On opening day of Comic-Con, OK GO visited the Belly Up for a sold out show.
Known mostly for their music videos, the band delivered, offering up a Grandiose performance with enough confetti for a place twice the size of the venue. Onlookers were definitely pleased with the band, bouncing around throughout the 70-minute set.
Yeah, the opening paragraph is as gimmicky as the band. But truth be told, OK GO did put on a fantastic show, delivering on expectations from their videos, which include shifting perspective, a Rube Goldberg machine, making music out of a car, and of course, treadmills. After taking the stage to a series of video clips proclaiming “OK, Go,” the band opened behind a screen, which alternated between projecting their faces singing the song, and lighting up enough to be translucent so the band could be seen playing. The screen returned twice more throughout the show, the final time to attempt a wonky optical illusion that left any audience member not directly center of stage confused.
But, behind all of the effects and the gimmicks, OK GO delivered on a night of good music. Like any major band, they were on point, and while the videos gain viewers because of their incredible visuals, the music behind them stands on its own. While Tom Nordwind was without his trademark beard- a sacrifice for the perspective video linked above- Damian Kulash was a typical grin, even stopping for an audience participation song where he orchestrated the audience, recorded it, followed by the drummer using the sounds as a drum kit.
The show was certainly a page out of the Flaming Lips’ book, with confetti every other song, and a video camera attached to the lead microphone used to project Kulash’s face on the two screens behind the band. And while Belly Up is too cozy to attempt Wayne Coyne’s inflatable ball trick, OK GO certainly utilized the space to put on a fun, euphonious* show.
Photos By: Summer Luu
By: David Israel