Report: OK GO/Earl Greyhound In Toronto

Up-and-coming indie wunderkind and well-established (newly indie) alt-rock act commandeer Toronto's Mod Club on April 23.

Text and photos by April S. Engram

The lovely Toronto night was capped by the carefree feel within the sold out venue, The Mod Club. No photo pit was erected distancing the audience from the stage, no restrictions on the photo taking, and no exceedingly rude drunkards within the audience. This night was simply filled with kick ass tunes and 10 pounds of confetti.

The catalyst for my pilgrimage to Toronto was Earl Greyhound since I'm a long time fan of the Brooklyn trio; OK GO was icing on the cake. For this early show that was to end by 10pm, E.G. singer/guitarist Matt Whyte, bassist/singer Kamara Thomas and percussionist Ricc Sheridan had a short time to win over the Toronto audience. And, naturally, they did just that in just 30 minutes. Though their soulful blues/rock set ended just as quickly as it begun, Earl Greyhound put all of their energies into the performance.

One week after the release of their impressive second LP, Suspicious Package, Earl Greyhound leapt into new songs such as, "Oye Vaya," "SOS," and "Shotgun." And for each number the guys slaughtered them live - in the best, most rocking sense of the word - and after one song the audience was sold. Thomas grooved on her bass as Whyte's fingers flew about his fret board and while these two were entertaining to watch, perhaps the most impressive was Sheridan. Donning his dark shades Sheridan personified "cool" as he calmly obliterated his drum kit, one kick from his massive bass drum sent an extra pulse through your veins.

Simply put, they were damn good and each member brought a special front to the stage. At one point the audience was so engrossed by Whyte's playing they were respectively waiting for a long note to die. Thomas motioned that it was ok for the crowd applause and they roared! To the audience's delight Earl Greyhound rounded up their set with a long track that lasted for several minutes.

With OK GO's newfound independence - it is no secret that the guys left their major label and formed their own, Paracadute (Italian translation-parachute) - the contagiously upbeat quartet shelled out 18 songs for their delighted fans. And in keeping with their independent spirit, front man Damian Kulash, bassist Tim Nordwind, drummer Dan Konopka, and guitarist Andy Ross, recorded their performance for all to enjoy. The guys had tiny video recorders attached to their mic stands, guitars etc. and the unique POV was projected behind them. So in addition to us getting to see insanely close shots of the gents performing, we had the opportunity to freeze the night forever in a USB time capsule.

Of course this thrilled their rabid fans, two of whom wore marching band uniforms (homage to OK GO's video for single "This Too Shall Pass"). Nordwind and Kulash loved that personal touch to which Kulash laughed, "you guys are fuckin' crazy!" Kulash loved chatting with the audience and he had to restrain himself from diverting from the music, however the ever entertaining Kulash could do no wrong. When he did return to the music his falsetto voice peeled through the air as OK GO played their rock infused funk especially on tracks like "Needing/Getting," "Skyscrapers" and "White Knuckles."

Every song sounded amazing live and they knew how to encapsulate on a crescendo moment within a track, with the aid of air guns and streamers. When the night was over the floor would be covered in multicolored paper and each time they began flying in the air once again the crowd roared even louder. However it was perhaps the two quieter performances of the evening that truly engaged the audience.

For song "What To Do," Kulash and the others quickly setup a table and played a rendition with hand bells. The uniquely beautiful interpretation was...dare I say it, better than the album version! And to perform quiet acoustic number "Last Leaf" Kulash grabbed his mic stand and acoustic guitar, jumped off the stage and made his way to the middle of the crowd. "No ass grabbing," he warned as he began to sing.

For their encore the guys emerged with angora, fuzzed-out guitars with lasers attached to the head and jackets lined with lights. Gone are the choreographed dance numbers of their concerts past but OK GO still know how to put on a visual performance. With the concert hall now pitch black the guys lit the stage with their own light show and ended the night with a bang.

OK GO and Earl Greyhound made for a great pairing. The two made it a night filled with passionate performances, kick ass energy, laughs and perhaps 20 pounds of streamers. What more could one ask for in a musical performance?