Groovasaurus
Cheekus
by Joe Hacking
I only dance to three bands: The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Groovasaurus. But the only similarity Groovasaurus has with the other two bands (besides the hippie/crunchy following) lies in the word that is the first part of the band’s name: Groove. There are few bands in Boston that can deliver a tight blend of musical styles fit to dance to. The members of Groovasaurus know how to lock into a musical groove that can turn a room full of beer swillin’ younguns’ into a dancing, sweaty mass. These guys fucking rock.
The blend of their sound is ’70s funk with just a dash of classic rock sensibility. Singer Anita Suhanin, arguably the best female vocalist to come out of Boston in years, sings with a sincerity and passion that can move the darkest soul. Drummer Mike Piehl lays down rock-solid chops on his kit, allowing guitarists Ian Kennedy and Goody to perform their outstanding sonic interactions. Lou Ulrich (any relation to Lars?) fills the space between drums and guitars, sometimes acting as third rhythm guitar, sometimes hanging tight with Piehl. Rounding out this lineup is Ryan Claunch, the bespectacled, low-profile virtuoso on the keyboards. His soft key approach adds a layer to Groove’s sound that was missing in their earlier incarnation. Together, they play their catchy, fun originals mixed with covers of everything from The Jackson Five to Black Sabbath to the occasional Sinatra cover.
They’ve just released their second disc, Cheekus. Pick this up to get an idea of what they sound like and then go see them live. Now! Groove has become the victim of a word of mouth campaign that has caused their popularity to grow exponentially. They used to play at the Claddagh for two bucks to a comfortably crowded room. Last night, I went to catch the band at Harper’s Ferry only to find a ridiculously long line running out of the front door. The days of Groove’s anonymity have passed. These guys are in the process of taking off, so check them out before they end up on the Melrose Place soundtrack.
