Hippo Campus debuts fresh, new album at Slim's

Slim’s in San Francisco was absolutely packed on Tuesday night for the sold-out Hippo Campus concert. The four-person indie rock band, made up of high school friends from Twin Cities, Minnesota, just released their debut album, Landmark (2017), and is going on their North American and international tour.

Hippo Campus jumped right into the concert with their popular single from Landmark, “Way It Goes.” The catchy, not-so-indie-but-not-so-pop song elicited lots of loud singing and plenty of head bobbing and swaying. Their fun guitar riffs and smooth, relaxed harmonies filled the entire place, and that’s pretty much how the night continued on: fun and relaxed. Keeping the crowd engaged and guessing, Hippo Campus played a mix of songs from Landmark and their EPs, South and Bashful Creatures.

The energetic, up-beat band brought an unexpected and dynamic group of people together at Slim’s. The front rows mostly consisted of teenagers, probably just a few years younger than the band members themselves. Adorned with their space buns and halter tops, the front sang along and danced to the beat while the more adult crowd in the back held onto their beers and nodded along. It was a sight to see: the mix of people that Hippo Campus’s music brought out on a Tuesday night.

While all of this was going on, Hippo Campus were completely laid back and looked like they were having just as much fun as the crowd. Their set filled the venue with an air of youthfulness and nonchalance. Overall, their carefree and easygoing performance could entertain anyone from the turtleneck indie elitist to the mainstream pop lover