Photos and Review by Stephen Bloch
Imagine the arena split in two— one side reflects The Lumineers’ warm campfire folk‑rock; the other, Hippo Campus’s vibrant indie electricity. This absolutely was a double headliner show. Hippo Campus kicked off the evening at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center which is likely the largest stage they have played. No surprise that a hometown show would elicit this kind of turnout. As a support act to The Lumineers, they delivered a compact set, maybe a bit shorter than a full on headlining show. Their set had shimmering crescendos and high energy. The audience was moving and grooving with songs from their 2024 release Flood as well as from their previous releases. Notably, DeCarlo Jackson’s trumpet lifted songs in a novel way. Highlights were “Way it Goes” and “Buttercup” from their their 2017 release Landmark
The mirror then got turned a bit. From the moment The Lumineers began, the arena glowed like a torch. Their fans had a Taylor Swift like intensity. There was no shortage of long white flowing hippy skirts, boots, and loud singing from their fans who have been turning out like this for twenty years. I was surrounded by uberfans who knew every word to every song and had no problem demonstrating it. Even Wesley Schultz noted that he’s still in awe that people are coming out to see them after all these years. Their storytelling tunes from Automatic felt earnest, threading through the crowd with that signature Americana glow. Tunes came from all of their releases but they did include some outstanding covers from Billy Joel and The Rolling Stones
What made this concert special was the contrast of textures: The Lumineers’ gentle, lyrical campfire warmth versus Hippo Campus’s electrified indie soundscape. Together, they created a mirror‑image experience—two musical worlds coexisting in one arena, each reflecting and enhancing the other.
Bottom line: The Lumineers offered comforting storytelling under starry lights; Hippo Campus injected youthful vigor and sonic bravado. In St. Paul, it wasn’t just a show—it was a dual narrative, two sides of the same magical musical coin.
