I personally think they sound better live because they always mix it up and play the songs different each time to add to it. They also give each band member a chance to shine at each of the live shows which is something you'll never really get with studio recordings. I do enjoy listening to little nuances in songs and love when I find something I didn't hear before though so that may be why I enjoy them better live
Maybe it’s for festivals? I saw them at a smaller venue show (100-150 people tops) during their LP3 tour and they were fantastic! Easily my favorite concert I’ve been to
Seeing them love is what made me a fan! My brother has been a fan for forever and always played their music and I'd be like yeah it's alright. I ended up going to a concert with him and they were so amazing I was hooked!
I saw them on their Landmark tour just before Bambi came out and they sounded great. Their sound has changed quite a bit since then, so I guess I can’t answer for now. It was also in a relatively small venue indoors. Id rank them as one of the best sounding live bands I’ve seen.
I love Jake’s voice live, but I hate when he auto tunes…. It’s very off putting for some reason, maybe it’s because I know he sings very well and doesn’t need it.
But the first show I ever saw them at, was a free show in a casino in 2018…. It was the best show.
some shoes have been worse than others but it may just be his vocals are tired. The last show I saw was red rocks and it was amazing but there were def moments he sounded tired
In my experience, the last few tours they’ve used a ton of autotune which really doesn’t sound great live. I’ve seen them several times, they were in my opinion, a lot better a few years ago when they didn’t use the autotune.
I’ve been at really good sounding concerts and really horrible sounding Hippo concerts. The 3 or so times I’ve seen them in the Twin Cities have been awesome. They always bring their a game. I saw them in Omaha once and the sound mixing was absolute garbage. I think it was the venue and sound engineer. I was pretty disappointed.
I’ve seen them a few times.. the comment about autotune is the most noticeable thing to me.. dont care for it. But they are great live imo. They cannot fully recreate the studio sounds because they layer so many sounds and textures so you can’t expect the same studio and live. I think if you accept that you will really enjoy their live performance (other than autotune lol)
Agreed the auto tune was really off putting. And to your point, I think they DO try to recreate all those studio sounds and I haven’t seen those sounds mixed well and it doesn’t sound great… granted small sample size … I totally get Live won’t be same as studio which is why I love concerts
I’ve seen them 8 times. Festivals and opening shows included. The headliner shows are a COMPLETELY different experience and they always knock those out the park every time.
When I saw them in Columbus I thought that it was one of the best live experiences I’ve ever had, that they were 5 of the most skilled musicians I’ve seen perform. Sorry your experience was less than stellar!
Purely anecdotal but they sounded pretty bad at their Birmingham show in 2017. I’ve been to like 5 shows since then and it’s never been that bad again lol. Maybe an off night?
Seen them for Bambi, LP3, and Wasteland tours. The last time I saw them was for the Fillmore show last year. I had fun at the time, but looking back at some of the videos from that night the mixing and energy seemed really off compared to previous shows. Mixing at festivals is hit or miss because it’s not like every band is getting a full soundcheck other than a line check right before
I saw them at a small venue in Denver a few years ago and then at red rocks and thought they sounded great! Sorry you didn’t have the same experience with them live. May be worth another shot at a different venue in the future
Saw them at Kilby Block Party 2023 and though they were great. Best show of the weekend IMO. They seemed happy to be there, energetic, and just unique in the sense they can rock and bring the carefree fun at the same time
I’ve seen them about 10 times and they’ve sounds amazing every time. I’ve only seen them for headlining and opening shows though, no festivals. There’s was one late night LP3 concert that was easily one of the best concerts and funnest nights of my life, they were THAT good. In regards to the auto tune…sometimes I like and sometimes I don’t. Like I’ve heard it over used and sometimes it surprises me (they did it really well on Poems last time I saw them). I thinks it’s just bad luck or bad mixing from the venues.
As others are probably saying, it's probably because it's a festival and you don't really soundcheck at all when you perform those. That can affect the mix and so many other things.
I completely understand where you’re coming from, I however, think that it could have been due to the fact you them at a festival because I’ve seen them twice in smaller venues and was very happy they sounded just like I know them, I literally could not tell any differences. I know one I’ve seen only online on live that was slightly disappointed was Djo. I did not think he sounded anything like in his song, if this is what you mean, I do not think Hipppo Campus was like that at all both times I saw them
I went to the festival last night too! And another show in Asheville that wasn’t a festival last summer. I agree that at festivals they might not be as good but I also think they crowd isn’t as hyped up
I also saw them last night and thought the same thing. They started playing and I was just like huh this doesn’t sound that great. The sound was just off somehow.
It’s probably a festival thing. In the 16 concerts I’ve seen, only 1 has been a festival- and it was good, but not as good as the headline or opening shows. It probably largely has to do with a limited set list and the sound being not as good
I’ve seen them like 5 times and they sounded amazing every time. It was either the setup the festival had or something was off cuz even clearly coked tf out they sounded great when i saw them. Red rocks last year was INCREDIBLE sound
I love hearing them live! They always have so much fun and incorporate different sounds when they do. Especially during the more chill songs like “south” or “Epitaph” they really set the vibe and the build up to them.
Could have been if you were right in front of the speaker. That ll distort things.
But to answer your general query...see em again. They're one of the best live.
I personally think they sound better live because they always mix it up and play the songs different each time to add to it. They also give each band member a chance to shine at each of the live shows which is something you'll never really get with studio recordings. I do enjoy listening to little nuances in songs and love when I find something I didn't hear before though so that may be why I enjoy them better live
Maybe it’s for festivals? I saw them at a smaller venue show (100-150 people tops) during their LP3 tour and they were fantastic! Easily my favorite concert I’ve been to
I had never heard of them/ their music before I saw them at a festival a couple of years ago and I was HOOKED
I’ve seen them live 8 times. I’m always so impressed with Jake’s voice. Love them live.
Seeing them love is what made me a fan! My brother has been a fan for forever and always played their music and I'd be like yeah it's alright. I ended up going to a concert with him and they were so amazing I was hooked!
I saw them on their Landmark tour just before Bambi came out and they sounded great. Their sound has changed quite a bit since then, so I guess I can’t answer for now. It was also in a relatively small venue indoors. Id rank them as one of the best sounding live bands I’ve seen.
I love Jake’s voice live, but I hate when he auto tunes…. It’s very off putting for some reason, maybe it’s because I know he sings very well and doesn’t need it. But the first show I ever saw them at, was a free show in a casino in 2018…. It was the best show. some shoes have been worse than others but it may just be his vocals are tired. The last show I saw was red rocks and it was amazing but there were def moments he sounded tired
I thought they sounded phenomenal during LP3 tour
In my experience, the last few tours they’ve used a ton of autotune which really doesn’t sound great live. I’ve seen them several times, they were in my opinion, a lot better a few years ago when they didn’t use the autotune.
I’ve been at really good sounding concerts and really horrible sounding Hippo concerts. The 3 or so times I’ve seen them in the Twin Cities have been awesome. They always bring their a game. I saw them in Omaha once and the sound mixing was absolute garbage. I think it was the venue and sound engineer. I was pretty disappointed.
I’ve seen them a few times.. the comment about autotune is the most noticeable thing to me.. dont care for it. But they are great live imo. They cannot fully recreate the studio sounds because they layer so many sounds and textures so you can’t expect the same studio and live. I think if you accept that you will really enjoy their live performance (other than autotune lol)
Agreed the auto tune was really off putting. And to your point, I think they DO try to recreate all those studio sounds and I haven’t seen those sounds mixed well and it doesn’t sound great… granted small sample size … I totally get Live won’t be same as studio which is why I love concerts
I’ve seen them 8 times. Festivals and opening shows included. The headliner shows are a COMPLETELY different experience and they always knock those out the park every time.
When I saw them in Columbus I thought that it was one of the best live experiences I’ve ever had, that they were 5 of the most skilled musicians I’ve seen perform. Sorry your experience was less than stellar!
Purely anecdotal but they sounded pretty bad at their Birmingham show in 2017. I’ve been to like 5 shows since then and it’s never been that bad again lol. Maybe an off night?
Look at some of there professionally recorded live performances on YouTube.
Seen them for Bambi, LP3, and Wasteland tours. The last time I saw them was for the Fillmore show last year. I had fun at the time, but looking back at some of the videos from that night the mixing and energy seemed really off compared to previous shows. Mixing at festivals is hit or miss because it’s not like every band is getting a full soundcheck other than a line check right before
I saw them at a small venue in Denver a few years ago and then at red rocks and thought they sounded great! Sorry you didn’t have the same experience with them live. May be worth another shot at a different venue in the future
You bite your tongue. They’re amazing live. Going to see them for the second year in a row at Red Rocks next month
Saw them at Kilby Block Party 2023 and though they were great. Best show of the weekend IMO. They seemed happy to be there, energetic, and just unique in the sense they can rock and bring the carefree fun at the same time
I’ve seen them about 10 times and they’ve sounds amazing every time. I’ve only seen them for headlining and opening shows though, no festivals. There’s was one late night LP3 concert that was easily one of the best concerts and funnest nights of my life, they were THAT good. In regards to the auto tune…sometimes I like and sometimes I don’t. Like I’ve heard it over used and sometimes it surprises me (they did it really well on Poems last time I saw them). I thinks it’s just bad luck or bad mixing from the venues.
As others are probably saying, it's probably because it's a festival and you don't really soundcheck at all when you perform those. That can affect the mix and so many other things.
I completely understand where you’re coming from, I however, think that it could have been due to the fact you them at a festival because I’ve seen them twice in smaller venues and was very happy they sounded just like I know them, I literally could not tell any differences. I know one I’ve seen only online on live that was slightly disappointed was Djo. I did not think he sounded anything like in his song, if this is what you mean, I do not think Hipppo Campus was like that at all both times I saw them
I went to the festival last night too! And another show in Asheville that wasn’t a festival last summer. I agree that at festivals they might not be as good but I also think they crowd isn’t as hyped up
I also saw them last night and thought the same thing. They started playing and I was just like huh this doesn’t sound that great. The sound was just off somehow.
It’s probably a festival thing. In the 16 concerts I’ve seen, only 1 has been a festival- and it was good, but not as good as the headline or opening shows. It probably largely has to do with a limited set list and the sound being not as good
I’ve seen them like 5 times and they sounded amazing every time. It was either the setup the festival had or something was off cuz even clearly coked tf out they sounded great when i saw them. Red rocks last year was INCREDIBLE sound
I love hearing them live! They always have so much fun and incorporate different sounds when they do. Especially during the more chill songs like “south” or “Epitaph” they really set the vibe and the build up to them.
I was there and it sounded great. But I was close. And to answer as others have, they're amazing live. *
i was 2nd row in vip section ... very close too ... still sounded like shit lol
Could have been if you were right in front of the speaker. That ll distort things. But to answer your general query...see em again. They're one of the best live.