#nobbe

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to have been in the front row for Grouplove at Foellinger Auditorium. The show was incredible on all fronts but what struck me the most about the performance was Christian Zucconi’s (vocals and guitar) resemblance to Kurt Cobain. The shaggy red hair in his face, painted nails, faded, distressed jeans, Nike sneakers, and crazy guitar antics while he belted the lyrics to “Colours” took me back to the many Nirvana performances I have watched on YouTube while neglecting my homework. Both performers’ love for their art and energy are evident in their performances as they thrashed their guitars and shouted the lyrics through their sweaty hair. I could almost imagine Zucconi's singing of “Tongue Tied” as Cobain’s “Lithium.” Grouplove does not have the classic grunge sound of Nirvana, but rather a poppy “indie rock” with the classic rock-band instrument arrangement of two guitars, a bass, drums, and keyboard. Their songs remind one of the summer after high school graduation and the transition to the next chapter in life. The audience and I enjoyed every minute of the performance as we matched the band's energy and sang along. I also enjoyed Hannah Hooper’s skeleton morphsuit as it reminded me of the full black morphsuit performer at Nirvana’s performance at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle in 1990. It was definitely bittersweet to realize that seeing Zucconi perform was the closest I will probably ever be to experiencing a Kurt Cobain or true Nirvana performance; I just hope Courtney doesn’t get her hands on him.