Hollerado gives high-spirited performance

Republik was rowdy the night of Nov. 9, as the venue played host to a three-band line-up of Canadian talent. The show featured Pup, a fresh-out-of-the-garage punk rock group, The Zolas, a more established band than Pup, and the headliner: Hollerado. The latter were definitely the act people came to see.

Hollerado had already set a pretty high bar for themselves after their show earlier this year at Sled Island, but they had no problem exceeding those expectations. Early on in their set, they started a “Nenshi” chant before dedicating their next song to our mayor. Shortly after that they were getting ready to play one of their fan favorites “Juliet”, when suddenly a member of the audience called out that he knew the guitar riff for the song. They invited him up and gave him a guitar – and he rocked it. He played the entire song on stage while Menno Versteeg, the lead singer, got up close and personal with the crowd.

The audience continued to amp up and soon enough, people began crowd surfing. For the rest of the show, the Republik bouncers were forced to flex their muscles, pulling people off the stage after they would roll off the crowd’s arms. To add to the rowdiness, Hollerado had confetti cannons and a foam machine, which really added to the high-energy atmosphere.

But that isn’t to take away from the openers. The first group, Pup, are already creating a name for themselves by touring with some giants of the alternative rock world, such as Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians and currently Hollerado. Their hard-hitting music will definitely appeal to some more than others, but they were well received by the crowd on this night.

The second performance by The Zolas was clean, tidy and flawlessly delivered. The synth and keys brought a welcome change for the audience, as everyone crowded the stage for their flowing melodies. They have a great stage presence that is full of charisma and could be described as “modern groovy”. Zachary Gray, lead vocalist and guitarist, danced for the entirety of the last song, and even waded into the middle of the audience with his microphone stand and synth. But still, The Zolas had nothing on the headliners.

Hollerado played for just under 90 minutes – and managed to belt out almost all their songs. The catchy and easy-to-remember lyrics make their songs easy to sing along to, and allowed people to really get into the show.

By the time it was over, it was hard to imagine anyone from the audience leaving disappointed. This was truly a fantastic performance by Hollerado.