Toronto – Friday, October 20, 2017 – Hollerado at the Horseshoe Tavern, with Little Junior and Calpurnia
Main Hollerado Photo by Tiffany Leeson
This was the second of three nights for Hollerado as part of the Horseshoe’s 70th-anniversary series. Although this was the first night with Calpurnia and Little Junior opening. The first night had Dizzy the band and Everett Bird opening.
I haven’t been to a show this full at the horseshoe in quite awhile, and after such a brutal week for Canadian Music, after the passing of Gord Downie, I felt very nostalgic being there.
“That night in Toronto, with its checkerboard floors”, the memorable lyric from the Tragically Hip’s Bobcaygeon, which pointedly describes the Horseshoe Tavern, was all I could think of as I walked in, it was hard to think of anything else. They also were showing the CTV broadcast of “Long Time Running” on all the TV screens in the front bar, which really hit home. Pictures of Gord everywhere.
Once the doors were open, it didn’t take long before it was difficult to move around.
Calpurnia was first up. The band is led by Finn Wolfhard, best known as Mike Wheeler on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things”. Wolfhard starred as a young Stefan Babcock in Pup’s (another Royal Mountain band) video for “Guilt Trip”, which also starred CBC Music’s (formerly Radio 3) Grant Lawrence.
Their set was a mix of covers (Twin Peaks & Mac Demarco) and their own original material. The sound was hard to pinpoint, at this point they seem to have various influences. Surf music & Mac Demarco instantly come to mind. They are also a very young band, with Finn himself being 14 and everyone else seemingly near to that.
Calpurnia’s sound is best described as surf pop, mixed with some 80’s & 90’s influences. This is surprising since Finn has stated that Pup were what inspired him to start his own band.
Little Junior (another Royal Mountain band), whom I hadn’t seen before put on a very upbeat, pop punk show. They seemed a little sarcastic towards the crowd before them. Most in attendance it seemed were not familiar with the songs but were won over in short order.
Enlisting Ayla Tesler-Mabe, the Calpurnia Guitarist, Little Junior ended their set with Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”.
The first time I ever saw Hollerado, was at the same venue, back in 2007, they were a “REALLY” new band then. Record in a Bag hadn’t even come out yet. As lead singer mentioned, there were only a handful of people at their first gig, I was one of them. This time things were much different.
Hollerado kicked things off with Grief Money, a song that really rocks on their latest record, you can see the Trump inspired video if you do a quick search. The whole set was just hit after hit. “Eloise”, “I Got You”, “Got to Lose”, “Pick Me Up”, “Juliette”. The energy and the way the crowd was so into the band was wonderful to watch.
They ended their set the way you’d want it to end this week. 2 covers: Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin” and the Hip’s “Wheat Kings”, giving a nod to what we lost this past week and month.
https://www.littlejuniorband.com/
Hello
Hiya.
Hollerado: before their first “Record in a bag” existed, it took the form of “Demo in a bag” — cumulative recordings of sometimes varying quality. When I bought my second one (it had more songs, and I’d given away the first), one of the band guys (I forget who) said “oh wait, we do have a cd case — which would you prefer?” I said “sure, I’ll take that”, and he switched it over — but not before crossing out with a sharpie the word “bag” on the shiny disc, and correcting the title to “Demo in a case”.
That made me smile.
They’ve been able to retain the same light, home-made touch for quite a few years now. Kudos.
Benoit DIY is exactly what they are. A few years ago I think they had an offer to join Arts & Crafts but turned it down to start their own label (Royal Mountain) for this very reason. Which of course is now on the leading edge of hip Canadian Labels. Let’s hope they keep making music, I’m a little afraid after Hey Rosetta’s announcement, that there are a few other bands that are also thinking of hanging it up. I hope Hollerado isn’t one of them.
MW. Yeah, you can only stay 20 for 15 years or so…
Good morning!
Hello!
Hello hello! Hollerado et al, sounds like it was fun!
I myself am suffering some hearing loss and tinnitus after Wolf Parade last night. It was loud, but a great show.
@Janet, Wolf Parade are great live, I don’t recall them being so loud, but that could be the case.
Hi Janet, do you suffer from that often after shows?
TOO LOUD! My bugaboo for years… I put up a few critiquish paragraphs about the Bronson Centre on FB the other day. My two-ways-of-feeling-about-this currently concerns the Rural Alberta Advantage show there tomorrow night. With Yukon Blonde opening (who aren’t usually quiet).
I just hope the amplification isn’t fucking insane — again.
I don’t often suffer too badly after shows, but Wolf Parade played a small-ish, (max capacity is 700) venue with really low ceilings, and we were pretty close to the speakers, which probably explains a lot.
It was a great show, though, and I was maybe 10 feet from Dan Boeckner, so that was cool.
I always say I’m going to wear earplugs, and end up bringing them but ultimately take them out because I can’t enjoy/hear the show so well!
I found the CBC Music Fest’s to be some of the best when it came to sound, the sound wasn’t very loud and was very clear. Clubs/bars though are hit and miss, and a lot has to do with the hearing loss of the sound people.
BTW – if you saw the Tragically Hip “Long Time Running” movie, they showed their sound guy Mark Vreeken at one point, I haven’t seen him in years! He was just a kid when he was doing sound for them back in the late 80s/90s, he did our sound in Kingston a few times too. Very good sound person.
Hearos. They are the greatest things. You use them, and you can still hear words and cymbals and stuff, then take them home, wash them, and put them away for next time
https://www.hearos.com/collections/music/products/earplugs-high-fidelity-series-with-free-case
Mother Mother was one of the worst I’d been to. It was ridiculous. So loud that even at the back of the room it still was too loud.
MW, well, there is the bar standard of volume, but even a good sound person is under the thumb of the performers; all the more so if they insist on miking their own speaker amps and running the sound through the system that way, I’ve been told.
As for the Bronson Bender, I’ll have to see tomorrow whether part of what I hated was due to my staying as far away as possible from the stage and speakers: underneath the balcony. That may have amplified the problem, but geez, I was standing just behind the sound booth! Wearing foam plugs. Yet the bass and general volume were crucifying. For The New Pornographers.
@Krib, whoah! I’ve never heard of those, gonna get some – Thanks!
I must see about getting some Hearos before Japandroids this weekend!
Also, on the subject of Long Time Running, I discovered this weekend that Netflix has the worldwide distribution of the movie outside of Canada, and it will be available November 29. A while to wait, but at least I know I have a chance at seeing it!
Ours are by Etymotic Research. We love ’em.
My bad, Long Time Running is available on Netflix November 11, not the 29th.
Nice show review Wynnsie. Thanks for bringing us in.
@Janet – “10 feet away from Dan Boeckner” I am sooo jealous! Glad you got to enjoy the show, ringing ears and all.
I used my ear plugs Saturday night for the warm up band Band of Rascals but didn’t need them for Bend Sinister. It was a great show and I hope to have a show review done for it this week.
Looking forward to the show review for Bend Sinister!
@Darbar – being that close to Dan Boeckner was really cool, and the ringing ears were definitely worth the experience.
Thanks Darlene!
I gave them a miss last night. Saw a post on the Cap’s page about how they were on at 11:00
on a Sunday.
I mean, yeah, it’s better than midnight, like Amigo’s likes to do, but still…11:00, on a Sunday…
I hear ya krib. I wish they would quit doing such late shows. I don’t mind them starting at 9 or so but later than that on a week night doesn’t work well for me.
Thankfully for me, Wolf Parade took the stage at 9:30 yesterday and were done by 11:00pm, Home by midnight, and not too sleep deprived for work this morning.
Also, Wolf Parade is my first live music in what seems like forever, so apparently it’s all I can talk about today 🙂
If you can only get to one, what a show to get to! 😀
@Janet, that sounds like me when I get excited about going to Canada, or I have just returned from Canada, or it has been too long since my last visit to Canada, or it’s a month with a Tuesday in it.
Just you all wait, I’m going to Japandroids on Saturday, and John K. Samson on Sunday. I’m going to be insufferable next week!
I really detest late shows, sometimes if it’s a really early show that’s all I need to be motivated to go to a show.
Haha! Looking forward to it. If you feel inspired you could send us some show reviews to share your enthusiasm. 🙂
@Janet, Good luck trying to be insufferable
I’m pretty sure I can manage a show review or two 🙂
That would be great Janet!
yes please
It’s a deal 🙂
@Janet, You do know that the pay is terrible though right
@Garfield, any opportunity to work on my writing skills is salary enough.
You’re hired! when can you start!?
As soon as I write up Wolf Parade? 🙂
Woot! Looking forward to it Janet. 😀
I’m headed out now, but I’ll chat with you all tomorrow!
Ciao Janet!