The Queen Elizabeth Theatre was packed Saturday night for the unforgettable Toronto stop of 2hollis’ ‘star’ Tour. You could feel the sweat and excitement as soon as you stepped through the doors. The venue hosted two sold-out shows of Rick Mercer’s ‘Stand-Up For Canada’ Tour a mere 24 hours before; today, the space, and crowd, for that matter, couldn’t have looked more different. Fans of all ages in distressed tees, faux-fur boots, and heavy jewellery buzzed in anticipation for 2hollis’ set, which began shortly after 9:30 pm after openers rommulas and nate sib.
The lights came up on stage to reveal a 10-foot-tall inflatable white tiger, an homage to 2hollis’ first album. “beginning,” the first track off Hollis’ newest album, played as the crowd eagerly filmed the big entrance on their phones. Before the artist could even take the stage, a circle pit opened up as fans tossed each other around excitedly. The artist made his entrance with the song “flash,” which seemed like a fitting thematic start to set the tone for the rest of the night as he sang the lyrics “Hollis wanna be a star.”
@jagzin69 2Hollis, live in Toronto (10/4/2025) Insane energy, incredible performance, jeans was played 7 times and each time was more electric than the last. Peak. #2hollis #2hollisconcert #toronto #startour #jeans
What struck me most throughout 2hollis’ set was the sheer energy coming from the crowd. While the flashing lights, bone-rattling bass, and the artist’s confident stage presence certainly helped to set the mood and maintain the momentum of the show, the audience really brought the spirit. These fans, primarily teenagers and young adults, were committed to showing Hollis exactly why he can sell out a 2,000+ capacity venue with ease, having already played a show in Toronto earlier this year.
After playing through a number of songs from star, Hollis moved back through his discography with “two bad,” “trauma,” and “poster boy,” the last of which being his most streamed song. The energy of both Hollis and his fans never wavered. He refrained from chatting much between songs, but took time to express his love for his fans a couple times. Towards the end of his set, the crowd went wild as Hollis brought out nate sib to perform “afraid,” a single the two released earlier this year.
Closing out his set, Hollis slowed things down with a vulnerable acoustic performance of “eldest child” (with the help of nate sib on guitar). Fans lit up the theatre with phone flashlights and clung to one another. Finally, as is tradition for Hollis on tour, he wrapped up the night with “jeans,” an undeniable fan favourite. In fact, Hollis made sure he showed his love for his fans by giving them exactly what they wanted: the chorus of “jeans” seven times in a row.
@luciusthevampire
Many people worried about the fate of live music coming out of the pandemic, especially for young people who missed out on being introduced to concerts during their teenage years. With music trends shifting and new genres popping up that move far away from the classic rock band structure, live music continues to evolve and innovate. 2hollis’ performance, which primarily featured only himself and his backing track, had enough energy to keep fans dancing and screaming for over an hour. Truthfully, it has been a while since I found myself in a crowd that felt so energetic, youthful, and united. 2hollis’ ‘star’ Tour was confirmation that live music isn’t going anywhere, no matter how far music evolves, and that fans of all ages will continue to find their way to it.
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