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Mando Diao Bring ‘Ochrasy’ to SpinHouse Live

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?