Ellington Band Makes a Comeback

After a little time off, a local band is making a comeback.

The HippoCampus, composed of Ellington natives Tom McBreen, Ray Clark, and Neil Douglass will be playing a return show on Saturday at the  in Manchester.

The show is 21-plus and will begin at 9 p.m. Cover is $7.

McBreen and Clark started playing together when they were 13 and in late 2001, formed the band with Douglass.

McBreen plays guitar and does vocals, Clark plays bass and does vocals, and Douglass plays drums

Over the course of the past ten years, they have played all around the northeast including Burlington, VT, Ithaca, NY and New York City.

McBreen says that during most of the band’s career, it was a rock band that delved into the jamband scene, and improvisation became a staple of its live performance.

“However, we still hold our hearts close the “90s alternative sound,” with influence from bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana,” McBreen said.

In 2009, Pat Simone joined the band playing synthesizer and keyboards, which led the band into a more electronic sound. After playing numerous shows, Simone decided to leave the band in 2010 and head to Los Angeles to pursue his own solo career.

McBreen said that The HippoCampus had announced its last show in October of 2010, going on an indefinite hiatus.

But that hiatus didn't last long.

Earlier this spring, the band grew antsy and starting rehearsing in a studio, writing several new songs, and reviving old ones that had been placed in the vault from the band's early years.

“The band is eager to return to the live stage which is our favorite thing to do... play as a live bad,” McBreen said. 

You can follow the band on its Facebook page.