Playing a new, unreleased track and going back to hits from almost a decade ago, Hippo Campus delivered a performance audience members will go back to remember throughout their lives.
The phrase “core memory” — a cultural term based on “Inside Out” regarding an experience providing such an integral part of one’s personality it almost becomes them — should include Hippo Campus in its description.
Nostalgia and a sense of peace was felt throughout the crowd; Hippo Campus delivered quips between verses that comforted them enough to sway openly to the indie-rock soundtrack.
Even with just the opening track of “Bad Dream Baby,” Hippo Campus’ fanbase already had their arms up. And when “Suicide Saturday” came on next with the crowd clapping to the beat, groups of girls could be seen twirling one another in a typical main-character moment.
Three singers donned electric guitars at the front of the IHG stage. Their production included smoke clouds to enhance the performance experience, and stage lights flashed different colors in synchronicity with beat and chord changes.
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Hippo Campus hadn’t played the festival since 2015, a fact they announced on stage.
“It’s been nine years since we played this s— last,” said singer and guitarist Nathan Stocker, and the crowd cheered in response.
When the band played “Paranoid,” a currently unreleased song, the crowd was not disengaged. Members continued to dance and twirl in an extremely loyal fashion.
Besides to record the set, there wasn’t a phone in site. Only matched energy between their fans and Hippo Campus remained — the rest of the world forgotten.
Before introducing “South,” the band acknowledged Lollapalooza and the city of Chicago with a shoutout.
“And, shoutout to goddamn Jones Mints for giving me nicotine mints because I am addicted to cigarettes,” said lead singer Jake Luppen.
“Anyway, here’s ‘South,’” Luppen said, immediately starting the guitar intro. The extremely smooth transition brought chills to the audience, who welcomed the hit with applause.
“Way It Goes,” “Tooth Fairy” and “Everything At Once” continued their setlist, transitioned with jokes and interruptions that completed the charm of the show.
Faithful, true and never wavering, the audience sang alongside the band throughout their performance, the numbers filling the IHG field. Towards the end, some attendees on the frays started drifting away to see other performances, but most stayed true until the end of Hippo Campus’ set.
“We’ve done a lot of festivals this summer and this was the f—— best one by a goddamn mile,” Luppen said.
