Hippo Campus & Samia @ The Intersection - Gran Rapids, MI

Last Saturday night, Hippo Campus brought people together for a night of jump-worthy indie rock and celebration surrounding a successful new album cycle. The Minnesotans made their awaited return to Grand Rapids, Michigan on their “Bambi” tour supporting the group’s second full length release. The 5-piece played the 1,500-capacity venue, The Intersection, just blocks away from the 420-capacity, Pyramid Scheme, in which they sold out earlier last year. The denim-clad concert goers lined up around the block for an escape from their normal everyday rock variety.

Hippo Campus’ highly memorable set was prefaced by Samia, a collective full of punk energy fronted by a howling vocalist. The group stunned the crowd with its playful lyricism and raw expression of emotion. With a vocal style similar to Alanis Morissette and rebellion to match, Samia is set to take over the world quicker than we ever anticipated. The tight knit foursome performed a guitar-lead tune, “Lasting Friend,” which echoes the lyrics, “I’m not ashamed of my past,” while closing with a stunning cover of Heart’s “Barracuda.” Samia’s star-like persona was reflected in the eyes of those in the audience and brightened the room for the headliner.

Both visually and sonically colorful, Hippo Campus’ live performance was unlike any other. Its high moments were like mountain peaks, up in the clouds. After walking their first steps onto the Intersection’s stage, the band opened with a sparkling rendition of the album title track, “Bambi.” Loyal fans gripped the front barricade as if the band had been around for decades. Showcasing the maturity of their discography, Hippo Campus followed up with hopeful pop-rock tune, “Golden.” Midway through their set, vocalist Jake Luppen exclaimed to touring merchandise supervisor, “You said no one would show up, but they showed up!” The boys rounded out the night with long time favorites including, “South” and “Suicide Saturday.” The crowd was full of strangers who became family for a few hours or at least that’s how the band made them feel.

Hippo Campus’ radiant warmth shows itself through their twinkling guitar hooks that give way to a sense of content and a rosy horizon. The group finished its set with power bop, “Violet,” which features major punk influences and an extended guitar riff. When the band walked off the stage, there was a yearning for more. A movie-like encore chant erupted welcoming the group back for another song. In their final moments in Grand Rapids, Hippo Campus gave the crowd exactly what they wanted and performed, “Buttercup,” a true anthem. The tune which is driven by female empowerment had the crowd shouting, “she’ll be fine on her own,” in unison. The environment of the show created by Hippo Campus gives a sense of safety and hopefulness in a tough climate ensuring that we all will be fine on our own.