The speakers at the Overture Center took an unaccustomed pounding Friday as electric guitars wailed, drums thundered and fans screamed at the 2009 Badger Blowout Concert, which featured the band OK Go. Hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board and a number of other sponsors, the event marked the end of the annual All Campus Party, a clean and cost-free extravaganza that included many school pride and student-oriented events throughout the preceding week.
The night began with a soulful performance by University of Wisconsin student Kari Rongstad, winner of the 2009 All Campus Idol Competition. The edgy singer/guitar player beat out hundreds of contestants for the chance to play in front of the 2,500-member audience that packed the Overture Center. Her heartfelt singing captivated the audience, showing that she was well-deserving of the spot. Another competition winner, The Nod, was next in line to perform. The student band came out on top of this year’s Battle of the Bands competition and further proved their worth by cranking up the atmosphere at the event with their Fall Out Boy-esque presentation.
After them, We The Living took the stage. The band members, former Badgers themselves, regaled the crowd with their pleasant, if slightly forgettable, grooves. As the stage crew began setting up for the headliner, more people trickled in and excitement grew. The restless crowd was more than ready when the dapper Andy Ross came out and started methodically pounding on a bass drum with mallets, kicking off the first anthem-like tune of the OK Go set. From there on out, all bets were off, all hands were up and the real party had begun.
In the past, UW has been host to a number of big-name artists, including the Violent Femmes, Ben Kweller and hip-hop artist Common. Among these, though, none can claim to have put on as good of a show as did the eclectic, treadmill-dancing, 1970s-d?cor-loving, four-man pop-rock ensemble known as OK Go.
It was this homage to flawless production that made for such an excellent concert, both visually and audibly. The band members were all dressed to the nines, right down to the white gloves they pulled on for a musical number done entirely on hand bells. A screen in the background played abstract music videos that were infused with creativity and thought — one featured streams of water coming at swimsuit-clad girls in slow motion, only to explode into fast-motion along with the last chorus of the song. Yet another featured everyday objects such as garbage cans, dressers and drum sets exploding in time. During the last song and power-packed encore, confetti cannons shot huge clouds of the multi-colored paper into the air over the crowd.
Hosting a rock band at an upscale venue like the Overture Center made for a slightly uncomfortable experience — it felt strange to be confined to one seat. But, awkward as it was, the theater seemed oddly in-line with the theme of the band itself — young, raucous energy superimposed upon all the dignity of old word class.
The unabashed sarcasm and dry humor of lead singer Damian Kulash struck a chord with the college crowd, a group hungry for some good-natured cynicism.
“Now I know the main reason you all come to college … but the second reason is to learn, so I’m going to educate you,” said Kulash, who proceeded to explain that one of the offenses worthy of putting one’s DNA on file in England was “killing a badger.” His clever research (or clever on-the-spot fabrication) paid off, earning him a collective roar of laughter and approval from all four levels of the theater.
And then there were the songs themselves. The unbridled joy, intoxicating melodies and pure, uncut exhilaration of their music fired up the atmosphere and filled the crowd with a heady sort of joy. From the raging popularity of “Here It Goes Again” to the head-banging liberation of “Do What You Want” to the swanky splendor of “A Good Idea at the Time,” the band offered us a sensational show, and we returned the love with the sort of selfless loyalty that only rock fans can show.
When the concert let out, the exuberant crowd spilled on to the street, only to be greeted by coolers upon coolers of free Starbucks Double Shot energy drinks. The free merchandise added to the air of elation — everyone was a little bit high walking back to their dorms and apartments.
“They were so good. … so good,” said Jamie Kreines, one UW freshman who was lucky enough to get a guitar pick slid across the stage to her by none other than bassist Tim Nordwind himself.
Her words reflect the collective feelings of the audience as a whole. And as the inspired mob dispersed onto the streets of Madison, two things seemed sure: The concert was the perfect ending to a week of fun, and OK Go had at least 2,500 enthusiastic, loving local fans.
