Great Good Fine OK @ DC9 - 1/30/2017
Some bands like to take time before releasing their music. Great Good Fine Ok is not one of those bands. As one of the more prolific synth-pop bands in recent years, they have been steadily chugging onwards, releasing six singles over the past year and culminating with a January EP release, III. If a sold-out DC9 is any indicator, the steady stream of singles has helped keep the duo in the forefront of people’s minds and playlists, but the live show itself is the real reason that fans should stick around.
The duo, comprised of vocalist Jon Sandler and producer Luke Moellman, puts out reliably catchy songs about love that bank on Sandler’s trademark breathy falsettos and Moellman’s buzzy synths. Sandler hit the high notes perfectly while many in the crowd tried to do the same. But just as attention-grabbing as the songs were the visuals. With synchronized lights, fog machines, and glowing drumsticks, the band spared no expense to fit as many visual tricks on the tiny DC9 stage as they could. And they decked themselves out just as well as they did the stage - Moellman performed in a spacesuit hoodie and Sandler in a gold sequin jacket, a silk kimono with shiny gold sneakers that had red lights on one shoe and blue on the other. Sandler couldn’t help but show off throughout the night with moves on the dance floor that both Saturday Night Fever-era (and even Pulp Fiction-era) John Travolta would be proud of. And just for kicks, they even threw in some glow sticks and balloons into the crowd that were waved in the air and passed around.
Luke Moellman of Great Good Fine OK and his keytar at DC9 in Washington, DC - 1/30/17 (Photo by Mauricio Castro/@TheMauricio)
All in all, Great Good Fine Ok put on an irresistible show to go along with their irresistible synth-pop songs. They aren’t a musically-groundbreaking group by any means, but there is little doubt that they have pop music down to a science without becoming soulless sell-outs. They’ll be bringing their interesting outfits, stage lights, balloons, and glow sticks to the 9:30 Club stage in no time. But for now, we should be thankful that we get to enjoy as many radio-friendly and danceable tunes as Great Good Fine Ok has put out.
Opening for the band was the Oregon-based flor, a group that nicely fits into the same genre of pop-inflected tunes as Great Good Fine Ok. The band’s drummer seems to have taken cues from Two Door Cinema Club and drove a fast-paced and four on the floor-heavy show that gave a ton of energy to the rest of the band, especially singer Zach Grace. The high energy of the band was a great start to the night, especially when there were more than a few people that were singing along to their songs. Their latest single, ‘hold on’, is out now through Fueled by Ramen.
