Original publishing via KUCI 88.9 fm. Photos taken by Kara Worrells Gutiérrez.
Joyful singing and dancing—the purest pleasures that concerts yield, such as those orchestrated by Hippo Campus. Each face I saw—from the line wrapped against South Garey Avenue eagerly awaiting entrance to the venue, to the noise laden lobby of the art deco palace, the standing floor, and the balcony where the crowds stocked every seat—each face shown a smile, anticipating what would be.
Opening for the final show of the Bambi Tour hosted at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Nov. 23, 2019, The Greeting Committee (TGC) kicked off the night with an abundance of energy. Donning the stage with enthusiasm, the vibrance of the quartet immediately set aflame an itch to dance.
Comprised of Addie Sartino, Austin Fraser, Brandon Yangmi, and Pierce Turcotte, The Greeting Committee is an indie rock band hailing from the American Midwest, alongside Hippo Campus (HC). Performing tracks from their third EP, I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry—produced by Jake Luppen and released on Oct. 17, 2019—TGC personalized a cause for celebration and lament—performing, as well, songs from their previous albums, This Is It (2018), Meeting People Is Easy (2017), and It’s Not All That Bad (2015). Befriending their audience of both old and new through humor and sincerity—such as when Sartino chucked toilet paper touched by a member of HC into a wave of out-stretched hands, as well when they requested total silence for the cathartic rendition of “Call in the Morning” from I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry—The Greeting Committee inspired hope in metamodern art.
Transitioning sets, Hippo Campus came on stage to greet an exhilarated crowd. Upon playing “Bambi” from their sophomore LP (2018), the audience almost immediately harmonized with the quintet. Being that this was my third time seeing Hippo Campus perform live, it was not surprising to me that the majority of attendees knew the lyrics word for word. However, one can imagine how it would feel to be the first-timer happily enveloped by everyone's heightened passion, especially towards the end of the concert.
Mixed into their set list were tracks from each album released to date, including: Bashful Creatures (2015), South (2015), warm glow (2017), Landmark (2017), and Bambi (2018). In addition, the songs, “Chapstick,” “No Poms,” and “Ease Up Kid” from the digitally released version of Demos II (July 2019) were included throughout the set. During this tour, the group—comprised of Nathan Stocker, Whistler Allen, Jake Luppen, DeCarlo Jackson, and Zachary Sutton—answered the audience's encouraged encore, playing their—currently—most popular song, “Buttercup.”
In combination with the playfulness toggled between band members—whereby each member dances with the other, or as a group—the shows that Hippo Campus performs always transcend the music. Unmatched, the dynamic use of color and lighting is a distinct quality of HC’s concerts that establishes a saturated mood soaked in beauty. It makes sense, then, why The Greeting Committee would tour with Hippo Campus—even more so produce an album with a member of the headliner: both groups humanize the complexities of sentimental existence and spread the good of vulnerability through their art.
Offering parting words prior to the end of the concert, Stocker expressed it best, “it’s been an amazing year. We spent the last year touring with amazing people—amazing bands—in a bunch of amazing places and cities, and those cities come with venues like this one, [which] come with amazing people like those who are with us here tonight.” It is delightful seeing Hippo Campus evolve from performances at the Constellation Room of the Observatory in Orange County to the Fox Theater in Pomona, and it brings hope to the long lasting impressions they instill in their audiences.
Tune in to The Vault: https://thevault889.kuci.org/ and kuci.org