The Go! Team

The Go! Team, "Ladyflash"

The Go! Team, "The Power is On"

The Go! Team, "We Just Won't Be Defeated"

The Go! Team, "Huddle Formation"

As promised, here's the one of the last concert reviews from my Winter Tour '06. TA and I caught The Go! Team show at the Starlight Ballroom Thursday night, which was the 10th Anniversary of the first show that Sean Agnew and R5 Productions ever put on. That was a ska show at the Electric Factory, which shows just how much can change in a decade. I mean, ska, people, ska. Does that music exist anywhere outside of a time capsule?

Anyway, TA and I got there earlyish this time, around 8:30, hoping to catch all of the bands. Little did we know just how early we were, as the doors had yet to open. This meant a line down 9th Street and a chance for suburban kids to see one of the grimier blocks in the 215. After about 10 minutes, we were safely inside the Ballroom, which is quickly becoming my favorite place to see a concert anywhere. We caught most of the caUSE co-MOTION set from the bar in back, as I needed a caffeine injection and both of us needed to slowly work our way into a night of music.

caUSE co-MOTION sounded more on the punk side, but I won't try to describe their music too much, as I was not listening closely to do it justice. It was good, just wish that they had come later in the night. Thankfully, we did head down to catch the Love Is All set, and all I can say is wow! B-A-N-A-N-A-S, the best set of music I heard in the four days, one of the best sets of music I have heard in a long time in fact. It was so good that I have decided to give them their own post. Stay tuned for my thoughts on this Swedish band, my weird crush on the lead singer and mp3s. Yeah!

The Go! Team came on 30 minutes later, and played exactly as I pictured they would in my head. Their album, Thunder, Strike, Lightning, was one of my favorites from last year, a totally different sound and energy to most of what I listen to. It was a catchy, upbeat disc from start to finish. Guess what? So's their live show. They ran all around the stage, had more energy than a Type A personality and played their songs perfectly.

It was good, but left me a little disappointed. Partly it was the fact that this was way too much live music for me in a short period of time. But, that clearly wasn't the whole story, since Love Is All killed. In retrospect, I think it was the fact that it was all so rehearsed and perfect. I mean, each member played all the instruments, and they rotated throughout, and call and responses for the audience, and they all leapt around and put on a great show. But, it felt too perfect for me, sounded too much like the album, never really got grabbed my attention. It actually reminded me of a lot of hip hop shows I've seen, as you leave wondering why spent the money to see the show when you should have just stayed home and listened to the album for free.

However, I was clearly in the minority on this point. The crowd went nuts for the band, cheering, dancing, waving their arms like they just didn't care. I mean, some people around us jumped up and down for the entire set. That's right, jumped and down for minutes at a time. It was another sell-out, and just a real energized place all night. I would recommend checking out The Go! Team the next time they come to ther States, especially if you are looking for a band that will give a 110% and put on a well-oiled show. Go here to buy the album, which is highly recommend, a great, lo-fi pop-punk album that doesn't really sound like anything else.