Some of Canada's hottest music/film crossover stars met up onstage in Toronto this weekend.
Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol of comedy duo Nirvanna the Band took the stage ahead of actor-musician Finn Wolfhard’s headlining set at Toronto’s Opera House on Friday (July 24).
Johnson, the renowned director of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, the upcoming A24 Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony and more, appeared on stage as himself. McCarrol, meanwhile, was dressed up as Wolfhard, sporting the Victorian-era ensemble that the Vancouver-born artist wears on the album cover for his new album, Fire from the Hip.
Johnson took the stage first, thanking the crowd, who were cheering loudly. After introducing himself as Matt, he told the crowd that he worked for Live Nation and “had some kind of bad news.” According to Johnson, Wolfhard’s band wouldn’t be able to take the stage, but Wolfhard himself would still be there and play some music for the attendees.
Instead, he brought out McCarrol, in his Fire from the Hip attire, which elicited many screams from the audience. “Hi everyone, I’m Finn,” he said. The comedic pair launched into a back-and-forth before Johnson asked a key question. “Is there anything you want to see before you leave Toronto?”
It ended up being the perfect segue for Nirvanna the Band fans. “Thank you for asking,” McCarrol responded. "Actually, I was hoping to catch Nirvanna the Band at the Rivoli,” an ongoing quest that Johnson and McCarrol have been on since the late 2000s.
Still in character, Johnson burst McCarrol’s bubble: “I have bad news for you. Nirvanna the Band has never played the Rivoli. They probably never will,” prompting boos from the crowd. Then, the real Finn Wolfhard rushed to the microphone and ushered the duo off stage.
Following the show, Wolfhard posted photos with Johnson and McCarrol on Instagram. “thank you toronto! 🇨🇦 go jays!!” the Stranger Things actor captioned the post.
Lou Nice
It's clear that Wolfhard is a fan of the duo. Earlier this year, he introduced Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie with fellow Canadian actor Billy Bryk during a screening in New York.
A film version of the duo’s beloved web series and TV show, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last September, and became one of the festival’s biggest hits for its outlandish themes and comedic moments, including crashing Drake’s Bridle Path mansion for filming purposes.
Outside of Nirvanna the Band, Johnson will be directing an untitled film inspired by true events behind the bust of a Vice Canada editor who recruited young people for a drug smuggling operation. According to reports, Wolfhard will reportedly play the journalist who helped break the story.
