{"id":1432,"date":"2018-03-21T12:32:01","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T17:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=1432"},"modified":"2019-12-17T20:24:08","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T01:24:08","slug":"review-hippo-campus-sure-sure-port-city-music-hall-0211","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2018\/03\/21\/review-hippo-campus-sure-sure-port-city-music-hall-0211\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Hippo Campus, Sure Sure @ Port City Music Hall 02\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Monica Sucic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span>Every time I\u2019ve seen Hippo Campus, the weather has been extreme and out of season. When I saw them for the first time at Paradise on April Fool\u2019s Day 2017, it was snowing. When I trekked up to Portland, Maine, to see them this February, it was pouring rain. The five Minnesotans headlined Port City Music Hall, which was a third of the size of the venue they sold out the night before, Brooklyn Steel. Regardless of the size, the stages were consumed by the energy of lead vocalist and guitarist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, trumpeter Decarlo Jackson, drummer Whistler Allen, and bassist Zach Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n

The opener for this tour was the band Sure Sure. The quartet of Californians showed off songs from their first, self-titled album as well as songs from their EP <\/span>Songs from 2014<\/span><\/i>. They also played a fantastic cover of Talking Heads\u2019 \u201cThis Must Be the Place\u201d and gave the \u201880s tune a bit of a modern twist while still honoring its classic elements. Overall, Sure Sure provided an awesome set that showcased their variety of musical talent. They\u2019ll be playing at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge on April 17; be sure to check them out! <\/span><\/p>\n

I was fortunate enough to have a VIP pass for Hippo Campus, which included a three-song acoustic set before the show. It started with \u201cSula,\u201d from the band\u2019s 2013 EP, <\/span>Tarzan Rejects,<\/span><\/i> which isn\u2019t available to listen to, unless you have the original release. The other two songs were from the first album, <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i>: \u201cWestern Kids\u201d and \u201cBoyish.\u201d All three songs take on an entirely different tone and emotion when played acoustically, and the band wasn\u2019t afraid to change them up a bit to give them new life. One of the things that makes Hippo Campus one of my favorite bands is that they\u2019re never hesitant to try new things, regardless of how strange or unconventional they may seem. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of these new things done on this tour was opening with the song \u201cPoems,\u201d which is an emotion-filled slow jam. After came \u201cInterlude,\u201d which was written to transition from the song \u201cBoyish\u201d but has since been repurposed to follow \u201cPoems.\u201d \u201cInterlude\u201d is the best example of trumpeter Jackson\u2019s power on stage. It seems that Jackson will be an official member of the band from here on out, which will add an impressive and unique element to the live shows, as well as another talented group member.<\/span><\/p>\n

Old favorites such as \u201cSuicide Saturday\u201d and \u201cLittle Grace\u201d were not neglected, and two new unreleased songs made their debut on this tour. One of the songs has a working title of \u201cNo Pomegranates,\u201d based off of a viral video from Twitter. The song itself is quite a curveball from their previous releases, showcasing Stocker\u2019s powerful vocals and being the first song where he sings for the whole duration. It brings out the same powerful and dynamic stage energy that \u201cButtercup\u201d does, and is surely a new fan favorite. \u00a0The second new song, \u201cJoy,\u201d lives up to its title; it\u2019s a light-hearted bop. Luppen demonstrated his outstanding range while repeating \u201c<\/span>feeble joy was all she wrote<\/span><\/i>,\u201d bringing out a bit of the soft and upbeat side of lyrics and vocals akin to \u201cTuesday\u201d from <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hippo Campus\u2019s most recent release, the <\/span>warm glow EP<\/span><\/i>, was featured throughout the whole set. \u201cTraveler\u201d and \u201cwarm glow,\u201d the second and third tracks on the EP, are meant to be paired together and were played as such. Certain lyrics from \u201ctraveler\u201d feel like they could be pulled out of a Victorian novel, such as \u201c<\/span>feelings so fleeting \/ yet never completing the thoughts I quelled to last,<\/span><\/i>\u201d and the song overall feels somewhat like a more mature version of a song from the <\/span>Tarzan Rejects EP<\/span><\/i>, \u201cI (Oh I).\u201d The guitar in \u201ctraveler\u201d is extremely complex and Stocker rises to the occasion to serve it on stage. \u201cWarm glow\u201d transitions from \u201ctraveler\u201d and is a song that will make you think of driving down a highway in the wide open California fields with wind in your hair and the warmth of the fleeting sun on your face. Although the first song on the EP, \u201cbaseball,\u201d is typically introduced as a song about tennis\/soccer\/football\/etc., tonight Luppen introduced it as \u201ca song about politics.\u201d It has familiar indie rock guitar riffs and outstanding lyrics, but the highlight is where Sutton\u2019s intricate bass lines shine through. The bass in \u201cbaseball\u201d continues to show Hippo Campus\u2019s musical prowess: distinct and outstanding, quick and rhythmic, ebbing and flowing. <\/span><\/p>\n

To close out the set, the band ended with \u201cButtercup\u201d and encored with \u201cViolet.\u201d Both of these songs are not only popular with fans but favorites of the band as well. The energy that fills the air during these two songs really shows that Hippo Campus loves to serve their songs and aims for everyone to have a good time, themselves included. <\/span><\/p>\n

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-Monica Sucic<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n