AUSTIN, Texas — If you've seen any of their performances — like, for example, their reign of terror last month on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" — then you probably knew what to expect from oddball L.A. rap collective Odd Future at the mtvU Woodie Awards on Wednesday: It was definitely going to be memorable, probably to the point of psychological scarring.
And while what we got during the show was most certainly, well, odd (a pair of furry mascots, two beefy security guards, one masked little person, garden gnomes, rainbows and a whole lot of growling, to be precise), there was also a focused, snarling intensity to their set — perhaps due to the fact that, in their first South by Southwest, despite the thousands of other bands in attendance, Odd Future knew they were the center of attention.
That much was apparent from the minute they arrived at Woodies rehearsals. Between photo-ops with Wiz Khalifa, hugs from Zoe Kravitz and onstage shout-outs from Pete Wentz, OF put on a show both on camera and off, tearing across the stage during rehearsals and then, minutes before stepping into the spotlight for their performance, pacing the backstage hallways, snarling and swearing, psyching themselves up, much to the delight (and terror) of those around them. (As one stagehand joked, "This is the best bar mitzvah I've ever been to.")
Much like last month, MTV News' cameras were there, following the Odd Future crew every step of the way. And while we'll be rolling out more in the coming days, in honor of their Woodies performance, here's Odd Future seconds before stepping onstage.
What did you think of Odd Future's performance? Let us know in the comments!