Ultraviolet Hippopotamus is a five piece rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan whose strength in original compositions and ability in effortlessly flowing from one genre to another has made them a captivating force in the midwest music scene. The energy, crowd banter and light show make this band hard to ignore. It started in the summer of '04 when a few friends from Big Rapids, Michigan got together for a few low-key jam sessions. Before long they had established a couple of sets of music containing fun covers and even some original musings. As they tried to settle on a name for their new group, they stumbled across a story containing a fictional band with the name Ultraviolet Hippopotamus. They felt it worked as a perfect representation of the ridiculous nature of the band... so it stuck.
In an era which seems like everything has been done before, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus has carved a niche sound of its own with genuinely heartfelt lyrics, compelling composition and explosive instrumentation. The music created by this five piece is progressively diverse and often switches genres throughout the course of a show; sometimes even throughout the duration of a song. Their live shows have become an avenue for the band to build upon the core of their songs, exploring new ground, creating tension and taking risks for those moments of pure musical ecstasy, giving fans an original experience within every show.
A little over two years ago Some Kind of Jam celebrated its two year anniversary at WIDR with style by having the fellas of
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus stop by and play an improvised set. Tracks varied from original cuts like "Bob The Wondercat" (which appears on their newest album
Square Pegs Round Holes) to a Star Wars theme teaser and all sorts of savory tidbits in between. Most of the in-studio sessions on the show are cut into tracks, but they just felt like going at it for about 40 minutes, so if it ain't broke why try to fix it?
