First there was a treadmill dance, then a hidden marching band in a forest, and now, one to top them all?
Directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs. Produced by Shirley Moyers. The official video for the recorded version of “This Too Shall Pass” off of the album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky”. The video was filmed in a two story warehouse, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The “machine” was designed and built by the band, along with members of Synn Labs over the course of several months.
Music-industry guru Bob Lefsetz was there for the preparation of this masterpiece and offered some comments in a recent blog post. Where this excerpt begins, Lefsetz had joined OK Go manager Jamie Kitman, who also reviews cars for the NY Times and Automobile mag, in a borrowed Bentley. “I don’t even know what kind of Bentley this was. Other than it was white, had four wheel drive and [621 horsepower].” And someone had named it Sunset.
We took Sunset to the beach. And then into the Valley via Malibu Canyon. Which is where I took the wheel, for the ride into Echo Park, where OK Go was shooting its new video. In an abandoned warehouse just off Glendale Boulevard.
Fascinating story. It’s all Damian’s idea, a semiotics major at Brown, he wanted to construct the world’s biggest Rube Goldberg contraption. So he went online, to a geek board, advertising for a couple of helpers. He ended up with rocket scientists. Twenty of them. Just about all of them doing the work for free.
Not that the video is free. State Farm Insurance is paying. All 160k. Welcome to the new music business. Capitol may not have any cash, so it’s using its connections. You just need to put the logo in the video.
It was like the eighties, but with a twist. You had the excitement of video, in a world where video no longer rules. Then again, video broke OK Go. Could they do it again?
Damian walked us through all the contraptions. On two floors. They were going to shoot it all in one take. Wednesday and Thursday are the days. They’re gonna do it over and over again until they get it right. Should rival “Sledgehammer” when it’s done.
The music? I’ve got the benefit of NEVER HEARING THE MUSIC! So I can’t render an opinion. But, I will say that Damian was charismatic. I got his sex appeal. If I was a girl, I’d fall in love. That’s what we’re selling. Charisma. Attractiveness.
And then we ventured to Largo to see They Might Be Giants. Appearing in a sold out show. Where the fans were so rabid, you’d have thought they were the Beatles. [Editor's note: Kitman also manages They Might Be Giants.]
Once upon a time, the muckety-mucks pooh-poohed the Giants, although they were signed by Sue Drew to Elektra and had a tenure on the major. But now, the Giants are the future. A hard core of fans who will see you every time you come through. You can live off this. Someone will come to see the flavor of the moment perform their hit once. Twice? No, not unless there’s another hit. And it ain’t easy having another one. Not since Haircut 100 and that Rico Suave dude…
Now I don’t think the Giants are rich. But is that what you got into it for? I hope that’s not the case.
Anyway, very fun day. The way rock and roll used to be. Breaking the rules. Testing the limits of our creativity. Believing that we’re not part of the system… Hell, we got into this to stay OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM!
And music will only flourish, will only drive the culture once again, when it realizes it can’t be synonymous with the man, but must chart its own course, of freedom and limit-testing, the American Way.
