MKTO Are Living The American Dream

MKTO LIVE

Chicago – Sunday night the main floor of Chicago’s House of Blues was tightly packed with gaggles of girls. The last time I found myself in such close quarters with so many screaming teenagers, I was at NKOTB’s The Magic Summer Tour. This time around I wasn’t a crying tween excited to see my favorite boy band; I was one of a handful of adults braving the main floor to catch Tony Oller and Malcolm Kelley of the LA duo MKTO. Backed by a full band, Oller and Kelley mixed hip-hop, Motown, rap, and rock into catchy pop songs, tossing in a killer drum session during “Could Be Me,” proving MKTO to be more than just another boy band.

In 2010 Oller and Kelley met on the set of the Nickelodeon show Gigantic. The two actors quickly became close friends, bonding over their love of music. After the Nick series was cancelled, the two started making music together and posting covers on YouTube, with Malcolm spitting rhymes and Tony soulfully crooning. The BFFs eventually signed with Columbia Records, and at the start of 2014, MKTO released their self-titled debut, featuring the radio hit, “Classic.

Oller and Kelley spent this summer traveling the world on The American Dream Tour. I talked with Malcolm Kelley right before MKTO began the North American leg of their headlining tour. During our interview the former childhood actor talked about discovering his passion for music and following his dreams. Seeing him and Tony Oller bouncing around stage, all smiles, performing their hearts out during “American Dream,” it was clear the two pop stars are doing what they love and living the American dream.

MKTO played through their debut album, getting the crowd started with favorites like “Forever Until Tomorrow” and “God Only Knows.” The ladies up front were jumping to the beats, making the wooden floor of the photo pit move me up and down. Never before had I experienced that at the HOB! When Oller and Kelley introduced “No More Second Chances,” they gave a little loving background history on the very first song they ever wrote together, in Tony’s “crappy apartment,” making it an extra special moment for everyone in the room. They also got in some more drumming with their floor toms and made a few fans’ night by tossing them drumsticks.

Oller’s performance of “Wasted” made for another special moment. He sang solo, backed by acoustic guitar, melting hearts, and drawing a few tears. After, Oller jetted off stage to give Kelley his due. Kelley got some beats going and, full of confidence, walked around stage, performing “Nowhere.” The audience rapped along with him word for word, bringing a giant smile to Malcolm’s face.

Oller and Kelley were full of energy, laughs, and friendly conversation all night. They talked about their early start on YouTube, and to celebrate the good old days, they broke out a cover of Nico & Vinz’ “Am I Wrong.”  The duo also tossed in a new song for their fans, titled “I Get My Way.” After “Classic,” the guys ran off stage but soon returned for an epic encore. Malcolm came out spitting some lines, while a man in a glittered mask, wearing a pirate hat, blew up the drum kit. When that man revealed himself to be none other than Mister Tony Oller himself, the room went crazy. Add master drummer to the list! Hopefully next tour we’ll get to see Tony play piano, too.

Since Chicago was the last stop on The American Dream Tour, MKTO invited out their entire crew, plus opening acts Action Item and Tiffany Houghton, to join them for “Thank You.” Everyone sang and danced around the packed stage. Houghton played the tambourine while two members of Action Item walked around drumming with pieces of their kit. Tony and Malcolm sprayed water all over the crowd on the main floor before Tony and the other boys of Action Item jumped into the crowd, creating deafening screams from the excited ladies around them. It really was a spectacle, and I found myself enjoying every minute of it, reverting back to a giddy teenager!

The American Dream Tour may have come to a close, but you can catch MKTO on tour this fall with Demi Lavoto. Click here to see tour dates near you. MKTO is available for purchase on iTunes.

Sarah Hess

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
Sarah Hess

Latest posts by Sarah Hess (see all)