After stopping by Piano’s for The Wild Honey Pie’s showcase to see special guest Via Audio, I drove across the Williamsburg Bridge and walked the longest three blocks in hurricane-worthy weather for The Go! Team’s show at Brooklyn Bowl Saturday night. There were quite a few unfortunate souls waiting in line in the pouring rain hoping they’d get one of the limited admission tickets to the sold out show. Hopefully they did.
I made the conscious decision to see The Go! Team without any prior knowledge of what they sounded like. All I knew was that they seemed like fun based on their colorful pictures on their Facebook page. And as soon as the show started, I knew I was right.
The lead singer, appropriately named “Ninja”, came out on stage jumping, kicking, and rapping to their opening number, “T.O.R.N.A.D.O” (ironic considering it competed with the howling wind and rain outside). The Go! Team’s sound is a fusion of every genre that has ever existed. Ian Parton, founder of the band, seems to channel inspiration from 50s doo-wop, 70s action movies, old school hip-hop, and Bollywood vocals. Overall, the sound is a nostalgic hodge podge of excerpts from various decades that Parton must be very fond of. His use of various instruments and heavy sampling creates a bombastic sound that makes dancing a must. During their 16 song set, the group showcased each member’s multi-instrumentalist skills, switched from instrument to instrument throughout the evening. Band members seamlessly went from playing guitar, to banjo, to drums, to glockenspiel, to steel drums, and other instruments I can’t even recall.
The Go! Team’s songs are packed with energy, like it’s frontwoman. Ninja pumped up the crowd, running and jumping from stage left to stage right in a matter of seconds. Rapping and doing splits in the air were no big deal to her. Her impromptu choreography fused hip-hop and African dance moves. Ninja’s athleticism and performance stamina made me regret every blueberry scone I ever ate from Starbucks.
With a name like The Go! Team, you expect a lot, and fortunately, they lived up to their name and put on a epic performance. Their music was as fun and as colorful as Ninja’s neon sneaker laces. Despite the show ending with Ninja going to the hospital after a band pile-up that went bad (she’s ok now), The Go! Team still delivered a party from beginning to end.
