Here it goes again with OK GO at The Ritz

Article and photography by Opener Photography / Shanna Rogers

Raleigh, NC – On their “And The Adjacent Possible” tour, OK Go brought early 2000s nostalgia to a nearly sold-out Ritz in Raleigh, North Carolina with support from L.A. Exes. From the very start, energy pulsed through the room. As did the endless pounds of confetti.

L.A. Exes

Kicking off the evening with a stellar performance was Los Angeles-based ‘queertet’ (self-described) L.A. Exes. Singing a number of their most popular songs, the band set the tune for the evening with fun, flirty energy that brought both new-aged, heavy lyrics with upbeat 60s pop vibes. To cap out their set, they played a cover of the iconic “Linger” by The Cranberries, which filled with room with the crowd’s voices.

OK GO

Walking on stage to two blasting cannons of confetti, OK Go brought maximum early 2000s energy from the very start. Kicking off the evening with an upbeat song from their newest album, “Impulse Purchase”, started the showstopping performance by the Chicago-native, Los Angeles-based band.

Energy never stopped. During the second song of the set, “This too shall pass”, lead singer and guitarist Damian Kulash jumped over the railing and into the eager crowd. From multiple rounds of confetti to more trips into the crowd, bells and beyond, there wasn’t a moment that the packed room wasn’t pulsing with excitement from front to back.

Touting their new album by playing seven of their newest songs that the entire crowd seemed to know, OK Go didn’t shy away from playing music old and new, blending their early 2000s history with the new, fresh, fun, and diverse pop-rock style for which they are best known. The band played a breadth of songs spanning their discography, like “Better than this” and “Love” from their newest album And The Adjacent Possible, to their iconic “Here It Goes Again” as the set closer, sans the treadmills.

Throughout the show until the end of the encore, the room buzzed with happiness. This reviewer was certainly glad she was able to capture such an iconic tour with two just as iconic bands.