Braving the elements late Tuesday night, fans flocked to the Middle East, a small restaurant and club in Cambridge that was showcasing a Chicago quintet by the name of OK Go! Buzz for this band started after they played a grouping of shows on the popular talk radio program, This American Life. While their national profile hasn't grown too much since then, that tour gave them the push they needed to begin to infiltrate music television and the musical tastes of its viewers.

On this night, the opening band, Raymond, had already taken the stage upon arrival. Their style was difficult to classify for most people in the room.

At first listen, the music was messy and chaotic, with oddly constructed transitions and seemingly misplaced vocals. It was intriguing. The songwriting was unique and interesting; elements of emo were combined with a backdrop of progressive rock. The musicianship was a whole different story, though, as the band seemed to be inexperienced and had trouble playing their own material well.

The vocalist didn't challenge himself and lacked both depth and range. In one instance a clear error was made, and the singer apologized mid-song before finishing. The band seemed to lack a real stage presence and failed to create an exciting atmosphere. Their songs aren't below par, but I think everyone would be better off if they were performed by other musicians. Maybe this group should go the way of pop songwriter Babyface and hang up their guitars and drums for a pen and paper.
Without much ado, Ok Go! took the stage. I couldn't help but groan after about 30 seconds of their first track, an uninteresting and musically lacking pop-punk tune. But as the show progressed, I became less frustrated with the band as they seemed to be improving in front of my eyes. Their songs gained complexity, and overall quality improved as the addition of trumpet and/or keyboard and a second guitar infused some life into the otherwise ordinary sound.

Midway through the show, the band announced their song "Get Over It" as the next to be played. The whole crowd cheered in anticipation of the infectious tune, which features the immensely creative hook line of "Get get get get get over it." I couldn't help nodding my head to the beat just a little (when nobody was looking of course).

Calling for audience participation, the band proclaimed they were going to play one of three possible cover songs and had the audience cheer for the song they wanted to hear. The band determined that the crowd wanted to hear "Hold The Line" by Toto, and played the cover well enough to make it my favorite song of the night.

Later, the band brought up two men to the stage to participate in a "slow dance" to one of their softer, gentler songs. Apparently history was being made on this night, as the band proclaimed this was the first same-sex slow dance they had witnessed as part of their show.

At the conclusion of the show, the crowd appreciated the music enough to call for an encore. The band proceeded to deny the audience this luxury by claiming that they do not believe in encores. However, the band decided instead to satisfy their cinematic appetites by engaging in a five-minute-plus choreographed dance. The band danced gracefully and lip-synced perfectly as they apparently had this whole scenario planned out. The dancing was impressive and gained the largest ovation of the evening, a telltale sign.

Perhaps if the band put as much time into their music as they did into their dance routine, it would have been a better show. As it stands, the group was a perfect example of music for the casual listener. Their songs are catchy and hook-oriented, but by no means will they leave you searching for higher meaning. The band has a good sense of humor and an equally nice stage presence despite their lack of depth.

I personally find it difficult to take Ok Go! seriously, but perhaps that's their charm. If you are a fan of poppunk, light indie rock, jam-style music or pop music in general you might want to check them out. Otherwise, I suggest you stay away.