Grouplove @ The Egyptian Room — Indianapolis on March 21th, 2014
When it comes to a band you’ve never seen before – much less, one you barely know anything about – you have a choice to either believe what you hear, or ignore the hype and move on with the rest of your day.
This is the story of someone who chose to do the former.
Grouplove stopped by the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre as part of their “Spreading Rumours Tour.” Of course, they weren’t alone. Joining them for the first week was Alex Winston.
Before we get to far, here’s a disclaimer: I know all of 3 songs by Grouplove, I don’t know much about them outside of what I heard on the radio, and I wouldn’t even consider myself a fan of the band. So it’s for these reasons that I thought I’d review this show.
On this beautiful Friday night in downtown Indianapolis, Old National Centre was clearly the place to be. In the main theatre was a concert straight out of the 90s, featuring the likes of Johnny Gill, Dru Hill, and 112; while upstairs in the Egyptian Room, was Grouplove and Alex Winston.
Though I would’ve loved to have been able to run from one room to the next, I only have tickets for one show, so it’s off to the Egyptian Room I go. I navigate through a crowded lobby and head upstairs into the crowded and stuffy room. There’s this strange vibe emanating from the stage, and I’m now compelled to make it as close to the front as possible.
Alex Winston, a pop artist out of Detroit, MI, is here to kick things off. Though she is a soloist, she is joined by a backing band that utilizes keys, a violin, guitars, drums and bass. I’ve never heard of her before, but half the fun of going to shows is discovering something new. I may be a little late getting in, but let’s see what she can do.
Unlike a lot of opening acts I’ve seen on this stage over the past few weeks, they seem to have the crowd engaged in the early going. There are some towards the center of the room jumping and throwing their hands up and even a few over by the side singing along. One even caught a tambourine that was thrown into the crowd. Needless to say, they played right along and got a nice little souvenir. Hey, eager audiences make for the best shows.
As for her performance, this was a prime example of someone that just loves music. Her movements may have seemed a little flail-y and strange from a distance, and maybe her attempts at talking to the crowd felt a little awkward, but everything felt real. This is a girl who is just losing herself in the performance. When she does something like dances on stage or climbs on top of the speakers or even throws a tambourine out to the crowd, it’s real. Nothing is choreographed or planned out, the way it should be.
Before she leaves, she tells us she loves us all, and some return the favor, myself included.
It’s a beautiful spring evening in downtown Indy, and for the first time in months, it feels better outside than it does inside. It sort of makes me miss outdoor shows, and when the room is slowly starting to feel like a sauna, you can understand where I’m coming from.
Meanwhile, live goes on around the building. Dru Hill’s performance in the theatre can be seen on some of TVs in the halls; some people see this as the perfect opportunity for a bathroom break; and I make it back to the merch table for an Alex Winston 7″. It gives me something to listen to when I get home, and will function as a fan for the rest of the evening. Who says vinyl only has one purpose?
Now comes the (mostly) uncomfortable wait for our main event to start. Sound check is going on and by the looks of it, most everyone here is ready to go. There’s an all-white backdrop and a few LED panels scattered across the stage. The problem? It’s empty. Sometimes I just have to keep repeating these words to myself to pass the time:
Soon…soon.
Then before I know it, the lights go out and a somewhat confusing dubstep intro pours through the speakers as the band takes the stage. For a few seconds, this rock show turns into the biggest dance club this side of Mass Ave. It’s a bit of a surprise, but from there, it’s straight into “I’m With You,” and away we go.
For the next hour or so, it’s an endless barrage of strobes and flashing lights, boundless energy from the band that perfectly complimented their own blend of catchy rock/pop, and of course, an excitable crowd eager to dance and sing the night away. Some got into it a little more than others, such as one person who climbed up on another’s shoulders to watch and simply game a thumbs up to security when they shined their flashlight, and one overly enthusiastic person who couldn’t help but dance like there wasn’t anyone watching.
As for their set, it was a pretty mixed bag. Since they are touring in support of the recently released Spreading Rumours, they played quite a few songs from it, including “Raspberry” and “Shark Attack,” the latter of which was given to anyone who attended for free if they voted for which song they liked on their website. Of course, there were a few familiar favorites from previous releases, like “Itchin’ on a Photograph” and of course, the smash hit “Tongue Tied.” They even threw in a cover of Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love” for good measure. Hey, these guys know how to show a crowd a good time.
I’ll elaborate a little more on that last point: I went into this show not knowing much about them or really knowing what to expect. By the middle of the set, I realized that none of this mattered. Grouplove was a reminder that going to shows isn’t supposed to feel like a chore. It’s supposed to be fun. Not everything has to be “gloom-and-doom” serious all the time. Some shows are just meant to be fun, and what a good time they brought to the Circle City. Their energy was infectious, their songs were catchy, their on-stage banter (mostly directed towards guitarist Andrew Wessen) proved that they didn’t take themselves too seriously, and above all else, they looked like they were having a blast while doing it all.
As much fun as I’m having, all things must come to an end, and Grouplove ends things off with “Slow,” which includes a fast and furious drum break that sends this audience into a frenzy. From there, it’s a bid farewell and they exit the stage.
But like a kid in a candy shop, it wasn’t enough. We wanted more of those sweet and delicious confections they call songs. The applause never stops, and eventually they come back out to give us a three-song encore. It’s three more chances to jump, dance and sing like there is no tomorrow. Along with this, we’re also led into a sing along of “Happy Birthday” for their manager, who was celebrating one that day.
After closing with “Colours,” it’s an actual farewell that ends with the band thanking everyone and taking bow to the delight of the crowd. The lights come back up, some head towards the exits while everyone around the stage crowds around like those seagulls in Finding Nemo trying to get a discarded drumstick or a setlist. All the while, The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” comes pouring through the speakers with a few singing along (this might have included me…).
For some, this Friday night is just beginning. As for me, it’s back to my car to compose my thoughts and translate that into a review.
And here we are, in a dimly-lit room with only the soft glow of my computer screen typing away. So what’s the final verdict?
I may not know many songs by them, nor could I identify any of them if I were to run into on the street, but leave it to Grouplove to remind me that shows are supposed to be fun. An escape for a few hours that you can immerse yourself in and have a great time with a few hundred (sometimes thousand) of your closest friends.
And that’s a rumour you can believe.
The Good:
What wasn’t to love? Grouplove was entertaining and full of life (could be the result of only being the second show on the tour), while Alex Winston was a nice surprise. Both know their way around their music, and it definitely shows.
The Bad:
Assuming this isn’t where I get to vent about downtown traffic and trying to find parking that resulted in me walking in a few minutes after it started, the only nitpick seemed to be when Winston had to talk to the crowd. Chalk it up to nerves or otherwise, but that’s a very fixable issue. It was also very warm and crowded in the Egyptian Room, but some things you can’t help.