Grand Rapids-based band Ultraviolet Hippopotamus said they will try to give audience members a lively and memorable performance when they play at 9 p.m. Thursday at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing.
Jeffrey Smith considers Ultraviolet Hippopotamus to be a band that immediately captivates its audience.
“Generally, the band is good enough that it takes but one experience seeing them live to turn casual listeners into longtime fans,” the band’s publicist said in an email.
Longtime fans and first-time viewers can see the Grand Rapids-based band perform at 9 p.m. Thursday at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing.
The five-member band will play with Strange Arrangement, a progressive and psychedelic rock band from Chicago.
“We try to produce as much energy as possible and make people feel excited about music (by) … not being predictable,” drummer Joe Phillion said. “I just hope people talk about (our music).”
The band dabbles in a wide range of musical genres, including reggae, rock and blues.
“We like to go all over the place,” Phillion said. “There’s not one genre we stick to — it’s everything pretty much.”
Smith said the latest CD from Ultraviolet Hippopotamus was an effort by the band to showcase this wide-ranging and versatile sound.
Currently, the CD is nominated for Studio Album of the Year by the Home Grown Music Network — a North Carolina-based network of indie bands, venues and businesses — he said.
The band, which typically plays about 150 shows a year, currently is on tour again after already completing two major tours within the past year. During the past year, the group has strayed away from its Midwestern roots to perform in states throughout the country, such as Colorado, Florida and New York.
“In these new markets, the band is quickly adding to its fan base and picking up new devotees all over the country,” Smith said. “It’s still growing but growing fast.”
Just recently, members began playing in the Midwest again, and said they were excited to do so.
“There’s no place like home,” Phillion said. “The Midwest is where we branch from, so it’s always like we come back home, and we know we’re going to do well here and see faces we recognize.”
Thursday will not be the first time the band has performed at The Loft, but Phillion said he expects the night’s performance to outshine the others.
“It’s going to be even better because there are two gigantic bands from the Midwest teaming up to have a great night,” he said. “It should be an excellent night of music and festivities.”
Phillion said band members try to give their audience a lively and memorable show every time they perform.
When Muskegon, Mich., resident Tommy Sahn first saw Ultraviolet Hippopotamus perform at a music festival several years ago, he became hooked.
“The first time I saw them, I thought they were awesome, and I wanted to see more,” he said.
Since his first encounter with the band, Sahn said he has seen it play numerous times, and plans to travel from his home in Muskegon to Lansing on Thursday to see members perform yet again. He said the band is one of his favorites because of its unique sound.
“They have a new kind of sound,” he said. “They are always expanding and evolving.”
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This summer, the band plans to play several large music festivals and continue to reach out to more fans with its music.
“The band is riding a wave of recognition and popularity right now that will only allow them to grow bigger in popularity and play to more people,” Smith said.
