“We aren’t by ourselves Grouplove,” said singer Christian Zucconi over some mellow, between-songs instrumentation. “We are all Grouplove,” he continued, stretching his arms out as if to initiate the entire crowd into the band. A cheesy thing to say, sure, and an easy attempt to establish that intimate listener-to-band connection that’s so vital for a musician’s survival. But in the moment, standing just a few feet away from the right side of the stage at the Crofoot last Friday night, I wasn’t grappling with the meaning or motives behind the statement. And that’s mostly because of what came before it, and what continued after.
First of all, Grouplove is an appropriate name for this bunch, and I doubt much thought had to go into it. If they aren’t a close-knit band of West-coasters who road-tripped to Michigan with sand in their shoes while rocking to sixties’ jams and stopping for the occasional bonfire, then people really aren’t anything like what they seem these days. And, yeah, that’s idealistic, but this idealism infects each one of their songs. “Take me to your best friend’s house, roll around this roundabout, oh yeah…” repeats the longing gang vocals in “Tongue Tied.” Like most of their songs, it’s a pop anthem for the cul-de-sacs of beached-in suburbia, an adolescent plea for security and good times with no end.
Their live presence validates the hippie nostalgia of their music. Their lone female member wore a dress almost to her feet, and often daintily held up the sides so she could dance with her tambourine. All five members were equipped with microphones (which had light-up stands) so no one was left without a voice. They had an energy different from most indie-pop outfits: it flowed freely and equally between all members rather than being burned out on a lead singer, and it hit the crowd in a sort of gleeful, rocking mellowness.
On record, their music is bright and pleasant, catchy as hell until it fades into an unassuming soundtrack to summertime daydreaming. On stage, however, they mix that same Vitamin D into an energy cocktail that keeps the show kinetic and engaging. About halfway through, the venue went dark and random things on stage lit up, including pieces of the drum set and the drum sticks, as things took a turn for the tribal. Percussion-fueled dancing ensued in the darkness as everyone in the venue found their place within Grouplove.
Maybe they aren’t ghosts from Woodstock, and maybe they don’t pull the tour bus over to start bonfires along the way. But they at least live out the ideals of their music on stage, where they exhibit a friend-like chemistry bearing unmistakable sincerity. You can daydream about it when you listen to their record, but when you’re there live, you can feel it.
Photos by Kristin Slater
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