“Will you get fired if I tell this story?”
With his ball cap slightly askew, Hollerado front man Menno Versteeg questioned a fan near the stage at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Versteeg went on to explain in detail how the audience member went above and beyond to support the band in their early days of touring, so it’s somewhat fair to assume he was given the OK. But then, you never really know what’s fact or fiction with Menno Versteeg.
Versteeg’s commentaries are every bit as unpredictable as they are entertaining. During the night he entertained the crowd with tales that ranged from harrowing border crossings to the bladder capacity of a friend and fellow lead singer. Later, he opened the floor up to a question and answer period, replying to the first question before it was even asked.
“No, we don’t play ‘Juliette’ anymore because we’re so fucking sick of it.”
During the encore, when the quartet from Ottawa were gearing up to play the aforementioned hit single “Juliette,” Versteeg didn’t hesitate to rescind the invitation for a well-intentioned fan to play along when he wasn’t able to nail the iconic riff. Instead, he handed the six-string duties to a crew member and headed into the crowd to initiate a session of jump rope using the chord of his microphone.
It’s honestly hard to believe this run of shows is going to be the last for the band that gave us a literal interpretation of Record in a Bag.
Versteeg jokingly blames their early retirement on new up and coming acts like opening band Little Junior. If that’s true, Versteeg only has himself to blame as the power pop foursome from Toronto are currently managed by Royal Mountain Records, the label he co-founded with manager Adam “Bix” Berger.
Little Junior opened the show with a lively and energetic performance of several of their often fretfully tinged collection of songs. Lead Singer Rane Elliot-Armstrong fronts the band, who proudly exhibit the aesthetic of college students while playing with the composure of seasoned pros. Little Junior is in it to win it, friends.
All Joking aside, Hollerado’s conclusion is less of an ending than it is an opportunity for the four members to focus on their respective careers while maintaining the close friendship that held them together through twelve years as a touring band. Their final Vancouver show was everything a Hollerado fan could have asked for.
The confetti gun made an appearance midway through the set, which has always bee standard Hollerado procedure. A small but determined mosh pit established itself about five rows back from the stage and a handful of hard-core bar stars were letting loose to the left of stage right.
The setlist consisted of all the favourites, including “Eloise,” “Pick me Up” and of course “Juliet” along with “Time on Earth” off their newest album Retaliation Vacation. The show concluded with a double dose of classic cover songs that saw the members of Little Junior return to the stage. By that time four of the lads from Hollerado were decked out in matching tie-dyed tees while Versteeg donned a blue graphic tee adorned with sea turtles.
Vancouver’s last night with Hollerado felt like an adventure that ended while there was still plenty of gas in the tank. Which means that though it may have been the last time we see these fine gents as a unit, they still have lots to offer the music community in other capacities. We look forward to hearing more about their future projects.
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