The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California 
By Evan Zelig 
The Hippos have remained one of Concert Direct's favorite bands since the first time I heard their music. After seeing them at The Troubadour again on this night, it is once again obvious to me why. Their music is amazing and their live show and stage presence is even better. 
After terrific opening sets from ska favorites Jeffries Fan Club and Horneytoad, it was time for The Hippos to take the stage and clearly the audience was ready as they began to push their way to the front of the stage. 

Although the audience had to wait a little bit while The Hippos tried to fix the problems they were having with one of their keyboards, they did not mind because they knew what they were there to see and they would wait to see it! 

Finally, although the keyboard was not fixed, The Hippos started their set to the screams and cheers of guys and (mostly) girls. 

The Hippos were on the stage for about one hour, all the while jumping, running, and playing around on stage by throwing out balloons, shirts, and promo CDs from the band. But do not let this distract you from the music, because that is what The Hippos are all about! 

The music was the reason the people came to see The Hippos and The Hippos weren't going to let the people down. They played all the songs from their Forget The World release which includes "Irie," "Asleep At The Wheel," the title track "Forget The World," "Celebrate," "Don't Worry," "When Will I Learn," and the crowd-pleasing cover of the Police's "So Lonely." 

Although The Hippos pleased the audience when they were performing, they left them wanting more as the crowd demandd to hear their cover of Operation Ivy's "Freeze Up" which will be appearing on the upcoming tribute album, Take Warning: The Songs Of Operation Ivy. But The Hippos would not play it and are keeping their many fans in suspense until the official release of the CD. 

Despite missing one of their keyboards, and despite having to disappoint the audience somewhat by not playing "Freeze Up," The Hippos still gained the approval of all in attendance at The Troubadour. In fact, when they left the stage, several of the people standing behind me began to scream "No! We want more! Come back!" 

This show once again proved to me that The Hippos are an up and coming powerhouse in the ska-punk scene. I guess I am not the first one to discover this though, because they have recently toured with such national artists as Face to Face, MxPx and will soon begin their tour with Blink-182 and Less Than Jake. 

If there are any bands out ther currently that I can recommend for other people to go out and see live, The Hippos are definitely at the top of the list!