Stats
Biography
Taking their name from the “Vacation” series of movies, the band came together in 2012, featuring Christopher Whitehall (vocals), Daniel Duque-Perez (guitars), Tim John (bass), Chris Riley (drums) and Lachlan West (keyboards).
Beginning work on their debut EP, they were quick to post their new creation online. Their first offering, “Mississippi,” became a runaway success, after being supported by music bloggers. Australian radio station, Triple J, soon followed suit, with the song receiving regular airplay on the station and eventually becoming one of the most popular songs of the year.
Their debut EP, “Heart of a Lion” also found success, climbing high up the Australian charts, as well as gaining exposure abroad. Playing at several festivals, The Griswolds established their formidable live show, receiving wild praise for their sets at Big Day Out, Parklike and Homebake festivals, also finding success after playing shows in Europe.
After an impressive live debut in Brooklyn, New York, US, The Griswolds were snapped up by Wind-Up Records, who released their debut EP for American audiences. “Mississippi” quickly gained the attention of college radio stations, receiving widespread airplay.
Working with Tony Hoffer, they recorded their debut album in 2014, with “Be Impressive” arriving in August of that year. The album broke into the US Billboard Album Chart, as well as peaking at number seven on the US Heat charts.
Live reviews
Both opening bands (first was a local band and I could never catch their name, it was either Runes/Ruins or Drones/Dromes. Second band was Dreamers), both were solid. They were in the realm of The Griswolds' sound and had high energy performances.
The Griswolds put on a great show. Nice mix of new and old. As a concert enthusiast, I am always worried that when bands tour on a new album that they play mostly songs from it, but The Griswolds had a really balanced setlist. Would loved to have heard some stuff from their first EP, but you can't have it all I guess. Crowd was really into all the tracks from their first album (Be Impressive). I can't speak for everyone, but I do miss that sound and am not as in love with the new direction they chose for this current album. Regardless, they did play everything well.
Venue was decent. Accessible by public transit (we subwayed down then took a streetcar across Queen). Sound was a bit too loud and muffled though. Tough to say how that can be addressed as there are so many factors affecting it.
Overall, a solid show. Would love to see The Griswolds at a summer music festival as they have that kind of energy (come back to Canada in the summer when it's warm!). Thanks for the fun night, cheers!
The Griswolds are a four-piece band from Sydney, Australia. Tonight, everyone involved can count on them to get the party started with their “Tequila-inspired party pop”. Their influences are across the board, as they cite anyone from The Beach Boys to Kanye West. It looks as though I am in for a treat with this band, who also I should mention have only been together for a couple of years! They are one of those bands that can get a crowd dancing within a minute, they can get a them singing in about two mins, leading the audience through “Ohh’s and “Ahh’s”. It is as though they have the formula written down somewhere, that they consult before every electrifying set, and fair play to them. “Heart of a Lion” is like throwing a firecracker to the audience with the reaction that it receives. It’s the song that really rose this band to the limelight with it’s rifftastic introduction, and fast bpm backbeat, that before any vocals come in, everyone involved is dancing. They have played a huge variety of shows over time, especially the festivals, and I can safely say that from this performance tonight, they’ve definitely got the formula down.
We brought the tickets for Walk the Moon. We do like the Griswolds, but not as much as for Walk the Moon. Since they are a fairly new band, we're worried about their performance as we saw some youtube videos of their live.
We were happy that they were quite good at live performance, and quite fun overall. The only one thing I don't like is the stage in Fillmore. This is my second time to Fillmore. The stage is too low, and I can never see the chest-down of performers' even tipping my toes the entire time on the main floor.
Anyway, the Griswolds are pretty awesome.
What can I say, these guys are the real deal. From opening song to close, there wasn't a dull moment. To start, Chris has this aura of pure carefree joy and love. You can tell he is passionate about his profession. Tim brings an amazing essence to the stage that's indescribable!! Without Tim I do not think The Griswolds would have their edgy feel. Thirdly, Danny brings cool vibes with him everywhere he goes. Btw happy birthday Danny! Fourth, Lachlan is the happy go lucky (ha) guy that brings the band together! Definetly worth your time to jam with these guys!! GET TIX
These guys brought the fun to this show. Even with songs that I didn't know too well, they made the atmosphere alive and even brought the opening band, DREAMERS on stage with them to close out the night. The Sinclair provided an awesome space for them to perform.
my fourth time seeing them and they never fail to disappoint!! my friends and i got to meet chris and danny afterwards and the venue was fantastic as always. if you want to see them and have a chance to do so you should definitely go!!
This concert was super fun! I even got to meet Chris and Lachy at the end because they were at the merch table! Rating ten out of ten! It was also a blast because I saw them with Walk the Moon who also puts on a super great live show.
These guys were awesome! They sounded great and they interacted with the audience. Their music was so thoughtful and it came from their hearts. They were full of energy and just fun to see. I highly recommend these guys!
Amazing show! Engaged the crowd from the beginning. Lots of energy. All my faves plus a fantastic show ending Ignition Remix with Magic Man. Definitely a band you should see live. See them if you can!