Chapter Forty-Three: A Venti Latte & A Fight To The Death, Please

So, I'm in a Chicago Starbucks now, and I'll be honest, I'm pretty pissed off. Our hotel doesn't have the wireless internet stylings and I want to blog...Starbucks is the obvious (although not free) solution. When I showed up here an hour ago, EVERY single seat was taken. No matter, I figured, someone would leave soon. Boy, was I wrong. Do people live in Starbucks? I don't see any sleeping bags or nightstands, but not a single person has left. I mean sure, sometimes someone will go outside for a phonecall or smoke, but they make sure to leave all their crap on the table so their territory is clearly marked. I just saw a fight over a table. What the hell is going on here?

Well, anyway, I'll write this post hunched on the windowsill and hope my back holds up for tonight's rock explosion. Which reminds me, I'm in a band called OK Go! And that band is playing tonight at Park West with the Kaiser Chiefs! Respect. So far the tour has been wonderful. The Kaisers are truly fantastic gentlemen. We've tried our British accents on them, and Damian's cockney got the nod of approval. (I once was George in an awesome Beatles cover band and had absolutely no clue w/r/t British accents. I basically had one line the entire show when Paul asked: "George, how do you get to America?" My line was: "How?" and quite honestly, I never came close. I suppose it made the show funnier but it really bothered me. [The answer: "Turn left at Greenland."]) The KC set is energetic and rocking and we're looking forward to our remaining dates with them. Definitely check them out when they hit your city.

I think a table just opened up...and I think I see an elderly woman going for it. Looks like this is going to be close. I'll be in touch.

Love,
Rusty

Audioblog: Chicago & Minneapolis

If you're going to the Chicago, IL show, this message is for YOU:
Real Audio
Windows Media

If you're going to the Minneapolis show, this message is for YOU:
Real Audio
Windows Media

DOWN WITH OPP*, VOL 3

JoAnna Black has posted a bunch of lovely photographs from Wednesday's show at the Stone Pony in this gallery. They're all delightful, but my favorite is the one of Tim with the martian sun exploding behind him.

Thanks, JoAnna!

*Other People's Postings, of course. Email me yours with OPP in the subject line.

A Choreographer's Tale (Part 2)

Photo borrowed from Melloniel

OK Go has spent the last few weeks creating and perfecting a new end-of-set dance, which they created with the help of an internationally known choreographer. We've asked her to share her experiences with you...

Monday.

The first order of business: To unite our hearts and spirits in the name of The Project. We formed a Mystical Movement Circle around Damian's dining room table, and I encouraged the boys to close their eyes, release their fears, and visualize Jane Fonda navigating a rocky crag with a pack of gorillas. I find that this exercise really gets the ideas flowing! Sure enough, when they opened their eyes, the boys of OK Go were no longer boys. They were men with a Dancevision to share with the Universe.

And what a sweeping vision it was, one riddled with treachery, deceit, ecstasy, and jazz boxes. Designing the choreography for this first section was a cold-hearted and emotionally draining trauma for all of us, including Damian's two dogs. We were compelled to tap into a certain remorseless, mercenary place in our own souls, and then exhume it with our bodies: the sheer muscle control, coordination, grit, and stamina required were ferocious. By the end of Day One, we were able to look back with pride across the vast, unforgiving expanse of our efforts, past tattered bodies and assaulted egos... yet also to acknowledge the bittersweet burden of the transformative DanceTruth that was still ours to bear.

--Trish

A Choreographer's Tale (Part I)

OK Go has spent the last few weeks creating and perfecting a new end-of-set dance, which they created with the help of an internationally known choreographer. We've asked her to share her experiences with you...

Chapter One.

My name is Trish, though my tribal name is Angry Timberwolf. They call me a choreographer, but I think of myself more as OK Go’s private choreographic adjuvant, a dance-enabler or creative helpmate, if you will. My task, both spiritual and physical, is to focus OK Go’s innate dance energy and to align their vagrant dance planets, all while keeping the boys true to their individual senses of movement, space and self-love.

I showed up for the first day of rehearsals not knowing quite what to expect. Would the boys be wearing leg warmers and unitards? Would they embrace the Earth? Would we start out by doing yoga as a group? Would their souls be old enough to allow their secret-dancers to be reborn? Would they have the finesse, the fortitude, and the proper footwear to withstand the brutality that is this art form, the bone-deep thrashing that calls itself The Dance?

These questions had been with me for ages. I knew the answers would come soon.

New Songs & Tour Dates

Some of these are solo shows, but most are with the Kaiser Chiefs. Go to a show. And check out the two new songs that are currently streaming on the MySpace Page.

5/27/05 Montreal, Canada —Club Soda — $15.50, 19+
5/29/05 Toronto, Canada—Mod Club Theatre — $17, 19+
5/31/05 Chicago, IL — Park West — $15, 18+
6/01/05 Minneapolis, MN — First Avenue —$12, 18+
6/04/05 Seattle, WA — The Comet Tavern — $5, 21+
6/05/05 Vancouver, Canada—Commodore Ballroom — $17, 19+
6/07/05 Portland, OR — Aladdin Theater — $10, All Ages
6/09/05 Oakland, CA — Imusicast — $10, All Ages
6/10/05 Santa Ana, CA — Galaxy Theatre —$12.50, All Ages
6/11/05 Los Angeles, CA — Avalon — $20, All Ages
6/12/05 San Diego, CA — House of Blues — $15, 21+

Dance Dance Evolution

As you should well know by now, we're going out with the Kaiser Chiefs in about a week. Not dating. Touring. What's the difference? How does one prepare?

Good question. We spent most of this time convincing Tim that he really didn't want a candy-pink, super-oversized triple-necked bass. He had a lot of strong arguments, but in the end we couldn't imagine OK Go as a 24-string band. It just didn't seem right.

At some point during the deliberations (32 hours into Tim's first filibuster, to be precise), we managed to piece together three and half minutes of choreographed goodness, nay, greatness. Ladies and gentlemen we have crafted an epic dance of unimaginable proportions. The assistant choreographer will be posting something soon, but I can tell you that it is a classic tragedy: love leads to jealousy, jealousy to anger, anger to rage, rage to anger, anger to DEATH! Dear heavens, my hands tremble at the thought.

On a personal note, I would like to point out that last Wednesday, I was the last OK Go member to become an uncle as my brother and his wife brought their lovely daughter into the world. They have decided to name her ROCK! Congratulations!

Love,
Rusty

One Point Away From The Sweet Sixteen

Lucky #17.

Damian is moving up in the world. Every year the fine people at Elle Girl magazine come out with at least one list of cutest boys or hottest rockers, and maybe many such lists. I don't know, because I keep forgetting to renew my subscription. Anyway, this year's countdown is the Cutest Boys of Summer, and Damian has been awarded the #17 spot. The freakishly ugly Jake Gyllenhaal came in at #50, that poor bastard. I came in at #27. Thanks for voting, everybody!

I Predict A Targeted Direct Action

Hello kiddy-poohs.

OK Go is going on tour with the Kaiser Chiefs, who are formerly the next big thing in the UK, having graced the cover of NME and gone platinum. They're the new big thing, now. The tour starts May in New Jersey on May 25th, and then snakes around a bit for your considerable enjoyment. OK Go will be doing some extra dates along the way, so check the tour page to find out where and when.

Shh.

Are you on the email list? If not, now would probably be the time to sign up. I'm not saying anything. Just saying. Sign up at okgo.net

DAMMIT!!!

Friday was a nice day. Sunny. Warm. It seemed like a lovely day to go to the park. Perhaps the beach. Maybe even just take an enjoyable walk. But I'll tell what type of day it wasn't: it wasn't the type of day to go out to your car and discover that your car stereo has been ripped out of your dashboard. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! GUTS! GUTS! GUTS!

And it's not just the car stereo; it's what was in the car stereo that's got me worked up. Don't know? Well, I'll tell you: that car stereo was lovingly wrapped around the new OK Go CD. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! GUTS! GUTS! GUTS! Not only am I out a car stereo, but somewhere out there, some despicable punk has a doublescoop of tasty unreleased-ness*. Perhaps I shouldn't be divulging this breach of security, but I just need to get it off my chest.

DAMN!

Love,
Rusty**


*Editor's note from Jorge: This isn't some silly publicity stunt. We're not U2 (ha!)
**Bet you didn't know I could do this, did you, Rusty?