Tonight at 10 p.m., Canadian indie band Walk Off the Earth comes to Notre Dame to perform at Legends Nightclub. Formed in 2006, Walk Off the Earth is composed of multi-instrumentalist members Gianni Luminati, Sarah Blackwood, Ruan Marshall, Mike Taylor and Joel Cassady. The band first found success with covers of songs by The Gregory Brothers. Over the past year, this band jumped immensely in video views on Youtube, most notably with their cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know." Impressively, Walk Off the Earth has garnered its fan base independently of record labels, agents or managers. So to get ready for Friday's show, let's take a look at some of their finest moments.
Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to know" is a real gem with a whopping 144.5 million hits on Youtube. All five members of the band cover this summer hit on one guitar. Yes, ONE guitar. No one has any elbow room and it looks extremely uncomfortable, but it is truly unique. And one cannot help but be amused by the beanie-donning, bearded member on the far left Taylor, who intermittently plays the little strings on the headstock. One can't help but be reminded of Will Ferrell's cowbell skit on "Saturday Night Live."
In "Little Boxes," the entire set - from the walls and floors to a sofa and television - is made out of cardboard. Featuring homemade instruments such as empty wrapping paper rolls, guitars and a percussion instrument made out of wooden boxes, the song itself is cute and folky-sounding, where "everything comes out the same." There's definitely some profundity in that lyric.
The video for "Red Hands" looks like it was a blast to film. Set in a warehouse outfitted with swinging light bulbs and spotlights, the video features members of the band shooting confetti out of cannons, banging on dusty drums and jamming out on their instruments. The camera zooms from the foreground and background of the set, and there is plenty of shifting scenes and movement from the band. Fully expect yourself to be belting out the chorus in no time.
Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" featuring KRNFX is simply set with a window and a few house plants. This video focuses on the band members, no crazy instruments or quirky concepts. Just four members of the band a cappella-ing it up while KRNFX lays down some sweet beat-boxing. If you're a fan of Notre Dame's beloved Undertones or Saint Mary's lovely group Bellacappella, you're sure to enjoy this.
"Gang of Rhythm" is like a mini, modern, musical version of "O' Brother, Where Art Thou?" The tune is upbeat and, well, it has plenty of rhythm! Four members of the band, clad in striped jail outfits and chains, escape the evil clutches of Sheriff Mike Taylor (our bearded, beanie friend). The song makes you want to get up and dance (or perhaps make a jailbreak?) with its catchy guitar and ukulele, charming harmonies and heart-pounding drumbeat.
