Otto and Astrid (of Die Roten Punkte) Eurosmash! : Sprechen sie tanz?

Otto & Astrid: Eurosmash! @ The Underbelly Cowgate

I admittedly had no idea what I was in for when I walked into Otto & Astrid: Eurosmash, but I walked out with a smile on my face and the need to play them non-stop on Spotify, officially obsessed.

Otto & Astrid of the band Die Roten Punkte (which is German for The Red Dots) are a brother/sister duo act that’s a mix of White Stripes and the good Christopher Guest movies (not A Mighty Wind); Pop punk meets German cabaret. Berlin’s Prince and Princess of Indie Rock and Europop have brought a new show to Fringe to promote their album Eurosmash!

Eurosmash chronicles the life of Otto and Astrid who were orphaned at a young age after their parents were hit by a train…or eaten by a lion…no one knows. But, Astrid takes care of Otto by starting work in a bakery at age 12; stealing homework from school at night so she can homeschool young Otto. One night they see a David Bowie show and are inspired to start a band. Otto is more interested in spreading messages of hope and healthy living with an arty sound in their music; Astrid, a more mainstream pop sound to quell the masses. After the disaster with Otto’s song Automatic Doors which was much too artsy for most audiences, Astrid won the conflict allowing Otto only one song…after two minutes of silence at the end of the album.

The album on its own is beyond catchy, and uber pop; reminiscent to the likes of The Runaways and B52s. In addition to the pop sound, Otto has figured out the exact BPS (beats per second) a song needs to be in order to elicit a person to dance. So, I challenge you to go to the show and not have the urge to get up and shake it. After all, Otto and Astrid speak dance, so it’s a natural reaction, don’t fight it. Songs like "Do you Speak Dance", "Smash our Hearts", and "Bodyslam" especially lasst die party beginnen! The lyrics are hilarious, the wordplay sublime, and the BANTS…

Die Roten Punkte’s squabbling dysfunctional sibling partnership adds such an endearing dimension to an already addicting soundtrack in Eurosmash! Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias’s chemistry is flawless. Bartholomew’s Astrid is brash and completely insane; she’s a bull in a china shop with a side of dismissive older sister. She’s the girl you want to take shots with after the show and will probably get you both arrested for doing something wildly inappropriate by the end of the night. But, Tobias’s Otto stole my heart. He’s like that little lost puppy that you want to take home and cuddle forever and ever, making him wear cute little doggie versions of Star Wars characters or bow ties. Plus, his healthy eating and hipster European nature would blend right into my Los Angeles lifestyle. I would have absolutely shaken his fruit, Chelsea be damned!

Otto and Astrid: Eurosmash! is the most fun I’ve had at Fringe so far, and an absolute Fringe must-see!! So grab a beer and some friends and get ready to shake deine beute!

FIVE STARS