Concert Review: Hippo Campus Are Electric At Irving Plaza
Hippo Campus played at Irving Plaza eager to hear a band the calls out the “culture of cool” that is social/ entertainment perceptions with really good music. For a band of which I noted their lyrical aims for the details of Life rather than its images, I was stunned to see so many people singing Campus’ words as if each audience member had written them. The sense of ownership and love that connected between the audience and Hippo Campus could be why lead singer Jake Luppen called it “one of their best shows ever”.
When the crowd is ready for you, you notice it. Hence, Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, Zach Sutton, and Whistler Allen revealed their inner rockers on stage; swerving their instruments and vocals as if they were more a death metal band than indie rock. Seeing their heightened energy happily contrasted how, on record, their songs leap for their effortlessly, thoughtful analysis on feeling alienated. Their debut, Landmark, is an album to get lost into its catchy hooks, sunny rhythms, and words that feel too personally inspired by Millennial life. From “Sun Veins” to “Poems” or “Suicide Saturday”, each song felt like an affront to cults of “commercialism” that both confine and define youth of today, of which their “part lax, part raving” personas mixed well in presenting this spiritual challenge. These were four, extremely talented guys that seemed plucked from a Minneapolis living room and into the NYC club scene. Their ability to appear like young, rambunctious outsiders with the adrenaline of a smooth someone that “fits in” is exactly what their music is about, and only amped the audience’s sincere belief that Hippo Campus “gets them”.
Hippo Campus – way it goes (Official Video)
A Hippo Campus concert is a fun, strange beauty. Their crowd was a melting pot of personalities that understood, but did not want to play into facades anymore. Hence, the blazing, beacon of lights behind them that changed between red, white, and blue added to the bigness of the night and overaching motto of “Goodbye Fake, Hello Real!”. Hippo Campus, honestly, felt like the biggest band to his NYC/ earth since EVER. They were exhilarated by the crowd and the mutual feeling that life could not get better than the surreal reality we were sharing that night. It could be why Luppen and Stocker’s voices felt so rich as they sang momentous choruses and riffed uplifting chords. Honestly,they brought a level of glee and brightness that belongs in the summer circuit of music festivals. Moreover, Luppen’s voice is mesmerizing, similar to Kaleo’s JJ Julius Son, he has the capacity to make lyric’s truth pierce you. Sure their voice differ in sound and texture, but the comparison from memorability. You will remember Jake Luppen.
Hippo Campus – monsoon (Official Audio)
I marveled at how well and into the lyrcial aspect the audience was, in concert, because, again, Hippo Campus has songs that no matter how simple the chord, the imagery is always vast. Yet, the point of Hippo Campus’s “Landmark” is that youthful intelligence/ wisdom should not be underestimated, which is what I believe the crowd most relished. Similar to the reviews of Youngr and Mondo Cozmo, I have found that you should NEVER expect or undermine what a good concert can teach you in new things about your favorite band. For more information on Hippo Campus and their current tour Click Here.
Hippo Campus – boyish (Official Music Video)
