06.24.23 – Photos by Julia Gacek / Review by McKenna Klaphake

As the sun began to set, three Minneapolis-born bands prepared to take the stage at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, Minnesota this past Saturday. Indie pop band, Hippo Campus, wrapped up their nationwide tour in their home state with openers, WHY NOT and Miloe. As a music reviewer, the opportunity to cover this show was a surreal experience as all the bands are highly respected in the local music scene. Hippo Campus especially have become local legends over the last decade. I was very excited to say the least, but after looking at the gloomy weather forecast, I was crossing my fingers (and toes) that the show wouldn’t be canceled. 

Despite the highly anticipated rain storm, fans from Minneapolis, greater Minnesota, and everywhere in between showed up to the park ready for a concert in any kind of weather. Thankfully, the clouds parted and the sky cleared as the first opening band, WHY NOT, took the stage. 

WHY NOT is a trio consisting of lead singer/guitarist, Henry Breen, guitarist Isaac Dell, and drummer Joshua MacGregor. It was clear that there was a group of loyal fans in the crowd as passionate cheers echoed as the band began their set. WHY NOT was a great opener as those who enjoy Hippo Campus’ sound will also like the groovy indie pop that WHY NOT excels at. 

The upbeat tracks were driven by punchy drum beats that you could feel in your whole body. This combined with the charismatic personality from Breen, got the audience jumping and dancing along. WHY NOT released a self-titled album in 2022 and performed a couple of songs featured on it including, “TAKE A MINUTE” and “YOU’RE MY KIND.” They also performed a handful of singles such as, “Flight Home” and “Casket.” The latter was a collaboration with another Minneapolis musician, Papa Mbye, who was originally booked to open, but due to unknown circumstances, was replaced by WHY NOT. The band ended with a fiery finish and MacGregor throwing his drumsticks into the audience. It was clear after WHY NOT’s set that the crowd was amped up for the rest of the night of local music. 

Miloe brought a whole new meaning to performing for me and I was truly blown away by their set. The performance was led by multi-faceted powerhouse, Bobby Kabeya, who crafted an all-encompassing sound with a full band of talented folks. This artist was not only supported by the usual bass, guitar, soundtrack, and keyboard, but he also had two fantastic backup singers while he sang and played the drums at the same time. This was particularly interesting for me as you don’t see many artists supporting themselves on the drums. I think it just goes to show how talented Miloe is due to being able to accomplish such a task. 

Miloe’s origins in the Democratic Republic of the Congo influences his music and this can especially be heard in the catchy, unreleased track that he performed titled, “OH MAKAMBO.” The energy from WHY NOT’s set carried over as Miloe told the audience to open the pit and a small group on the right side of the crowd obeyed diligently. While this may not typically be the music one would mosh to, the audience was starstruck and acted accordingly. Miloe finished the bands set with his song, “Floating” which included a successful call-and-answer chorus with the audience. 

Hippo Campus walked on stage to the swell of instrumentals and the cheering of thousands of fans. Minnesota can be territorial about the artists who began here (Prince, Lizzo, etc) and Hippo Campus seems to be no different. It was clear that the audience was excited to have the band home, at least temporarily, for this last show on their ‘Wasteland’ tour. My heart pounded in anticipation as lead vocalist/guitarist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stocker, bassist Zach Sutton, drummer Whistler Isaiah Allen, and trumpet player/percussionist DeCarlo Jackson emerged on the stage. The group was also joined by keyboardist, Sam Rosenstone, who began playing with the band on this last tour. 

The encouragement from the band for the audience to clap and sing along was almost unnecessary as the fans screamed the lyrics back to them right from the start. The tour promoted the band’s newest EP, Wasteland and they performed new pieces including, “Yippie Ki Yay” and “Moonshine.”

Since Hippo Campus has been making music for a decade they had an extensive discography to choose from. They started with older songs including, “South,” “Way it Goes,” and “Baseball.” They also performed songs from their more recent releases “Good Dog, Bad Dream” and “LP3.” Fan favorites for this era of Hippo Campus include, “Bang Bang.” “Ashtray,” and “Bad Dream Baby.”

While Luppen sang most of the songs, Stocker and Allen jumped in on lead vocals for “Where to Now” and “Chapstick.” The stylish musicians moved around the stage as they intensely and intently wailed on their instruments. The palpable energy from the band flowed into the audience and was amplified by colorful flashing lights and strong beats. 

Hippo Campus’ trumpet player, DeCarlo Jackson, may not have been with the band since its creation, but he adds crucial sounds to their music that elevates this band on all levels. The groovy trumpet riffs and clashes on the tambourine add a feeling to each track that left me speechless after I heard it live.

The bond among the band was undeniable as they laughed and danced along to their own music. After just coming off a major tour, it was great to see them still enjoy performing together and making music that fans love so much. Hippo Campus finished with a proclamation of gratitude from guitarist Stocker and the song “Boys.”

However, the band then returned to the stage with an explosion of energy for two more songs, “Buttercup” and “Violet.” Hippo Campus then finished their set the way they began it; to thousands of cheers and applause from dedicated fans.  

Luppen put it best when he said, “It’s a special day, dude. This whole set is Minnesota bands.” With a background of Lake Superior and the honking of passing cargo ships, there was a perfect mix of all things Minnesota at Bayfront Festival Park. While Hippo Campus may be looking forward to a break after their long tour, fans including myself, wait in anticipation for what they create next.