Show Review: Hippo Campus shows off new album ‘LP3’ in Nashville

By McKayla Grace

Photos by Annie Shelmerdine

Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, Zach Sutton and Whistler Allen met in Saint Paul in 2013. Trumpeter DeCarlo Jackson joined in the next few years. Nine years, several iconic festivals and five albums later, Hippo Campus performed a stellar show at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.

After a set of psychedelic pop from Jelani Aryeh, including his most popular song, “Stella Brown”, Hippo Campus burst on the scene to thunderous applause. At first, Luppen (lead vocals/guitar), Stocker (guitar), Sutton (bass/keyboard), Allen (drums) and Jackson (trumpet) seemed like the type of guys that would be producing EDM in a basement, and the crowd was loving the vibe.

Then Luppen reminded everyone of his professional training (he studied opera) by unleashing a note that took the room’s breath away. The fans could have listened to Luppen perform in that style all night, but he kept them wanting more.

The entire band left no doubt regarding their talent. Every member vibed with the others and genuinely enjoyed their time on stage. Since its inception, Hippo Campus has grown and matured with its audience. And the music is evidence of that growth. With “Way It Goes”, we got an optimism typical of alt-pop in the ‘10s. In their newest album LP3, Hippo Campus retains that optimism with slightly heavier production, leaning toward electronic and alternative bedroom pop sounds. In step with the genre’s production trends, LP3 also ventures into more complicated concepts lyrically, like the darkness found in “Bang Bang” and the not-so-subtle BDSM references in “Listerine.”

Despite the ominous themes of the new album, the performance at Brooklyn Bowl was full of excitement and hope for the future. This wasn’t the first Hippo Campus show for many fans in the crowd, and it definitely won’t be their last. The energy the band gives off is magnetic and contagious. I have no doubt Brooklyn Bowl will be inviting them back as soon as possible.