Magic City Hippies' Decade-Long Journey Leads Home for New Year's Eve Bash

The tale of the Magic City Hippies begins more than a decade ago with Miami native Robby Hunter busking on the sidewalk in front of the now-closed Johnny Rockets in Coconut Grove. As a solo act, he leveraged the busking into a regular gig at the nearby Barracuda Taphouse & Grill, where he played with several different musicians before he met Chicago native Pat Howard and John Coughlin, who hailed from Sarasota.

By 2011, the trio came together to form the Robby Hunter Band, and it's been a long road filled with unsuspected turns for the group since then. It's all leading them back home for a New Year's Eve concert at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Hunter splits his time between Miami and Bozeman, Montana, while Howard and Coughlin are based out of Los Angeles.

Despite forming in 2011, the band didn't officially release its debut album, Magic City Hippies, until 2013. The title track on the album was one of a handful that were doing well online leading up to the album's release. "We wished we were called that pretty much immediately once we came up with the song title," Howard tells New Times over a Zoom call with all three members. Despite that realization, they struggled with the idea of changing the band's name after getting some traction under the Robby Hunter Band name.

Still, the Magic City Hippies moniker always felt more fitting for the guys. The name stemmed from their time living in what was dubbed the "Hippie Castle" while they attended the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Their friends started calling it that because of the revolving door of musicians and other creatives that would crash there. Fittingly, "Hippie Castle" ended up as the title of the band's 2015 EP, the first release under the Magic City Hippies name. Since the name change, the group has grown into a tight-knit, constantly evolving, multitalented band with a substantial and ever-growing following around the globe.
The Hippies' creative output, spanning three albums thus far, is a delicate dance between meticulous craftsmanship and organic synergy. The members semi-jokingly refer to their approach as the "Rorschach inkblot gibberish" method, where melodies tend to take precedence over lyrics initially, but they stay open to interpreting elements of songs as they appear.

Because of the restrictions during the pandemic, with the guys living in different cities, Howard says, "It's become more like a collaborative chess game — everyone's move is more thought out. I think everyone has a certain reverence for the magical side of it."

"I've got like two songs; Robby's got like 40," Coughlin jokingly adds as they all laugh together.

Live shows have played a pivotal role in the Magic City Hippies' journey, fostering an energy feedback loop with their audiences that helps them stay connected to the passion behind their craft. Bolstered by a stint with Hippo Campus on a national tour, the band made rounds on the festival circuit with standout performances at Bonnaroo, Hulaween, Okeechobee Fest, and Austin City Limits.

Regarding the dynamics of touring, the band values the uniqueness of individual shows, the party atmosphere of festivals, and the freedom to be creative during the Magic City Hippies' tour stops, where fans are more attuned to the furthest reaches of their sonic depths. The trio credits sound engineer Mike Herrera, also a Miami native, for contributing to their festival success by keeping them at the highest energy levels. "He cranks it," Coughlin adds.
The band acknowledges the challenges of balancing online promotion with tangible career development, especially in a post-pandemic landscape. "True virality can't be choreographed or paid for," Howard says, so they don't put their energy into chasing that aspect. They appreciate the value of pulling the levers they can to try and reach a wider audience when it makes sense. "I think it helps to work from the music out," Howard adds. The Magic City Hippies focus on creating the best work they can, and then once it's done, they find ways to get it out to as many people as possible.

Celebrating more than a decade together, the guys appreciate the importance of the brotherly bonds they share, striking a delicate balance between partying on the road and maintaining control of their trajectory. They underscore the importance of love, compassion, and a shared mission in overcoming challenges that inevitably arise.

As they look ahead, Coughlin notes Hunter's uncanny ability to predict the future through his songwriting. The Magic City Hippies continue to evolve, embarking on the next leg of their musical journey, propelled by a decade of friendship, creativity, and a shared love for the magic that brought them together.

"The New Year's Eve show is very special to us in a way that no other show has been," Coughlin says. "It's our gift to Miami and to ourselves."

Magic City Hippies. 8 p.m. Sunday, December 31, at the Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; miamibeachbandshell.com. Tickets cost $37.50 via dice.fm.