Grand Rapids jam band’s final Michigan show before the hiatus is Friday at The Intersection with three full sets, special guests. Might the break spawn an Electric Light Orchestra tribute band?
Time to Re-Energize: UV Hippo plans to take an indefinite break from the stage after this weekend. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Make no mistake: UV Hippo will be back and better than ever.
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That’s the overriding message from band members in Ultraviolet Hippopotamus who will take an “indefinite hiatus” after this weekend’s much-hyped final shows in Grand Rapids and Indianapolis.
The West Michigan show is Friday.
The popular, award-winning West Michigan jam band, wearied by playing more than 150 concerts a year from coast to coast as it approaches its 10th anniversary, welcomes the upcoming break which group members say will refresh them and revitalize their songwriting.
“I think once these last two shows are finished we are just going to take a little time off from everything involved with the band business. No meetings, no practices, no traveling and so on,” said percussionist Casey Butts.
“Maybe the individuals will start writing some parts or songs on their own so that when we get back in the practice space, we will have material to move forward with. Then sometime after the holidays, we will probably get together and just talk about everything and possibly try to set some sort of timeline for getting back into the swing of things.”
NO SET DATE TO RETURN AFTER YEARS OF ‘TOURING HARD’
Guitarist Russell James Olmsted said there’s “no set to date to return,” but that the band won’t go back on the road until material is written and recorded for a new album. “We’ve never been able to approach it that way, and honestly, it’s pretty exciting to have this option. We are all looking forward to see how it’s going to affect our creative process,” he said.
UV Hippo (Photo/Anna Sink)
The reaction to the upcoming hiatus from devoted UV Hippo fans, aka “The Army of Energy,” on Facebook and elsewhere has been predictable: expressions of sadness, love, congratulations and hope for a re-energized future of music-making.
It’s uncertain how long the five-member band might stay off the road and out of the limelight, partly because UV Hippo has been “touring hard for six years” – playing many of the same songs over and over again – without ever taking an extended break.
But it’s clear, insisted bassist and singer Brian Samuels, that UV Hippo aims to be back with an even better arsenal of music: Band members already are talking about and making plans for another studio album.
And interestingly, some of them hope to pursue intriguing side projects on their own during the hiatus.
ONE POSSIBILITY: AN ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA COVER BAND
Butts, who also started a booking and management company for bands, may assemble an Electric Light Orchestra cover band, something he joked about until other musicians expressed serious interest in such a project.
UV Hippo on The Intersection stage. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“If I do it, I want to do it right with a string section and horn players and the whole shebang,” he told Local Spins. “Even if it was just for a show or two, I would love to play some of their songs live. I’ve probably listened to them more than any other band over the past couple of years.”
Olmsted said he’s not sure what he’ll pursue, though he’ll likely “do some acoustic shows, as that’s what I was doing when I joined the band. … It’s kind of exciting to be back in that position and be able to play with new people. I know it will affect our playing and styles, which is one of the reasons we want to take this break.
“We want to continue to progress our music and our musical style. And there’s no better way to do that than to play different styles of music and with different musicians. It forces you to think things differently and break down some walls that you don’t have to when you are in your safe zone as a musician.”
In addition to expanding its jam-band audience across the country, UV Hippo has earned numerous awards over the years, including WYCE’s Jammie Award for alternative album of the year and Local Spins’ Local Spin of the Year Award for the 2013 album, “Translate.”
A CHANCE TO WRITE NEW MUSIC AND RE-FORGE THE BAND
“I still feel whole-heartedly that this break is a great thing for the band. Just to give us some consistent time off and a chance to write new music again,” said Butts, who also noted band members have families now and are in their early to mid-30s.
Growing National Fan Base: UV Hippo (Photo/Abby Fox)
“We’ll be able to reevaluate and re-forge a lot of different aspects of our band and business. Taking this break brought the power back to us to do the whole thing how and when we want to without being pressured to constantly tour.”
For its last hurrah before the hiatus, UV Hippo will regale fans with extra-long shows. The band will play three full sets in each of its final two concerts – 9 p.m. Friday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, and 9 p.m. Saturday at The Vogue in Indianapolis. Admission to each show is $15 at the door ($13 in advance for the Grand Rapids show). Get tickets and details online here.
“That will give us enough time to make sure we play everything that we want to and not feel rushed to get through our songs,” Butts said of the three-set shows. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get every song in our library in there, but we should get through the majority of them and still give us some time for some improvisation. … There is a chance we might try to play some songs that rarely or never get played anymore from the old days.”
Fans can expect some guest appearances, too.
“We have a number of special guests for the shows this weekend, including former bandmates,” Olmsted added, insisting there’s “no sadness” associated with the upcoming concerts. “We will also be debuting a couple of new songs.”
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