St. Paul, Minnesota natives Hippo Campus took their “Flood” tour to the Riverside Theater Feb. 13. The show was originally scheduled for Feb. 12, but got postponed due to weather.
Formed in 2013, Hippo Campus is made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Jake Luppen, lead guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist and keyboardist Zach Sutton, drummer Whistler Allen, trumpeter and percussionist DeCarlo Jackson and keyboardist Samuel Calvo.
Hippo Campus has been touring since 2015 when they released their first EP, “Bashful Creatures.” They then went on to tour with bands like Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket and Walk the Moon, and released their first LP “Landmark” in 2017.
Indie pop singer Mei Semones performed a brief opening set with her band, featuring both a violinist and violist. Semones’ presence was quiet and humble, and songs like “Dumb Feeling” were dynamic and entracing — checking all my boxes for what an opener should be.
After Semones finished, the six members of Hippo Campus took the stage with Luppen front and center in an all-black outfit and sunglasses — an ensemble that brought his “cool lead singer” vibe up at least ten points.
The band opened with “Madman,” from their newest album “Flood,” released this past September, setting a loose yet energetic tone for the night. “Paranoid,” also off of “Flood,” brought things up a notch. The song’s upbeat, cheery sound contrasts with its anxiety-filled lyrics like, “Everything and everyone’s out to get me // Nobody is helping and nobody should let me be.”
They continued with this trend later on, performing “Bang, Bang,” off of the band’s 2022 album, “LP3,” where Luppen sings over heavy synths and steady drum beat, “Dead winter gonna take my life // got a bad impression from some bad advice, it’s a cold cut from a hard knock life.” These are certainly relatable lyrics for the bleary Wisconsin weather we’ve been experiencing.
Luppen’s voice is gorgeously low and hypnotic — but he’s not the only vocal talent on the stage. Stock, Stocker and Allen also contribute vocals on several songs. Their placement on the stage put Luppen center, but not front, making the band feel like a genuine collaboration between every musician.
My favorite moments came down to Jackson taking center stage on the trumpet or tambourine, during “South” and “Yippie Ki Yay.” His energy was palpable in the crowd, bringing everyone’s hands together on beat at different points throughout the show.
The band members spoke very little in between songs other than thanking fans for coming out, and acknowledging Wisconsin as “pretty good neighbors.”
Things slowed down during “Think It Over,” when fans pulled out their flashlights as the song crescendoed into the final repeating lines, “You’ve got time to think it over // you’ve got time to think it through.”
The band saved their heavy hitters for when the second half of the show, with their most streamed song “Buttercup,” played a little after half way through and “Way It Goes,” second to last. These songs were a blast — fans shrieked with excitement at the first drum beats of both songs.
They ended with “Boys,” an infectious track off of “LP3” about eventful nights out and the confusion and regret that comes with it, with rainbow lights flashing from every direction on stage. They came back out for “Warm Glow” and “Violet” as an encore, leaving the audience with a feeling of both nostalgia and elation.
Each song was more vibrant and mesmerizing than the last, and the hooks of “Boys” and “Forget It” will be stuck in your head for weeks. The vibe in the venue was one of community and intimacy — fans seemed truly devoted and those at the barricade screamed every lyric right back to the band.
Hippo Campus will continue touring through July 5. Click here to see more of their tour dates and tickets.
This story was written by Annie Goode. She can be reached at annie.goode@marquette.edu.
