Capitalizing on the recent buzz within the indie rock community, Swedish band Mando Diao ushered in the 23rd installment of SpinHouse Live, presented by Newcastle Brown Ale. Touted as a special “acoustic” show at Spin HQ last night (May 15), their sweaty in-your-face presence was anything but. Team led by Gustaf Norén and Björn Dixgård, who were both barefoot, the feisty quintet wasted no time in powering through a mix of choice cuts from their third full-length, Ode to Ochrasy, and older faves.
A dynamic crowd of youthful hipsters, industry folk, and aging rockers bopped to show standouts such as the thunderous mosh-worthy rendition of “You Don’t Understand Me” and the memorable toe-tapper “Long Before Rock’n’Roll.” But in the end, raw emotion is what genuinely solidified the band’s performance. Not even a busted A string during “Killer Kaczynski” could deter the manic Dixgård from unloading his inner demons; fittingly, they followed “Killer” with the delectable “God Knows.” ELIE Z. PERLER / PHOTOS BY DAVE GUSTAV
>> Stay tuned to SPIN.com for streaming video from Mando Diao’s set!
We asked: The band’s latest release is called Ode to Ochrasy. If you had to write an ode, who or what would be the inspiration?