Rooney More Than a High School Crush

According to photographer Steph Catsoulis, the rock band connected solidly with the audience when it played Gasa Gasa last week.

According to photographer Steph Catsoulis, the rock band connected solidly with the audience when it played Gasa Gasa last week.

[Last week, Rooney and Run River North played Gasa Gasa. Here are photographer Steph Catsoulis' notes from the show.]

When Rooney hit the stage last week at Gasa Gasa, the crowd screamed, and a good percentage of that positive energy came from all the girls who remember lead singer Robert Schwartzman as Anne Hathaway's boyfriend in The Princess Diaries. Rooney proved to be more than just a nostalgia rush and a high school crush. The band delivered a show better than their records with '80s pop rock and alternative-fueled songs as well as a cheeky, quirky humor. More than anything else though, Rooney connected.

A fan the band met on the street and invited to the show bought the members a round during the show. When Schwatrzman invited the crowd to let go of the week, that's exactly what happened. The connection fostered between the band and the audience was so positive that Rooney opted to not leave the stage and stay for the encore. Afterwards, the band members immediately went into the crowd to socialize and take photos. Their down to earth nature and humor amongst fans was really refreshing.

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