Alt-rock band Grouplove made their first appearance in five years at The Orpheum on Sunday. In the midst of their Big Mess tour, named after their third album, the group was accompanied by two opening bands: Dilly Dally and Muna.
Dilly Dally opened up the show on a somber note. The group’s short set was a strange mix of incredible jam sessions and the lead singer’s harsh, abrasive voice. Despite their hard rock guitar shredding, the group really failed to pump up the crowd in anticipation for Grouplove. Perhaps as a reaction to their underwhelming set, or as a portrayal of their rebellious aesthetic, the lead singer threw her guitar on the ground at the end of their set, followed by the group quickly leaving the stage without a single goodbye.
Shortly after, Muna came on to the stage to grace audiences with a more upbeat set. The group sounded like they came straight out of the 80s with an energetic alt-pop sound. Blowing up the stage with incredible energy, Muna built the crowd’s excitement as their set progressed. Their set was incredibly well-balanced, with many energetic songs interrupted by a perfectly placed ballad. The band received a lot of applause as they left the stage for the remainder of the night.
Synths and keys slowly filled the ears of the entire audience when Grouplove finally made their appearance. Beginning their set with the song “I’m With You,” the group made a perfect transition from the upbeat set of Muna to their absolutely wild set.
Grouplove’s greatest asset during this show was not their musical talent. Instead, their glamour, extravagance and berserk energy played the largest role in the show. The two lead singers have arguably some of the best chemistry in any alt-rock band. Constantly feeding off of each other’s moves and excitement, the two danced and ran around the stage as the other band members played like it was the last time they ever would.
Playing some of their hit songs including “Tongue Tied,” “Shark Attack” and “Welcome to Your Life,” Grouplove brought a new sense of vitality to The Orpheum. Nearly the entire audience followed along with the words, while the hard-hitting drums literally shook the crowd.
In an unexpected move, Grouplove covered the classic hip-hop song “Sabotage,” originally by the Beastie Boys. Grouplove’s new album has subtle hints of hip-hop, which may be why they performed the song. Either way, it was an extremely rambunctious moment during the show.
Grouplove slowly faded out of their set with a few less popular songs. The band may have said they were done, but the deafening screams of the audience said otherwise.
The encore had just as much energy as their full set. With their smash hit “Colors,” Grouplove had one of their most extravagant performances of the entire night. Fitting in with the theme of the song, a multicolored light show flashed behind them as they put forth what appeared to be every last bit of energy. The song’s lyrics deal with some serious issues, and as a response to that, the band closed their show with an extremely genuine speech about positivity to conclude the show.
The band ended the show with one final remark saying they hope it doesn’t take five years for them to make it back to Madison. It’s a hope that they shared with the entire audience.
