{"id":578,"date":"2017-04-07T17:02:07","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T22:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=578"},"modified":"2019-12-17T20:33:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T01:33:28","slug":"review-hippo-campus-magic-city-hippies-paradise-rock-club-0401","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2017\/04\/07\/review-hippo-campus-magic-city-hippies-paradise-rock-club-0401\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Hippo Campus, Magic City Hippies @ Paradise Rock Club 04\/01"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n(Photos by Monica Sucic)<\/em><\/p>\n

On Saturday, April 1, Hippo Campus headlined the Paradise Rock Club as a part of the East Coast leg of their 2017 <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i> Tour. After releasing EPs in 2014 (<\/span>Bashful Creatures) <\/span><\/i>and 2015 (<\/span>South)<\/span><\/i>, the Minnesota-based band released their first full album, <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i>, this past February. Hippo Campus is made up of frontman and guitarist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton, and drummer Whistler Allen. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hippo Campus\u2019s sound is often described as similar to bands such as Bombay Bicycle Club and COIN, and they\u2019ve been constantly noted as one of the best new bands to hit the indie scene. Both of the EPs and <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i> provide eloquently dark lyrics paired with energetic guitar riffs, strong bass lines, and foot-tapping drum beats; a prime example of this is \u201cSuicide Saturday\u201d off the <\/span>Bashful Creatures<\/span><\/i> EP. Luppen\u2019s vocals touch some songs with carefully placed falsetto, whereas Stocker is featured in others with power-ballad style belting. There\u2019s a dash of everything indie in all of their music, ranging from hints of afro-pop guitar to indie-rock solos. <\/span><\/p>\n

All college-aged, the boys of Hippo Campus illustrate some of the darker sides of growing up in modern day in their songs. But worry not, their music will do the opposite of bring you down. They do something that many young bands struggle to do: pair the pains of \u00a0young adulthood with an upbeat and feel-good sound. It\u2019s as if they say \u201cHey, someone else went through this too, and you can do it.\u201d <\/span>Bashful Creatures, <\/span><\/i>which is an essential EP for an introduction to the band,<\/span> will make you want to grab your keys and take a road-trip will all the windows down. Songs such as \u201cSouth,\u201d \u201cSouls,\u201d and \u201cWay it Goes\u201d are definitely tracks that you could throw on a summer playlist for soaking up the sun at the beach or park, and \u201cWestern Kids\u201d and \u201cBoyish\u201d are ones that you could dance around your room too when no one is watching (which, admittedly, I did as soon as <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i> was released). More appropriate for relaxing rainy day listening, \u201cEpitaph,\u201d \u201cVacation,\u201d and \u201cPoems\u201d show how the band has branched out musically from the roots of the EPs. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Opening for the night was Magic City Hippies, hailing from Miami. With an energized rock sound, they were a perfect way to start the show. They played a few newer songs, such as \u201cHush,\u201d and unreleased songs from their upcoming album. A few songs from their 2015 EP, <\/span>Hippie Castle, <\/span><\/i>also made the setlist, ending with their most popular song, \u201cBull Ride.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hippo Campus took the stage with the opening song to <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i>, \u201cSun Veins.\u201d \u00a0The track was written to transition straight into the second song of the album, \u201cWay it Goes\u201d which they played directly after. After a few songs, Luppen took a break to talk about the band\u2019s love for Boston and noted that he was sporting a spirited Red Sox hat that I had given to a him earlier. To reinforce this love, Stocker added that he was so excited for the show that he had said \u201cWhat\u2019s up Boston\u201d at a show earlier in the week in DC. They played crowd favorites such as \u201cSuicide Saturday\u201d and \u201cSouth,\u201d as well as a few upbeat songs off of <\/span>Landmark<\/span><\/i>, like \u201cSimple Season\u201d and \u201cWestern Kids,\u201d which were given a slightly different twist when played live. While playing these songs, Sutton could often be caught dancing dynamically to the beat or jumping in sync with Stocker from across the stage. The band also included some more solemn tracks from the the new album; one of such songs was the second single, \u201cMonsoon,\u201d which was written about the death of Stocker\u2019s sister. It provided a unique and calming feeling among the crowd as Luppen turned from the high-speed strumming of earlier songs to sweet and soulful crooning. Hippo Campus finished the show off with \u201cButtercup,\u201d a power-ballad that got everyone dancing and singing along with the whole band. They encored with \u201cViolet,\u201d another high-energy indie rock style song, whose music video is the band\u2019s most popular, with over 1 million views on YouTube. <\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, the band stunned the Boston crowd and stated that they hope to return soon. They were extremely kind before, during, and after the show, and expressed so much gratitude towards their fans. If you can, catch Hippo Campus while they\u2019re still playing small venues, because they\u2019re definitely going to take off. <\/span><\/p>\n

-Monica Sucic<\/em><\/p>\n