go, we have to say that the Fillmore show felt markedly different than the New York one. While New York had the feel of a balls to the wall rock show, San Francisco felt much more like an intimate show, aimed squarely at fans.

Perhaps this was most evident when lead singer Damian Kulash descended into the crowd, donned a fans hat, and spent a number of moments immersed in the crowd. Quite simply, it was a fantastic moment that gave a clear illustration of how much mutual love there is between Ok Go and their fans.

In short, this was one of the most uniformly epic rock shows we've seen in quite some time. A night where all three acts on the stage deliver bulletproof sets is unusual. What's even more unusual is to catch three bands that are all clearly on an upward career trajectory, albeit at different stages in their careers. For those at the Fillmore on a Wednesday night in May, that's exactly what they got.

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Ok Go Played Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Pictures, Review, Setlist

On Friday night we stopped in at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg to check out the second sold out evening from Ok Go. We weren't exactly sure what to expect of the band's live show, as our experience thus far had been exclusively with the band's records and of course, music videos. That being said, we had gotten the impression from friends that we might be walking into a shitstorm of screaming teenage girls. However, keeping in mind that that's happened to some pretty amazing bands in the past, we were willing to take our chances.

Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about: we were treated to an evening of extremely gracious (and certainly rapt) fans enjoying a night of completely killer rock and roll. While the band's set was cleverly augmented by various stage props, including confetti and laser equipped guitars, the thing that really won us over was a set of straight-ahead, no bullshit rock and roll.

The set consisted of a fair dose of material from the band's latest record Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, which was just fine by us. The Dave Fridmann produced record is unquestionably the band's strongest to date, and it was furthered in the live environment by the band's on stage enthusiasm. On top of the new material, the band gave a tip of the hat to the notables of their back catalog, as a well as a bulletproof cover of the Pixies' tune "Debaser".

At the end of the day, we head to live rock shows to see band's at their very best. Delivery of live rock and roll is a highly dynamic, multi-faceted experience, and requires performers that "get it": That they're not just there to deliver a set of songs, but to interact with the audience and provide a spectacle that transcends what is perceivable on the records. On Friday night, Ok Go did exactly that, and we dug every minute of it. We'd recommend you listen when we say that this is a rock show you don't want to miss.

Ok Go return to New York October 29th at Terminal 5.

Setlist

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Invincible

Needing/Getting

A Million Ways

All Is Not Lost

I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe

White Knuckles

Oh Lately It's So Quiet

A Good Idea At The Time

Here It Goes Again

What To Do

Last Leaf

Don't Ask Me

Get Over It

Back From Kathmandu

Debaser (Pixies Cover)

This Too Shall Pass

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WTF?

Skyscrapers

Do What You Want

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive