If you needed proof that the digital age drives physical fandom, you only had to look at West Broadway yesterday morning. By 10:00 AM, hours before the 7:00 PM doors, the sidewalk outside the Hollywood Theatre was already claimed by the "TikTok generation," braving the January chill to secure a spot at the barrier.
By the time I arrived at 6:15 PM, the line snaked down the block, with a demographic mix of teenage girls, supporting parents, and couples, all buzzing with the specific anxiety of general admission seating. This wasn't just a tour stop; for Jade LeMac, this was a homecoming.
At 8:00 PM sharp, Montreal’s Chiara Savasta took the stage. Opening for a hometown hero is a thankless task, but Savasta handled it with a "zany," infectious confidence. She faced immediate technical adversity, her in-ear monitors failed during the first few songs, but she plowed through with a professionalism that masked the issue completely.
While the crowd participation was initially hesitant, Savasta’s set gained momentum through sheer force of personality. She leaned into the disconnect, taking fans' phones to record herself and holding hands with the front row. Musically, the set highlight was "Superstar Loser," a track channeling the pop-punk sneer of Olivia Rodrigo that commanded genuine respect from the room.
A cover of Metric’s "Black Sheep" was a savvy choice for a Canadian crowd, bridging the gap between the indie-sleaze era and her Gen Z fanbase. By the time she closed with the industrial-tinged anthem "brand new girl, brand new machine," the shift was palpable. She may not have had the light show of the headliner, but the long line at her merch table post-set proved she had won the room.
Following a quick changeover, Jade LeMac hit the stage at 9:00 PM, greeted by a wall of screams.
Though she kicked off her tour in Victoria the night before, LeMac (who has lived in Vancouver since age ten) made it clear this was the emotional anchor of the run. Her performance style leans heavily into the "influencer-artist" model of connection. At one point, she shared her water bottle with a fan, a moment of intimacy that sent ripples through the crowd.
While her stage presence is still developing, her vocal performance was undeniably powerful. Live, her tracks took on a grittier, rock-adjacent edge not present on the records. Songs like "Sweet Dreams" and "Sleep With The Lights On" felt heavier and darker, aided by a lighting rig that bathed the Art Deco venue in moody, atmospheric hues.
The set’s emotional peak came with "Running Home," a performance so raw it brought LeMac to the verge of tears. But the night belonged to "Constellations." Played second to last, it was the moment the room had been waiting for. The crowd overpowered her vocals, singing every word back to her in a way that validated her recent signing to Warner Music Canada.
The Hollywood Theatre is a quirky venue, an old cinema with a balcony and sightlines that force you to pick a side (I settled for stage right to avoid the crush). But tonight, the bass-heavy mix and basic lighting were secondary to the energy in the room.