Ontari-o-i-o

To take advantage of the Pan Am, but not officially affiliated with it, Harbourfront is also showcasing a free month of activities in the Ontario Celebration Zone. So on Monday, I stopped by for a free concert. Between The Cowboy Junkies and Hollerado, I opted for the latter. The Junkies do write great tunes but the large outdoor setting probably won't do their quiet music justice.

I was surprised to see that 3 of the 5 Hollerado members were from my one of my favourite local band Stella Ella Ola. This promised to be a great show. Hollerado has been getting some buzz and playing some larger venues but this could be their best managed show. Even the lead singer commented on the crystal-clear sound mix. Combined with a giant display behind them with live camera footage from numerous angles, it was like watching a "big-time" concert. Their young fans ate up all the catchy, upbeat songs including Americanama, Juliette, So It Goes. They invited bronze medallist Adam van Koeverden on stage to jam out on Rocking In The Free World. Despite approaching the curfew, their fans convinced them to come back for a short encore including an energetic cover of Dammit (Blink-182).