Hippo Campus + The Districts at The Newport Music Hall

Columbus, Ohio (October 16, 2018) – The sidewalk in front of the Newport Music Hall was filling up with fans waiting for Hippo Campus along with the opening band, The Districts. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the Newport Music Hall is known as “America’s Longest Continually Running Rock Club“. The doors opened early for the VIP ticket holders, followed by general admission ticket holders.

The Districts

Indie rock band The Districts, from Lititz, Pennsylvania was formed in 2009. Consisting of Rob Grote (vocals/guitar), Pat Cassidy (guitar), Connor Jacobus (bass), and Braden Lawrence (drums), they originally formed while they were still in high school. Their style is very unique, kind of like indie-grunge, especially in their song “Nighttime Girls“. The Districts were very great with the crowd and overall had them enjoying what they were listening to; they were a great way to warm up the evening.

Hippo Campus

It was time for the headliner, Hippo Campus, an alternative rock band formed in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hippo Campus includes Jake Luppen (vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar/vocals), Zach Sutton (bass), Whistler Allen (drums/vocals), and DeCarlo Jackson (various instruments). They released their first EP Bashful Creatures in 2014, and now they are out on tour to promote their second full album, Bambi. Throughout all of their music, their general vibe has stayed consistent. It’s mostly very light, yet they still manage to touch on some serious topics in some lighthearted ways.

Before the band had gone onto the stage tonight, they fueled the huge crowd by playing the opening song, “Mistakes” while the lights were dimmed. They opened the show with a bang by playing one of their current singles, “Bambi”. They had the crowd singing and clapping along with all of their songs, and even got them jumping up and down during one of their new songs “Bubbles”.

Prior to the show, they held their VIP experience, which was placed a few hours before they went on stage. Everyone gathered towards the front of the venue and sat on the floor while Hippo Campus played an intimate three-song acoustic session. Following the music, they took personal photos with everyone. Signed postcards and pins were given out for all VIP ticket holders to take home.

I highly suggest catching one of their shows. Hippo Campus has been a really big part of my life ever since I saw them open for Panic At The Disco in 2015. They have been a personal favorite ever since. Seeing them live tonight for the fourth time – I have never regretted seeing a concert of theirs. They are great to listen to whenever, with their music getting better every time. It was an absolute honor to meet them tonight during the VIP experience and photograph their first three songs during their full concert.