PREVIEW Hippo Campus @ 9:30 Club, 11/13

BY PASHA VAFAEE// Hippo Campus is returning to 9:30 Club, this time headlining their own tour with support from Remo Drive. The young St. Paul indie-rock quartet has only just gotten back to US soil, still riding the success of their UK tour, and has been rocking sold-out shows across the country, playing songs from their first full-length 2017 album, Landmark, as well as their recent self-produced EP, Warm Glow.

Although the band is relatively new to the music scene, they are anything but novices. In the four years since their formation, Hippo Campus has headlined five tours, played at major music festival, such as South by Southwest, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo, and provided back-up support for seasoned bands, such as My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse, The Mowgli’s, Walk the Moon, Jr Jr, Real Estate, and more. Their first EP under Grand Jury Records, Bashful Creatures, garnered them the attention from the public, with live shows quickly following at CBS, WFUV, KEXP, and KCRW.

Formed in 2013 by four high school best friends, Jake Luppen (vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar/vocals), Zach Sutton (bass), and Whistler Allen (drums/vocals), the band has reached rapid success through their bright garage-rock guitar riffs, foot-tapping sparky drum lines, rich back-up vocals, and engaging stage presence. Any fans who have been to a Hippo Campus show will attest to their extraordinary energy, one that will have you dancing the entire show, from intro to encore. After one of their concerts in 2016, I asked the boys what inspired their sound, and frontman Jake Luppen summed it up nicely: “Well, we were mostly playing in garages for friends, and then we noticed, ‘hey, they like this and they’re dancing,’ so we just set out to perfect that formula. We just want people to dance and have fun.”

In short, if you’re trying to find a way to warm up on a cold November Monday night, look no further. In preparation, I recommend you listen to “Suicide Saturday,” “Buttercup,” or “Vines” if you’re looking to dance this weekend. If you’re staying inside, keeping cozy, check out “Monsoon” and “Warm Glow.” Tickets are still available for Hippo Campus and Remo Drive here.

 

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