Show Review — Hippo Campus Plays Fox Theater
Live from The Fox Theater in Downtown Pomona, Hippo Campus brought a ton of energy and fun to the table on their LP3 tour.
Outside, the line wrapped around the corner as college-aged fans patiently waited to see the band. There was a lot of chatter about what songs would be played, excitement over seeing the band members, and just how long they have had to wait for this show.
Hippo Campus brought out Ginger Root to open the show. Previously having never heard of Ginger Root before this show, I watched him charm the crowd with his jokes and skills on the synth. For the last two songs of his set, he even picked out a fan to record the rest of the show with his flip camera from middle school. He also pointed out his grandma in the crowd telling us, “My grandma is in the audience right now, she hasn’t seen me play music in nine years.” The crowd made sure to welcome her with open arms and cheered for his grandma as he smiled at her up on stage. It was truly a precious moment to witness between a proud grandmother and her grandson. A fan even said, “She’s our grandma now.”
As I waited for Hippo Campus, I chatted with a couple fans in the crowd. They talked about their favorite Hippo Campus songs and who they were most excited to see. Some of their favorite songs include “Mojo Jojo” and “Passenger.” They also told me they arrived at the venue around 1:30pm — these fans were certainly dedicated to being right by the barricade. They, along with the rest of the fans, were filled with so much joy and anticipation for the show.
As the crew began to set up the stage with the band’s instruments and fog filled the room, the crowd’s excitement continued to grow. Chatter and whispering sparked amongst the crowd as they waited for the band to perform. The set lights turned blue and applause erupted from the crowd as Hippo Campus came out. Lead singer Jake Luppen wore denim overalls paired with black Doc Marten boots. I could hear fans chattering over it behind me. I loved his outfit, and the fans did as well.
The first song they performed was off their latest album, called “2 Young 2 Die.” As they sang, the fans roared and sang along throughout the entire song. The crowd screamed and jumped with excitement— the energy in the room was booming. This was the perfect song to kickstart the show, with the song itself sounding just like a new beginning. “2 Young 2 Die” is about living your life to its fullest potential, doing what you can to savor the moment. And each and every person in the crowd could relate.
There were so many dedicated fans in the crowd, including the little boy beside me during the entire show. He sat in front of the barricade and had a smile plastered on his face for most of the night. He sported Hippo Campus merch and made sure to sing and dance along with the band. He knew every lyric without fail,waving his hands and dancing along to each song.
Mid-show, lead guitarist Nathan Stocker said, “Pomona you guys rock fuck,” which resulted in an explosion of cheering and screaming from the crowd. This one line encapsulated the crowd’s eagerness.
After performing a couple songs from LP3, they also included some songs from their first album Landmark. I really enjoyed their performance of “Simple Season.” It brought so many smiles in the crowd. It’s definitely a joyful song, and matched the overall positive energy of the crowd.
The last song of the night was “Understand.” And when Hippo Campus walked off stage, the crowd begged for an encore. And after a couple minutes of cheering, they came back on stage to perform two more songs: “Bambi” and “Buttercup.” Everyone went wild over “Buttercup”—their most popular, well known song. The crowd was especially hyped over the bridge of the song. One of the best moments of the show was when Jake walked away from the mic and just stood in front of the crowd holding up his guitar. He had the biggest smile on his face and I knew that he was simply taking in the moment of the crowd, the energy, and the accomplishment of this tour.
I really liked the backup singing from guitarist, Nathan Stockar and bassist, Zack Sutton. The blend of their two voices along with the beat of their songs complemented the lead singer’s voice. The trumpet player also did a phenomenal job supporting the band. The band had amazing chemistry, and I could tell that they were all really happy to be performing. I had a great time, and it was obvious that everyone who was in attendance did, as well.
Photos by Kristine Pascual
