Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Many, many moments with OK Go.

OK Go at The Metro in 2010, photo by me.
Last night's Colbert re-ran OK Go's appearance on the show from a few weeks ago. "The One Moment" was our wedding recessional music, which would get me teary eyed enough, but my own history with the band goes back to their early days as an art-pop group whose flyers were absolutely everywhere you turned in Chicago, usually hyping shows at The Empty Bottle. And I remember the local backlash from the indie underground when they got signed to a label, which is really funny since years later they would abandon that label and go a DIY route that most indie bands have abandoned.

The band is filled with true artists with restless minds, which explains their run of mind-bending and astonishing videos. The only downside is that most people know them as "that band with the videos" and not as the great songwriters and stunning live performers they are. Their music is the backbone of all they do, and they are a rare band who has gotten better and better with each new album instead of delivering diminishing returns or treading stylistic water.

I'm sure you've seen the video for "The One Moment" by now (but if for some reason you haven't, you really should watch it), but this live performance of the song helps deliver on the emotional power of the song powered by the sheer exuberance of a band that is doing the think they love most in the wold—playing music that delivers on the feels while still making you want to hop around with abandon and a big ol' smile on your face.

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