Hippo Campus
Hippo Campus and Sure Sure popped the roof off the House of Blues San Diego on Thursday, January 25th.
Sure Sure stopped by House of Blues during their West coast tour to open for Hippo Campus. This experimental pop band from Los Angeles walked out onstage with a synth-based introduction. The dimly lit stage gave the band an air of mystery. Suddenly, an electric guitar rung out. The audience cheered on as Sure Sure began their dynamic pop set.
A highlight of the night was when the band taught the audience how to dance “Hands Up Head Down”–also a song title off their self-titled 2018 album. The keyboardist/singer, Chris Beachy, said to the crowd, “Just put your hands up, head down, and dance!” The track came in with a funky bass, childlike keys, and a rock steady beat. The pop-centric tunes were a great a transition for the headlining band, Hippo Campus.
Starting off with electric drumbeats, Hippo Campus quickly energized the event. The Minneapolis based act put forward muted guitars, falsetto vocals, and a subtle trumpet player. The layering of their vocal harmonies was soothing. Every now and then, the band would dip into experimental and spacey bridges, but never stirred away from their friendly pop rock.
“Suicide Saturday” from their EP, Bashful Creatures, had the crowd moving to a catchy chorus. Although a sad title, most people at the House of Blues were in a trance while listening to those rung out chords and clean leads. One other song that stood out at the show was “South” from their South EP. It was emotional to hear the crowd sing along to the music. Hippo Campus finished their set and said “Goodbye” to San Diego.
