< This video caught my eye and I've been a fan ever since
Tuesday, Sept 12th, 2006 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Germany at the club KATO..
line up:
headliners: Motion City Soundtrack
OK GO (stole the show from headliners)
The Hard Lessons (were amazing!)
< Sound check
I normally shy away from new music, it's hard to win me over, as I am so taken by the classics, you know, Zappa, Beatles, Roger Waters/Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Stones, The Who, etc…. but once in a while I hear or see something new that impresses me and this band, OK GO is very impressive. I saw their amazingly simple, yet utterly entertaining video out of the corner of my eye while at my desk in NYC just a few weeks ago. I turned up the volume and watched in awe.
They have so much enthusiasm, energy and humor… the music, text, moves, the whole concept is really cool in my opinion. It's no wonder they were asked to perform this video
live recently at the MTV Video Music awards…
last month in NYC. They had the tread mills on stage and all. Their video came out so late in the year, it was too late for it to be submitted for an award, THIS year. I hope they win a prize next year and I hope this vid isn't just forgotten about by then. The singer, Damian, told me his sister came up with the idea/choreography for this video and their video called in the Back Yard dancing (equally cool): < Video for their song "A million ways"
< Tim the bass player is really fun to talk to
The band is super friendly, but not in a superficial way. They are just fun people, very sharp witted and energetic, a breath of fresh air into the music industry.
I got to watch the sound check then I started massaging them all (everyone except the drummer( Dan) had a brutal massage from me). ..
DAN the man ^
The band isn't flirty at all, no one drinks much, no drugs, they are very focused and VERY into what they are doing. They are all extremely talented and if you think they are an overnight sensation, you are wrong. They have been a band for over 7 years and are just now enjoying WELL DESERVED success. I know, it sounds like I am kissing their asses, but if you have been reading my blog for years, you have read rather unfriendly reviews of certain bands too, so I am not always so nice, I only give compliments when I like what I see/hear.
..
The guitarist Andy ^ looks a tad like a young David Gilmour and the singer ^ Damian, is ridiculously GORGEOUS. Andy during sound check ^
< The Anvil, KoKo and Augie
^ The Hard Lessons, seconds before show time
( I LOVE that magic moment, RIGHT before the artists take to the stage, it's so full of energy, it makes me high)
The first band to go on were the Hard Lessons ^ I was really impressed by their sound. She has a VERY soulful voice and played her ass off, all the while dancing in dangerous pumps. She and the guitarist/singer are engaged and the drummer, who calls himself "the Anvil" is a little cutie pie, I really kicked his ass after the show. Drummers always need a deep tissue massage, it really helps them stay flexible. He asked me to marry him, heh heh… some do blurt out marriage proposals during a great back rub π
< hear/see them: myspace.com/thehardlessons
< I LOVE this shot, Ko Ko is HOT!
Damian studying some German before the show ^
Tim ^ sitting next to his friend from LA. Her name is Kelsey (spelling?) and she is back packing around Europe. So pretty that it makes you *sigh* to meet her. No make up AT ALL, no hair styling, just plain gorgeous (and super cool by the way). See that picture of Damian holding a piece of paper? ^
I gave him a German lesson before the show (a lot of artist ask for that). He wanted to learn how to say on stage:
"Hallo Leute, wir sind OK GO!" (hello people, we're OK GO)
then they played a few songs and he spoke again:
"Wie gehts? Tut mir leid, ich kann kein Deutsch. Ich bin nur eine Doof Ami" (how is everyone? Sorry, I can't speak any German, I'm just a dumb American)
Later on in the show he showed off, randomly a few other words I taught him like how to say Sour Cream, Spoon, Fork, etc.. just random stuff.. lol
It's a good thing he threw that "I'm just a dumb American" out there, as Germans, in general, hate us Americans. Since BUSH was voted into the office, they LOATHE
us with a passion and it's really unfair. I don't hate all Germans for the nasty things they have done in the past, so they should chill the fuck out and just live and let live.
Anyways, saying something like "I'm a dumb American" just made the crowd love him, somehow pointing out one's weakness endears people to you even more.
Like if you are really fat, you could say to your girlfriend/boyfriend "man, it must be hell looking at me". This will disarm them and make them laugh and embrace your humor and honesty. Europeans love this cheeky, twisted sense of humor…
A view from on stage ^ … It was pretty full considering there was NO PROMOTION AT ALL for this show, which was on a Tuesday night.
I swear, not one poster, flyer, mention on a radio station, NOTHING was done to promote this show. Right before the show,
a guy who works at the club, came out and taped a tiny poster on the window "Tonight, Motion City Soundtrack".
( OK GO covered ELO's "Don't bring me down" with perfection)
I told the lads that I found it odd they are part of the opening act and not headlining BUT not that odd, because that happens in Europe all the time! I saw Robert Plant
OPEN for Lenny Kravitz here. That would NEVER happen in the USA, where Robert is a Rock GOD. I've also seen Wide Spread Panic play to about 20 people (all Americans that flew over to see them play here in Berlin). But OK GO played with so much enthusiasm and perfection, you would think there would have been 20,000 fans egging them on. That is pure professionalism. I have to admit I didn't even see one second of the Motion City Soundtrack set. I was too busy massaging Andy's feet and Damian's back (did I mention how beautiful this man is?). You know me, I don't flirt with (a) artists (b) taken men but I can still swoon.
< check them out: Motion City Soundtrack
from left to right: Damian, Toby and Augie, the singer/guitarist of the Hard Lessons, Augie ^
Ok, Toby, the guitarist for my band, Bitchfest is a HUGE OK GO fan (since 2 years). He really really wanted to get backstage to meet Tim. He loves the whole band, but
really wanted to meet his hero, Tim. So the band agreed and I brought him backstage. Toby was in heaven and the band really enjoyed talking to him (which is amazing, as most bands want females only around them backstage, but this band is super cool).
< Tim and Danielle (with Dave, the English roadie in the background)
Damian is eye and ear candy ^ (note: he isn't vain or arrogant at ALL)
It was Tim's idea to pose in such a cool manner ^ Tim is fucking hilarious, luv him! You can see Danielle and Damian snacking on cheese in the background π
So, if OK GO is coming to a town near you, please go check them out, you will see how fabulous they are…. very fun, very danceable, very unique. Here are their tour dates:
09.18.06 Bristol University Bristol
09.19.06 Uni Solus Cardiff
09.20.06 Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton
09.21.06 Newcastle University Newcastle
09.22.06 Manchester Academy Manchester
09.24.06 ABC Glasgow
09.25.06 Metropolitan University Leeds
09.27.06 Pyramid Centre Portsmouth
09.28.06 The Astoria London
10.08.06 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands TX
11.26.06 Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee WI
11.27.06 The Pageant Saint Louis MO
11.28.06 Orpheum Theatre – Memphis Memphis TN
11.29.06 Republic New Orleans New Orleans LA
11.30.06 Hobby Center for The Performing Arts – Sarofim Hall Houston TX
A few days later, I went with Danielle to Tacheles. She has been in Berlin for 10 months already (she is from Canada) and still hasn't been there. tsk tsk.
So I brought her and she was well into it… Click ^ on the word Tacheles to read about this joint, you have to visit it if you pass through Berlin..
It was a buidling taken over by squatters, but now it's an organized art hang out..
< I am taller than her, but the steps make me look like her mini me.
Berlin is in "Indian Summer" mode at the moment, super warm, sunny, and, ahem, MOIST! π