Concert Recap - OK Go @ UCMusicFest, 9/11/10

As one of my favorite bands since 2006, OK Go has always seemed to avoid playing anywhere I could see them. On one tour, the closest they played was 2 states away, and on another, the venue was 18+.

Last May, they played at Bamboozle, a local music festival known for it's recent marketing to younger crowds. Tickets for 1 day are approximately $60, but for that you can see upwards of 100 bands. My mom and I paid for the tickets, and we drove for an hour and a half, arriving 2 hours early. I waited in front of the stage the entire time, dodging between people to finally get to the 2nd row by the time the 1/2 hour show started. Although it was an amazing show, the short set time, crowdsurfers, and killer heat all combined to make it an altogether annoying event.

If you will, jump forward with me 4 months. OK Go posts that they will be playing the Union County MusicFest, a free concert series and county fair located only an hour away. I was escstatic. So, my mom and I once again packed up and headed out, getting lost (as usual), but eventually finding our way to the park where the fair was held. After paying the $10 parking fee, we trudged up to the main stage, which was completely empty. I walked up to the barrier and claimed my spot, and began the 1 hour waiting game. By the time 7 p.m. rolled around, there was a huge crowd of people behind me, my mom was nowhere in sight, and the band was walking onstage.

The show was, once again, amazing. It was a 75 minute set, and because of the family atmosphere, there were no crowdsurfers or random drunk people freaking out over nothing. Damian, the lead singer, played "Last Leaf" off of their latest album, while in the middle of the crowd.

They also brought out handbells for an all-handbell rendition of "What To Do" from their first album.

The crowd was insane:

(I'm out of frame, 2 people to the left.)
photo courtesy of ok go.

When I left, I couldn't stop talking to my mom about how awesome the show was for basically only $5 each. The event is 2 days, and the headliner for the day we were there was Train. We got free stuff from all the sponsors' tables, and there was delicious vegetarian food for reasonable prices.

A few pictures: