“Hippo Campus” is an aptly chosen name for this memorable band – hippocampus is the component of the brain most closely associated with memory. Comprised of Jake Luppen (vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar/vocals), Zach Sutton (bass), and Whistler Allen (drums/vocals), Hippo Campus is a young Indie Pop band currently touring with Saint Motel. Songs from their most recent EP, South, released in October of 2015, constituted a majority of their set. The band is expected to release a full-length album toward the end of this year.
Hippo Campus is subtle in appearance: T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers comprise their wardrobe. There was no gimmick to coincide with their stage presence; the focus was was on the band and their music. Despite dressing almost entirely in black, Hippo Campus’ performance was full of color.
Their sound was vibrant, upbeat, and bright. The music echoed through the 9:30 Club, evoking breezy beaches and long summer drives with the windows down. There are some songs that elicit a smile with their first note; Hippo Campus’ songs went beyond that, getting everyone dancing by the second.
Lead singer Jake Luppen was definitely the star of the show as he maintained impressive control of his voice and dominated the stage. He moved with ease from octave to octave with his clearly extensive vocal range. Some musicians look strange and awkward when dancing with a guitar, but Luppen treated his like an extension of himself – it probably would’ve felt unnatural for him not to jam along with the music. The combination of his powerful, projecting voice and charismatic aurora behind the microphone made the performance particularly captivating.
The chemistry between the other band members was apparent. Nathan Stocker and Zach Sutton maintained a dance battle throughout the band’s set – Stocker would take one step toward Sutton, Sutton would take a step back, and vice versa. All Hippo Campus members were very aware of what the others were doing. The performance was extremely well choreographed but maintained a natural, rhythmic pace.
The cliché “they’re going places” is too apt to ignore: Hippo Campus is definitely going places. All the pieces are there – strong stage presence, powerful vocals, and phenomenal music. If they continue to come together on stage and in the studio this band will soon become a staple of the Indie Pop genre.
Hippo Campus is subtle in appearance: T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers comprise their wardrobe. There was no gimmick to coincide with their stage presence; the focus was was on the band and their music. Despite dressing almost entirely in black, Hippo Campus’ performance was full of color.
Their sound was vibrant, upbeat, and bright. The music echoed through the 9:30 Club, evoking breezy beaches and long summer drives with the windows down. There are some songs that elicit a smile with their first note; Hippo Campus’ songs went beyond that, getting everyone dancing by the second.
Lead singer Jake Luppen was definitely the star of the show as he maintained impressive control of his voice and dominated the stage. He moved with ease from octave to octave with his clearly extensive vocal range. Some musicians look strange and awkward when dancing with a guitar, but Luppen treated his like an extension of himself – it probably would’ve felt unnatural for him not to jam along with the music. The combination of his powerful, projecting voice and charismatic aurora behind the microphone made the performance particularly captivating.
The chemistry between the other band members was apparent. Nathan Stocker and Zach Sutton maintained a dance battle throughout the band’s set – Stocker would take one step toward Sutton, Sutton would take a step back, and vice versa. All Hippo Campus members were very aware of what the others were doing. The performance was extremely well choreographed but maintained a natural, rhythmic pace.
The cliché “they’re going places” is too apt to ignore: Hippo Campus is definitely going places. All the pieces are there – strong stage presence, powerful vocals, and phenomenal music. If they continue to come together on stage and in the studio this band will soon become a staple of the Indie Pop genre.