OK Go And Controller.Controller Brave The Elements

Tuesdays, as a rule, aren't considered prime evenings of the week to groove and booze the anxieties of life away. But given bills as good as OK Go/Controller.Controller rarely pass through the city, what dedicated scenester could pass up the opportunity in good conscience? There were in the upwards of 350 warm bodies packed in the intimate Stage Nine for the duo's second, and final, Halifax performance of the night. The trek from the all-ages gig at the Pavilion may only have been about five minutes driving time, but given the show coincided with the first major snow storm of the season, each band already faced the challenge of upstaging mother nature.

Chicago rockers OK Go came on shortly after 11 p.m., bringing with them the most elaborate stage production (and amount of gear) this venue had ever seen since opening in 2004. Attired stylishly in aristocratic suits and ties in front of variable patterns projected on a white backdrop, the 13-song opening set was as pleasingly visually distinctive as their set was entertaining. Admittedly, much of their status-quo verse-chorus-verse radio rock could be ripped straight off the soundtrack for Can't Hardly Wait. But OK Go succeeded in getting the crowd excited with the originality of their stage presence (complete with synchronized rock jumps!), a spirited ELO cover and their 2002 anthem, "Get Over It."

The set concluded with gear being cleared from the stage and the band performing the flawless (perhaps now famous) dance routine from their "A Million Ways" video with the album version being played simultaneously over the P.A. Not one soul who trudged through the snow from various locales wasn't grinning ear-to-ear and cheering them on in encouragement.

An extraordinarily long changeover that lasted almost 30 minutes due the remarkable amount of gear involved was forgotten when grunge-disco kings (and queen) Controller.Controller took the stage around 1 a.m. The Toronto quintet maintained an almost hypnotic embrace of their audience from the opening chords, ceasing only for band discussion due to their lack of a definite set list. No matter.

Controller.Controller instantaneously converted the dance floor into a sea of raised hands and churning bodies. The dimly lit stage was illuminated with only a single red light facing upwards, which complimented the band's sensual and raucous stage persona. As it turned out, universities and most businesses were closed the following day because of the storm. Seems Tuesday's aren't bad for partying after all.