Grouplove at UC San Diego: 2012

Timing is everything. Grouplove played Porter's Pub at UCSD right as "Tongue Tied" was absolutely everywhere - on the radio, in commercials, on TV shows. They were blowing up, and catching them in a small campus venue before they moved to bigger rooms made the show feel special.

"Tongue Tied" live was exactly what you'd hope for - infectious energy, everyone singing along, the band clearly enjoying that their song had connected with people. Those group vocals, that instantly memorable melody - it's a perfect indie-pop song, and they delivered it with enthusiasm.

What impressed me was that they had more than just the hit. Their whole set was filled with energetic, catchy indie-pop songs. The dual vocals between Hannah and Christian gave them a dynamic sound, and the whole band brought this positive, party-like energy.

Porter's Pub is a small campus venue - low ceiling, tight quarters, the kind of place where you're basically on stage with the band. For Grouplove's enthusiastic style, it was perfect. They fed off the crowd's energy, and the crowd was all in.

There's something fun about seeing a band right as they're breaking through. They haven't gotten jaded or exhausted from constant touring yet. They're still excited that people know their songs, still bringing genuine enthusiasm to every show. Grouplove had that in spades.

The whole show felt like a party. That's the vibe they create - not serious or brooding, just fun, infectious indie-pop that makes you want to dance and sing along. Sometimes that's exactly what you need from a concert.

Catching a band in a small campus venue right before they blow up is one of the great pleasures of college music programming. UCSD's booking proved they had good taste - Grouplove was clearly going somewhere, and we got to see them before they graduated to much bigger stages.