On Dec. 3, Oh Jeremiah played a show at The Thirsty Hippo. This was no ordinary show, though. This was a live recording of the band’s album “The Other End of Passing Time” featuring a string quartet.

The place was packed and filled with anticipation for the show to start. Various age groups were represented, including multiple groups of students from William Carey and USM.

The show opened with Jeremy Moore, an old friend of the Stricklins. He instantly captivated the crowd with his unique sound and lyrics. After he was able to warm the venue up, Oh, Jeremiah greeted everyone.

The band opened with “Dinner Conversations,” and it was phenomenal.

The band’s excitement was visible. The members interacted with the crowd through conversation and humor.

The atmosphere was familial in that attendees were familiar with the band’s two core members. The Stricklin family talked of high school memories, the infamous Hardy Manor apartments and the politics of “Gilmore Girls.” Even in the moments when Jeremiah was about to play the wrong song and Erin made him stick to the set list, the audience could not help but laugh.

The group said they picked The Thirsty Hippo to perform their show because it was one of the few places that actually let them play live music when they were first starting.

“We picked Hattiesburg because there is trust here,” Jeremiah said. “The audience here will take a chance on us to try something new.”

The band members showed sincerity in how much it meant to them that people came out to the show. They also stressed the importance of supporting local music.

“This performance in my opinion was probably the most ‘in their element’ and passionate I have ever seen them on stage. With such powerful lyrics and stage presence, their performance truly was something special,” said USM student Melanie Appel.

“I think the show was successful in the ways it needed it to be,” Stricklin said. “It was a much harder goal to achieve than we expected. We thought it would be an easy process but string quartets are tough. We expected an evening of intimate music that in a city that means the world to us. And we got that.”

Intimate it was indeed. Oh, Jeremiah ended the show with a Christmas carol chosen by Erin. Jeremy Moore joined them on stage to perform. The whole room was filled with the crowd’s voices singing along. As the show came to a close, the musicians thanked everyone again and joined the warm crowd in celebrating their performance.