Selling out a three-night stint at DC’s 9:30 Club is no easy task, but the LA-based indie band Grouplove came and conquered box office sales with no problems at all. In fact, judging by the audience’s excitement level, the lady and gentlemen in the band could quite possibly go a few more nights here in our lovely city.
This hard-working and constantly touring band brought their high-energy performance, soaring vocals, and searing dance skills to a gracious yet enthusiastic audience at DC’s premier venue for a block of performances on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights.
Grouplove members include Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd, Andrew Wessen, and Ryan Rabin. Rabin, who is the band’s drummer, also served as producer on 2011’s release Never Trust a Happy Song. For a band that formed not that long ago in 2009, Grouplove has earned some major career milestones. The band has already seen major success with their most well-known single “Tongue Tied” going all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 2012. That same year, they earned platinum status for album sales exceeding one million.
Seeing Grouplove perform live makes it hard not to like them. The band is having so much fun on stage, it is obvious that they are in love with what they are doing, and their audience loves every minute they have with the band. I have to admit, generally speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of modern synth-heavy indie music, but seeing a performance like the one Grouplove gave on Monday night is enough to turn even the biggest skeptic into a believer. It’s all about the energy, and Grouplove has it, all of it; everyone even close to the stage has seemingly endless amounts of energy. This band is full of life and love; they project it and do not hold back. It’s mesmerizing.
Those of you who got there a little early were treated to the sounds of MS MR from New York. Their set was well-received, and to me, this band was the big surprise of the night. They were fun to watch and to photograph, and they, too, brought tons of energy to the night’s show. The whole venue seemed to sing along most of the way through their set, and they fit the night’s bill really well. MS MR even included a cover of Arctic Monkey’s “Do I Wanna Know?” into their performance. The only thing that could top that part of the night was the keyboardist / vocalist Max Hershenow’s crazy kicking dance moves during the last few songs.
Fans of Grouplove may want to note: for this series of shows at the 9:30 Club, Grouplove did something a little different. During the end of their set at Monday night’s performance, they announced that they are recording all three of their 9:30 Club concerts and will release a live single of the one song that is voted highest among their fans. Grouplove promises to send the live recording for free directly to anyone who participates in voting on their website, so keep your eyes peeled for voting to begin.
MSMR
