Grouplove Makes a Big Mess in Philly
The night is young, the rest is up to you
Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, photo by Matt Ellis
Grouplove took The Fillmore on November 1st, and it was one of the most unforgettable concerts I’ve ever seen. The Big Mess Tour crashedinto Philly like a storm and by the end of the night, everyone in the crowd was high on adrenaline. The openers, Dilly Dally and Muna, had the crowd pumped up and ready. Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi, the power couple lead singers of Grouplove, had us all screaming at the tops of our lungs and echoing their lyrics back and I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people look happier than they did that night.
Grouplove played an incredible set. They highlighted all of the best songs off of their 2016 release, “Big Mess,” but also played all of the crowd pleasers from “Spreading Rumors,” 2013, and “Never Trust a Happy Song,” 2011.
Hannah Hooper, photo by Lauren Schorr
Grouplove doesn’t just put on a show, they put on a performance. The stage was a huge part of the act, and their use of lighting was incredible. It was an intensely colorful set up made to match the electric green and red of Christian and Hannah’s hair. It was so pleasing to the eye and so fun to watch the lights change and silhouette the band with intense moments of their songs.
It was an experience.
“I’m With You,” one of their most well-known songs, was the opener. The lights cut out while Christian played the delicate introduction riff on the keyboard, and one by one the strobe lights flashed wildly as the other instruments joined in. By the end of the song, the whole crowd was amped up and jumping around to the beat. It was my happiest songs of the night because I was so anxious for them to start, and did they deliver.
Ryan Rabin – photo by K.J. Owen
Fan favorites like “Shark Attack,” “Good Morning,” “Tongue Tied,” “Ways to Go,” “Welcome to Your Life,” and “Itchin’ On a Photograph” were among the highlights of the night. They even ended the night with a three song encore including an acoustic version of “Enlighten Me” and, to everyone’s surprise, their bizarre hit “Beans on Pizza.”
It’s no surprise that Grouplove loves Philadelphia, and we love them back. With a sold-out show, bands tend to surprise the crowd with something special. That night we were thrown a cover of The Beastie Boys’ “Sabatoge,” and Hannah and Christian threw themselves at us. It was a wild, intense moment of who can get close enough to them as their bodies rode the waves of our hands through the front of the crowd.
They never stopped singing, we never stopped singing, and I felt so alive in that one moment.
Dan Gleason – photo by Sean Gleason
To end the show, Hannah spoke about the difficulties of life and how right now, the world isn’t in its best state. They told us to all scream out our anger and frustration and sadness as they began to play “Colors,” and they sang us into sheer bliss.
It’s the colors you have, no need to be sad.
Grouplove doesn’t play Philadelphia often, but when they do, they deliver a show that no one will be able to forget. It easily made my list of top five best concerts I’ve ever seen, and for that I thank them immensely.
T Shirts designed by Dylan Eddinger
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