Grouplove is kicking off their 2014 headlining tour right here in Cincinnati. We last saw Grouplove at Bunbury Music Festival in 2012. Who can forget that show? It stole our hearts and made all right with the world for that moment in time. I asked Hannah Hooper (vocals & keyboard) how Cincinnati got so lucky to be the starting point of the tour: “We just missed you guys. We want to open our tour with y'all and then jump into the Ohio River. Just a thing we are gonna do this year”.
Grouplove was formed in 2009. Hannah Hooper met Christian Zucconi in Brooklyn at one of his shows. She was headed to an art residency in Greece and invited him along. It was at this retreat where they met the rest of the band, Andrew Wessen, Ryan Rabin, and Sean Gadd. The five connected immediately and have been at it ever since.
The bond that they share is evident in their performances. You can't help to feel a part of something special when you see them live. The band shares the same tattoo “Group” on their right forearm and they always sign their emails 'Love'. Some time has gone by and Hannah is still as much in love with her bandmates as ever, “We are best friends even on the off days when the bus breaks down and we are all burnt out in the middle of nowhere with no food or reception–we always find something to laugh about. I love these boys with all my heart”.
Grouplove has gone from indie sensation to household name since Cincinnati last saw them in 2012. This doesn't faze Hannah at all: “Ha! I wouldn't consider us a household name but then again we have been so busy touring I don't even know who's President right now”. Since becoming such a popular band how do they choose opening bands? Hannah explains, “We keep one ear to the ground and track our opening bands like we do our dinner. There is no real method to the madness–when we fall in love with a band we see if they are available to tour with us”.
For those of you late to the Grouplove scene, Hannah says you can expect to see “head banging, passionate singing, and ridiculous banter between bandmates and more importantly: expect to feel alive from the crazy vibes we throw out at you all night”.
Do not miss the chance to see Grouplove at Bogart's on Thursday March 20th. Enter to win tickets to the show on our contests page!
