Ultraviolet Hippopotamus

Travis Compton (Vocals and Guitar), Brian Samuels (Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, and Bass Guitar), and Cameron Rye (Saxophone and keyboard) all had dreams of pursing music as kids growing up in Big Rapids Michigan. After following around bands like Phish and The String Cheese Incident they started their own band in 2003. They called themselves Ultraviolet Hippopotamus. By the end of 2004 there were two new members, Joe Phillion (Drums), and Sam Guidry (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Vocals). Another change transpired in the summer of 2006 when Nate Karnes (keyboards and banjo) joined the band after Cameron left.
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus is a band that focuses on its live musical performances and the energy that is created when the audience and performers come together. They create something unique every time they take the stage, often by inviting other musicians to join them. Ultraviolet Hippopotamus also includes improvisation in their live performances, which allows the band to tailor a piece of music to that performance.
Bill Beckwith of 100.9 FM summed this up well by saying, “All five guys are excellent musicians, and they search out great sounds from all genres. Ultraviolet Hippopotamus uses creative originals and obscure treasures from others to treat you to one remarkable surprise after another! Even when Ultraviolet Hippopotamus breaks into a favorite everyone knows, there is still a never been here before feel to it. They don’t cover a song; they re-create it.”
Searching out great sounds from different genres is something Ultraviolet Hippopotamus takes great pride in. A lot of the music they play has a progressive rock feel to it, but they often switch from one genre to another in mid song to keep the audience stimulated and on their feet. While the audience is up, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus gets those feet moving by infusing jazz, funk, techno, and reggae into their music.