HOMETOWN SHOW WAS A LOVING RUCKUS

An hour before their start time, Los Angeles based indie heroes Grouplove packed out a Friday night at the historic Wiltern Theatre downtown. Usually, a line of fans wrap around the building eagerly waiting to enter and get a good spot close to the stage, but for this show, everyone was already inside. The only areas left for fans to filter in were toward the very back, but this didn't shun anyone from getting whatever view they could.

Tennessee rocker Bully opened the show with an intimate set that had fans enthused for the night of musical gathering. Around 9pm, The Beatles’ track “Come Together” played in full, acting as an introduction to the band coming onstage as well as a peaceful code to follow for the fans watching. Before saying anything, the group went into Never Trust A Happy Song closer “Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten.” Fans immediately went berserk, staying polite of course, but wilding out to tracks like “Deleter” and “Borderlines and Aliens.”

The real introduction to just how loved the band is by fellow Angelenos came when Grouplove played “Ways to Go.” At this point, fans in the front could hear fans in the back mimicking the high-pitched vocals of singer Chris Zucconi. It was almost unfathomable what would happen when tracks like “Colours” and “Tongue Tied” were performed. The band slowed it down toward the middle of the set with founding member and singer Hannah Hooper asking fans if they created art. Many rose their hands and she proclaimed how important it was for people to keep creating because “only you can create the art you make.” This led into “Tongue Tied” with the opening guitar riffs converting the Wiltern into a scene out of Project X with fans jumping and tossing their hands in the air. The ground trembled all the way to the back where the contagious atmosphere was still felt.

Hooper and Zucconi often ran across stage together, getting on their hands and knees connecting their heads together and sharing hugs, showcasing just how much love they have for one another. It was a truly a family outing for the band as well as the fans. With a slightly mixed up set, Grouplove opted to cover Blur’s “Song 2” over Cage the Elephant’s “Spiderhead” which both fit well into the rowdy fun that makes the band who they are. They concluded with “Raspberry” and “Colours” before exiting to another Beatles track, this time “All You Need Is Love,” letting fans know that music is something to be shared and have fun with. Especially when the world won’t listen. Check out the set list here!