King Hippo Records Holiday Bash a Huge Success
Night Train Studios has recently formed a friendly relationship with
King Hippo Records, a Boston based record company with several up and
coming local acts under its fledgling wing. King Hippo Records, founded in
2003 by three young New Englanders, has taken great strides forward this
year as a new Boston business. As a crowning activity in celebration of a
stellar year filled with many high points, King Hippo Records decided to
organize its first annual Holiday Bash here in Boston. On a chilly Friday
in December, just a week before Christmas, three exciting young Boston bands
came together to wow a crowd of over 200 people at
Copperfields Down Under just down the street from
Fenway Park. College students and other twenty-somethings from around
the northeast and New England mingled and danced the night away. With an
open bar serving ice-cold beer and wine, everyone seemed to enjoy as the
music poured out into the night.
Taking the stage first was
King Hippo’s fresh new group comprised of two New Englanders called
Chill B. Mike Olcott and Matt Coons, both hailing from New
Hampshire and attending school at
Middlebury in Vermont, warmed up the audience for a show they would not
soon forget. Their chill beats soothed even the savage soul as the crooning
of Olcott hushed the crowd on more than one occasion. The two played a
combination of soft smooth music that reminds the heart of times past (and
brings a tear to the eye of the passerby) with several more upbeat, rocking,
thumping jams. Truly taken by their music, the crowd swayed gently, perhaps
recalling a peaceful summer rainstorm or the calming waves lapping the
northern shores. Coons tapped the flowing rhythm upon an African hand-drum
called a djembe carefully situated within his full drum kit, while Olcott
strummed effortlessly on his acoustic guitar. The two dynamic and talented
musicians won the crowd over with their thoughtful lyrics and soothing
tunes, opening the King Hippo Records Holiday Bash perfectly and setting the
stage for the following acts.
Not willing to let the mood
be caught too long in any tranquility, King Hippo’s own
The Dij stepped up next upon the stage at Copperfields to spark the
crowd. By this time, more people had filed into the long bar and were
working their way forward for a glimpse of the action up front. Quickly
shaking off the cold and sparking up the crowd, The Dij electrified
their audience with some catchy homemade rock n’ roll. They even made sure
to pay homage to the holiday season by rocking the spirited crowd with Deck
the Halls. The classic style rock band snapped the bar into some funky rock
beats with several original songs including fan favorite
Better Off Without Me. The band members (Timbo on drums, Tommy
McGuiness on bass, Sgro on guitar, and EC with lead vocals) found their
rhythm early and kept the high-energy show going strong through the
intermission.
With some dancing of their
own to do, The Dij handed the microphones over to the third band of
the night, Alabama Blacksnake. Within a few minutes the foursome
stepped onto the stage introducing themselves as Alabama Blacksnake,
friends of The Dij from the south. Their distinctive cowboys hats
and sunglasses clearly set them apart from any of the other three bands of
the night, all from the northeast. These boys could rock out! They didn’t
need to mix in any originals into their set list as The Dij or
Chill B, because they picked the most eclectic mix of cover tunes ever
seen on stage. By the time they played the first few notes of the rock
version of
Enrique Iglesias’ Bailamos, everyone in the place went crazy. They
weren’t afraid to delve into the classics like Seger’s
Turn the Page and Elton John’s
Tiny Dancer closed out their set with Picture by
Sheryl Crow and then, the New Jersey rock anthem,
Living on a Prayer. Alabama Blacksnake relinquished their control
of the audience and the stage for the final group of the night.
As a sublime and fitting
grand finale for the evening,
Grey Area took center stage to pick up where The Dij left
off. Another local Boston based band, Grey Area rocked Copperfields
with an earthy funky rock tone, making sure they wowed the crowd and kept
the feet tapping. By this point in the show, the empty wine bottles stacked
high against the back of the bar and people were literally bouncing around
the room. The band, comprised of Scott Feuer as lead vocals, Gavin McDonagh
with backup vocals and guitar, Rich Lynch on bass, and Matt Kelly on drums
found an audience receptive to their snappy beats and jumpy rhythm. They
played an excellent mixture of covers and originals that allowed the crowd
to sing along and still be intrigued by their diversity. With an almost ska
like bounce to their beats and a smooth strong lead singer, Grey Area
showed why they have been booked all over Boston and in venues across the
northeast.
The success of the first
annual King Hippo Records Holiday Bash could be measured in many ways, but
as with most shows, crowd reaction says the most. When asked about the
shindig and the performances of the bands, Megan Stiles, a native of Maine
transplanted here to the Boston area, said, “I was grooving and shaking.
All four bands rocked!” Tim Maloney, a recent graduate from
Harvard University, slurred, “There were women everywhere and the beer
flowed like wine.” And drummer for The Dij, Timbo said, “I had a blast!
The energy of the crowd helped pull the whole show together. As performers
we’re always stoked when we see people dancing like crazy.” And Erik
Carleton, one of the founding partners of King Hippo Records, spoke highly
of the evening as well. “We had a great time at Copperfields. Everyone
seemed to be enjoying themselves. We can’t wait till next year.” |
