Quickly-rising band Grouplove returned to the Riviera Theatre Dec. 21 after cancelling their previously scheduled November show, and while the apocalypse predictions for that day had completely missed the mark, Grouplove was definitely on key.
At the band’s last scheduled performance, several band members took the stage after their opening act, Papa, finished playing. The members then addressed the audience, explaining that they were going to reschedule the show because Christian Zucconi, the primary singer, was ill.
When Papa opened for Grouplove last time, they played a mellow set that did not seem like it would mesh well with Grouplove’s typical energetic performances; however, twenty | one | pilots opened this concert with a fast-paced, high-energy performance by mixing electronic music with rap and rock vocals. Toward the end of the set, the band’s singer literally climbed up the walls of the theater while screaming along to the band’s songs. While Papa may be good at what they do, twenty | one | pilots seemed to fit the concert vibe much better.
After preparing the set for Grouplove’s performance, the members did not walk out this time to address the audience, but rather, they stormed the stage to a Kanye song and then immediately began playing the upbeat “Itchin’ on a Photograph,” and aside from a few slower songs, the band really kept up both their and the audience’s energy all night.
Zucconi’s voice was phenomenal – his range is very impressive, but he is not the only great singer in the band. Guitarist Andrew Wessen sang a “Spun,” a more “pop-punk-like” song and bassist Sean Gadd played a rockabilly-inspired “Chloe.” Vocalist and keyboard player Hannah Hooper shined in the hook-heavy “Love Will Save Your Soul” and the slower, but enormous “Slow.”
Toward the end of the set, Grouplove left the stage, and when they came back, they asked the large audience of the Riviera to stay quiet so that they could perform a completely acoustic “Cruel and Beautiful World.” The band had to try a couple of times, but after teasing that New York and L.A. were able to stay quiet for the song, the crowd stayed silent until they finally began singing along.
Heading into the final songs of the night, Grouplove played a truncated version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” They finished up the night with their most popular songs: “Tongue Tied” and “Colours.”
It’s becoming rare that performers sound as good live as they do on their studio-recorded songs. Grouplove, on the other hand, accomplishes the feat of being even better live than they are on their album.