Yes, Grouplove has passed the live music test. And I have to give a special thanks to my cousin Matt for winning our Metro/Bears/Packers bet and wisely selecting to see Grouplove as his first concert at Metro.
Ever since Matt picked the show I’d been digging Grouplove’s tunes on their debut release Never Trust a Happy Song, a unique and clever mix of upbeat indie-pop, rock, folk and groovy songwriting with some Beach Boys Pet Sounds melodies and rhythms tossed in.
And in the days leading up to the show my curiosity grew and a whole bunch of questions started bouncing around in my head.
I wondered how they would transfer the energy of the songs to the stage.
I wondered how the fans would embrace the band live at this very early stage in their career.
Would the band’s chemistry be developed enough to captivate and amaze?
Would fans get emotional?
Would it be the same as the Gayngs and Ra Ra Riot show?
Well, Grouplove certainly brought the goods.
And fans did spread the love and feel-good vibes on many levels.
And with the sold out Metro just about ready to burst, the quintet charged through their set with reckless abandon.
During the show I saw many fans like the ones above hugging and lovin’ on each other in many creative ways.
Some were arm-locked, while other fans were locking other body parts during the whimsical surging anthem “Itchin’ on a Photograph,” the summertime gem “Naked Kids” and especially the encore crowd-pleaser “Colours.”
Experiencing all of this for over an hour made it hard to believe that Grouplove had been together for barely a year.
And the band wasn’t shy about their lack of live show inexperience either. They declared graciously several times that this was their largest headline crowd to date.
It was a most joyous and beautiful blur.
And to top it all off I had the honor and pleasure to share the show with my cousin Matt who, I found out before the show, had not only never been to a Metro show, but had never been to a rock concert ever. Double bonus!
This was truly a scared moment, my friends.
And as I mentioned before we’re going to explore and share more as we talk with Matt about his first concert experience on a future episode of Live Fix Radio.
Until then, we’d love to hear what you thought of the Grouplove show, so go ahead and post your comments and thoughts below and we’ll include your experiences in the episode.
In case you’re wondering I took these shots with my Droid X2 and originally shared them via Instagram as part of our ongoing mobile experimenting. Follow me on Instagram by searching for “livefixchris.” I’d love to see what kinda of concert magic your capturing with your smartphone too.