OK Go, Shudder To Think, Nina Persson Rock For Barack

For an evening devoted to a man who could be our future president, Barack Rock felt strangely like a trip into the past.

Deep breath. The concert was hosted by Stella, whose members were in the ’90s comedy troupe the State, and it featured music by Joan as Police Woman, the frontwoman of which played violin in the underrated ’90s band the Dambuilders; newly reunited underrated ’90s band Shudder to Think; Nina Persson, leader of the Cardigans, a ’90s band that was appreciated almost as much as it should have been; and OK Go (I have no idea what they were doing in the ’90s).

But hey, why not? All this talk about hope and change is awfully reminiscent of a time when we were all singing, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.”

The previously mentioned performers (plus a few special guests) took the stage at the Bowery Ballroom Monday night to honor Barack Obama, the man who, according to Stella, said, “Four score and seven years ago” and “You gotta fight for your right to party.”

Between bands, Michael Ian Black, David Wain and Michael Showalter acted as geysers of misinformation (”If you can’t get to the polls Tuesday, you can go Wednesday. They’re also open Thursday.”) and at one point introduced Obama supporter Caroline Kennedy, who bore a striking resemblance to Paul Rudd.