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- jorge March 2005
Andy's Blog - UPDATED 4.14.05!
OK Go has a new guitarist. His name is Andy, but you can call him Rusty.
Though Rusty is a talented fellow, he is somewhat shy. Stll, we managed to convince him to send us blog postings to detail his entry into the world of professional rock musician. You can read it at thewilltorock.blogspot.com.
Enjoy.
Though Rusty is a talented fellow, he is somewhat shy. Stll, we managed to convince him to send us blog postings to detail his entry into the world of professional rock musician. You can read it at thewilltorock.blogspot.com.
Enjoy.
Comments
Hi, my name's Andy Ross aka A–Ross aka Rusty and I'm the new guitar player for OK Go. I'm pretty sure they picked me for my musical abilities but I have a sneaking suspicion that they just wanted someone named Andy in the band. I'm still working on the "Duncan" aspect but as far my first name goes, we're golden.
Right now we're in Wisconsin. I've been to Wisco once before for a camping trip and it involved a lot bratwurst (sp?). I'm pleased to report that within 20 minutes of landing in Milwaukee (sp? –– damn, this state is challenging), Damian and I each enjoyed an airport brat (that's the food… keep your mind out of the gutter people). Damian described the meal as "enjoyable" but disappointing as far as bratwurst experiences go. Not being the connoisseur that Damian is, I would have to describe the experience as "caloric" and "sausagey".
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to playing in front of all of you. If you're at a show, please come up and say hi...I'm a nice fellow–guy.
Love,
Rusty
Rock lovers,
OK Go's first show of the 2005 season was quite a success. And by
"success" I mean Damian's rockstar pants busted open at the seams
(literally almost ripping entirely in half), revealing the pure essence
of rock and roll.
We're in the preliminary stages of drafting a new band resolution: Fans
are not allowed to use OK Go members or crew as strippers poles. I was
attacked in an incident that went from funny to uncomfortable to
terrifying in matter of seconds. You had to be there.
I'm still working on my solo for the dance routine and I need ideas.
If you're at a show and have some hot moves please show me. Tim's been
trying to help me out, but his shit is so fresh that I just can't keep
up.
Thanks to those who came out the Annex! I had a wonderful time in my
de-flowering OK Go experience.
Love,
Rusty
Rock lovers,
So, the OK Go 2005 Spring Pant-Rip Bonanza continues. Yes friends,
Damian's pants once again were torn apart last night, this time busting
from the crotch to the knee. I'm starting to think that he just wants
to take his pants off on-stage and this is his twisted excuse for doing
so.
The high point of the evening was definitely the "make-out scene".
Allow me to explain: during the opening act (This Is Me Smiling -- who
were cool, btw) there was a couple on the side of the room going at it.
I mean, holy shit, this was some making out...the four of us in the
band were pretty sure their lips were actually attached. Anyway,
before we played our ultra-romantic steamy love ballad "Oh No", Damian
convinced said couple to come onstage and lip-lock for the entire
audience. Success!
I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Duncan for the first time...an
extremely nice man with excellent taste in pants. He seems to be doing
well and I assured him that I'd do everything in my power to uphold the
legacy of Slam Duncan.
Hope to see you at the Empty Bottle tonight!
Love,
Rusty
OK Goers,
Unfortunately, the Empty Bottle will now be known as the place were all of OK Go's clothing remained intact at the end of the show. Fortunately, the show rocked and it was a pleasure to play for a great Empty Bottle crowd. It's weird to think that was my first show there and OK Go's millionth. Nonetheless, it's a great venue and I'm sure we'll be back soon.
Following the show, I was taken some place called Maxwell St. for a true Chicago dining experience (the airport bratwusrt just wasn't enough to satisfy my craving for spiced, cured meats). And let me tell you: for $2.20 that's the best damn sausage and fries this side of [insert place where sausages and fries are supposedly good—maybe heaven?].
Love,
Rusty
Rockers (also, Rollers),
Today was the tour's first off-day. We drove from Chicago to Ames, Iowa where we'll be playing a show at the Maintenance Shop tomorrow night. With the night off and a recreation center in the building in which we're staying, there was only option: skills competition!
Damian, our merch guy Mike, (a quick note on our touring crew: we're out with our tour manager, Mike Kent, and our merch guy, Mike Clark. Put their names together and you get "Mike Mike" and "Clark Kent." Am I the only one who finds this fascinating?), and myself hit the bowling alley first. (A quick note about the bowling alley - it's called "The Strike Zone", which is a decent name for a bowling alley except for the fact that the building in which it's located is called the "Union Building." Damian made the excellent point that the "Union Strike" would be far more appropriate and clever. I have to agree. Am I also the only one who finds this fascinating?)
Damian showed up on top, rolling a fine 144 to my 122 and Clark's 75. To Clark's credit, he was doing the spinny ball thing where you make the ball loop around to the middle of the pins, and we're pretty certain that the lanes weren't oiled correctly...or maybe he wasn't. I saved face by besting DK(NY) in an extremely close game of pool. It truly was a night of recreation in a center designed for just that purpose.
If you are here at Iowa State, come on out tomorrow night and enjoy the rock!
Love,
Rusty
Madams and sirs,
Two self-proclaimed superfans from Chicago made the seven and half hour drive to see us (in Ames, Iowa), then spent the entire show yelling insults. They stuck around afterwards to explain, in intoxicated and repetitive detail, that they love us so much that they feel entitled complain about everything we do. "We've been hearing things about your new album," they said with a ominous squint. "It better not be different from the old album..." I had no idea that fan-ship was such a love-hate affair...
Love,
Rusty
Web citizens,
We hit Columbia, MO today. Less cocaine and balmy sunshine than its South American namesake, but I did get a tasty bowl of borscht at a vegetarian restaurant called "Main Squeeze". After the show, a fan taught me a hot new handshake/hi-five which I feel compelled to share with the rest of the world. It's called the "explode-implode".
Here's how you pull it off:
- Both hi-fivers start with a closed fist.
- Bang the fists together and immediately pull away while opening your hand (making an explosion sound at this point is highly advisable).
- Once you've fully retracted you should be in perfect position to go in for a normal hi-five.
- Complete the hi-five, but immediately pull back and re-close your fist (again, a sound effect is preferred, this time making a "shhhhhhmmmp" to simulate the implosion of your hand and proper end to your greeting).
It may take practice, but it's delicious.On to Texas!
Love,
Rusty
People not in cars,
We're driving through Kansas and Oklahoma en route to Texas today. Clearly, I don't have much to write about. Dan and merch-King extraordinaire Mike Clark literally rolled a quarter-mile into a gas station after our gear truck ran out of gas on the highway. Rock and roll or sheer stupidity? You be the judge.
Love,
Rusty
Just east of Town Hall and across the railroad tracks in Denton, Texas you'll find a small, nondescript little building with the letters "RGRS" on the front. The place is called "Rubber Gloves," and yes, I spent literally 10 minutes trying to figure out how "Rubber Gloves" = "RGRS" (we later found out that there are a number of rehearsal studios in the building making the full establishment name "Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Space"...crafty). Inside, you'll find one of the coolest bars/rock clubs this side of Dubya with a great jukebox and cool staff to boot.
A word to the wise: don't go shopping with Damian. Having got a week and a half into the tour we took the trek to the local Denton shopping mall to pick up socks and underwear. This should be easy. It took me about three minutes to grab what I needed when I noticed Damian intently staring at the underwear rack:
Damian: "Don't you think the selection here is a little weird?"
Me: "Uhh, I don't know, why?"
Damian: "Like, look at these [picks up a pair of drawers]. It's possible that these will have too much fabric and then you'll just be swimming in it."
Me: "OK."
Damian: "But these over here [picks up another pair], there's a decent chance they'll be too small, and that you definitely don't want...I mean, Jesus, just get those off of me...you know what I mean?"
Me: "I guess."
Damian: "I'm just not familiar with their selection."
Me: "Dude, it's underwear, who cares?"
Damian: "No, I can't deal with this...we have to go somewhere else."
Me: "[sigh] Alrighty."
This happened two more times in other department stores (I shit you not). From now on all my interactions with Damian will be non-undergarment related, I promise you.
Love,
Rusty
I've heard a lot of good things about Austin, both in a city and music-scene sense. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy and we didn't have much time to check out the place. What I saw was nice, though, and Stubb's definitely gave us enough delicious BBQ to induce a two-hour food coma. Hopefully next time we come through, we'll be able to spend more time in the capitol. The fans definitely lived up to their billing and were fantastic.
Thanks to all who came out on an unpleasant evening. While I can't commit to having a daily quote from the band, I must report this little gem overheard from Def Def Definitely Dan: "I can hear Spanish and understand some of it...but mostly just swears."
Te quiere,
Rusty
Tucson is pretty far from Austin. I am experiencing this right now.
That is science.
Love,
Rusty
Hey web-folk,
Long time no-see. This week was a homecoming for me as OK Go rolled into the Los Angeles metropolitan area. While blogging was on my mind, decompressing got the better of me. I promise to resume the daily activities now that we're back at full-steam.
There are a number of things to note about last week, however. Monday was field-trip-day and we spent it checking out the White Sands National Park in New Mexico (pictures to come, hopefully!). Activities included running on sand, rolling on sand, sledding on sand (sleds provided by nice group of AmeriCorps volunteers), and by default, looking at sand. It's a pretty place if you have the time, and enjoy sand.
When we rolled up to the Hotel Congress in Tucson that night we entered a yet undiscovered dimension, one known simply as 80's Dance Night. Now, I've been to a few 80's-relating dancing events before, but the combination of the group of people, the old-school swank of the Hotel Congress and the $1 well drinks made this a little too Twilight Zone for me to handle. At least my hotel room wasn't directly above the dance floor (note: sarcasm). Tucson and I got off to a rough start.
Our triumphant arrival in SoCal began with a lunch at the In'n'Out Burger. I really enjoy In'n'Out (wink, wink). Their formula is simple, yet brilliant. I'd actually like to hear your comments on who makes the best burger in your area, especially if we're playing in your town (use the comments section for the blog). Damian's sitting next to me (steadfastly working on the next OK Go logo, by the way) and wants to know where he can find the best "exotic cuisine." I don't really know what he's talking about, but by contract I'm not allowed to argue with him (or look at him before 6:00 pm).
All of the southwest and West Coast shows were a ton of fun. Thanks to everyone who made it to the show.
I'd like to end this little update by noting that today is, in fact, my birthday. Salt Lake City, prepare to rage.
Love,
Rusty
You know you're in Wyoming when your only options for both breakfast and lunch are McDonald's; you've driven for two hours and haven't seen a single person outside a car or truck; you're bored...really really bored. In all honesty though, our drive from Salt Lake City to Denver was one of the most beautiful on the tour so far. Just, um, uneventful.
After serving up a delicious plate of rock to a hungry Denver audience, our evening was capped with too many shots of Jameson's and a group viewing of Napoleon Dynamite. Sssssweeet!
Love,
Rusty
Today we shot some footage for a video a couple of Colorado Film School students are making. Apparently, they had been making a music video for "Shortly Before the End" for a few months and wanted us to be a part of it. Basically, we're holding up the words to the song on cue cards as the lyrics are sung. But the real potential lies in the fact that we're standing in front of a blue screen. Hopefully they'll put us floating in space or standing in front of Mount Rushmore. A boy can dream at least.
See you tomorrow in Omaha!
Love,
The Rooster
I'll tell you one thing: wearing these fantastic suits has its disadvantages. Tonight in Omaha, for example, I spent the entire second half of the show wondering if I was going pass-out from the heat on stage. Sadly, I had to break costume and de-jacket for the first time on tour. I'm hoping this breach of etiquette will not be repeated.
The show was good, and we played with two cool opening bands: Rescue and Statistics, both of which are on their way to SXSW. Since we've been asked at every single show if we're going, I'll answer here... OK Go will not be attending SXSW this year, so cancel those plane tickets.
Love,
Rusty
Lawrence, Kansas knows how to rock. A wonderful crowd was out at the Bottleneck for a fine evening of rock and a glorious, if not disastrous, unveiling of a fan-favorite from the last album (previewed the night before in Omaha). What most struck me in Lawrence, however, was the resistance of indigenous folk to wearing warm clothing.
Seriously, on the way back from dinner I saw three guys wearing (almost identical) t-shirts and shorts. It must have been 40 degrees out. At the show, fan after fan kept coming in wearing only a t-shirt. Have you people heard of jackets? It's cold out there!
I have to say, OK Go is officially hooked on the Photo Hunt game on those little bar video game things. The game shows you two almost identical pictures (usually involving a scantily-clad human) and you have to find five differences between the two. It's my personal goal to put OK Go as the #1 score in every bar across the country. So far we can claim the Bottleneck and some shady truck stop in Nebraska. Only 5,746,789,321 to go (It's a really, really big country).
Love,
Rusty
Before leaving Lawrence we took the obligatory thrift shop stroll. I bought a pair of jeans. Tim got a jacket, shirt and hat. Dan was off getting Mexican food. Damian, shockingly, found nothing to his liking.
I, embarrassingly, tried on several pairs of women's jeans (not realizing my mistake, mind you) and got back a few weird looks after my enthusiastic, "So how do these look?!" (Note: they did indeed look sexy).
St. Louis, here we come!
Love,
Rustical
If you haven't been to Blueberry Hill in St. Louis, you're missing out on some serious memorabilia. Every wall in the place is comprehensively covered according to different themes, ranging from The Simpsons to 1940s cigarette ads (a Camel ad from 1943 had the amazing line "Doctors prefer Camel to other brands").
The owner also posts pictures of himself with all of the musicians, sports stars and celebrities that come through St. Louis. At a glance you assume he's got them all: Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Weird Al Yankovic (now that's an all-star band!). While taking our mandatory picture, I asked him if there was a short list of the few stars that he really wanted on his wall but had never met. He replied, "Well, I've pretty much got a picture with everyone except Madonna and Prince. Those two I really want."
"Hmm... What about presidents?"
"Well, you know, I've got nothing against presidents... but I don't really care for them." I decided that I really like this guy, (and that was before he bought us shots).
If you're thinking about traveling to the top of the arch in St. Louis, don't be a) claustrophobic or B) afraid of heights. While I'm neither of these things, I was waiting for one of them to suddenly kick in so I could freak out on everyone. If might have been cool had it happened, but I'm glad it didn't. I'd rather have all of St. Louis feel safe.
Love,
Rusty
I've been developing a series of high-performance meals for professional athletes and touring musicians. So far, I've only finalized The #3, which consists of a bag of Nacho Cheese Combos, a two-pack of Twinkies and 20-ounce Mountain Dew (with a side of mayo for dipping).
In all seriousness though, I need to talk about mayo for a second. I really hate mayonnaise. It must be one of the three vilest substances man and nature have combined to create (nicotine and Paul Wolfowitz being the other two). I just need to get this out there so you know where I'm coming from and we can move in peace in a mayo-less world.
Peace, love, hold the mayo,
Rusty
Nashville, Nashville, Nashville. Unfortunately, I have to present you guys with the Worst Audience Award. I don't want to be negative, but there's gotta be some reality in this here blog, and Nashville, you just don't get an A for effort. Don't get me wrong: there were some ass-kickin' OK Go fans in attendance who rocked out all night and were genuinely appreciated. But as a whole, I've seen better crowds at Denny's. Maybe even in funeral homes.
Note: the night before the show, we stayed in a heat-less, hot-water-less, internet-less, tv-less hotel, so that may have affected my mood. But come to think of it, the righteous soul food we got at local fixture "Swett's" fixed that. Nope. Nashville, you lose.
Love,
Rusty