Walk Off the Earth put on their best university mentality to play Carleton’s Fall Orientation week Sept. 3.
The Burlington band stopped through Carleton in the middle of their North American tour to welcome Carleton’s newest faces to the university in style.
“This is a good moment for me,” percussionist Joel Cassady said. “It’s an opportunity for me to get back and be on the other end of [a frosh week].”
With the chance to play something like frosh also comes a challenge. The band said playing in front of the first-years was going to be a different experience than some of their other shows.
“You’ve got to get their attention quick,” singer Ryan Marshall said. “It’s a lot of first-year dudes that are trying to get their cardio on with some nice-looking first-year women. If you don’t get their attention fast, their eyes are going to wander from the stage.”
Cassady said that it would be a good way to see how younger people are reacting to their music right now.
The band has a unique audience range because of their history. Their popularity exploded in 2012 as they became a YouTube sensation due to their “Five People, One Guitar” cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
And while YouTube sensations often disappear after their success, Walk Off the Earth have used their popularity to get a foothold in the music industry.
Marshall credits their post-YouTube success to the fact that they had many other videos on their page.
“People aren’t just remembering five people on one guitar. They’re remembering the band Walk Off the Earth,” Marshall said.
Cassady on the other hand credited the band’s success to “Marshall’s bangin’ pecs.”
The band also represented their Canadian roots proudly.
“It’s nice to have an opportunity to put Canada on the map,” Cassady said.
The band proudly talked about Canada when they were on stage as well, encouraging the audience to be louder than their American audiences, and waving large flags during the set.
The show also featured high-energy movement, and plenty of tricks to keep the attention of the frosh. All of the members were constantly changing instruments, throwing them around the stage and engaging the crowd with dancing, light shows, and confetti.
While “Somebody That I Used To Know” got the biggest reaction from the crowd, the band’s originals were also well-received. The band is breaking free from the shadow cast by a YouTube hit.
“I think the originals are starting to get more of a reaction,” Cassady said of recent shows. “It’s nice to have crossed over in that sense.”
The show also featured promotion for their debut album, R.E.V.O.. The band wore hoodies with glow-in-the-dark REVO painted on the back, and large banners hung behind the stage.
Cassady said the album was a very rewarding experience for the band.
“It’s cool because when you’re part of a group, it’s a slow process. We recorded those tunes almost two years ago now, so to finally hear them come out is a good feeling.”
