Greenwing Opens for Hollerado at The Capital Music Club
Photography & Text Nayan Sthankiya
The energy inside The Capital Music Club in Saskatoon was building long before the evening reached its climax. On this night, local indie band Greenwing had the opportunity to open for Hollerado, stepping onto the stage with the challenge of making an immediate impression while warming up a crowd that had come to see the headlining act. What followed was more than simply an opening performance. By the end of the night, Greenwing had become part of Hollerado’s set in a way that made the evening especially memorable.
Taking the stage as the opening band can be both an opportunity and a test. The room may still be filling, conversations can compete with the music, and the audience is often waiting for the main act. Greenwing, however, approached their set with confidence and enthusiasm. Their performance established a lively atmosphere at The Capital, drawing attention to their sound and demonstrating why the Saskatoon indie scene continues to produce bands capable of holding their own on stages throughout the province and beyond.
For Greenwing, the show was another chance to connect with listeners through the immediacy of a live performance. Their music filled the club as the audience settled into the evening, creating the kind of atmosphere that makes smaller music venues so important. The Capital Music Club provided an intimate setting where the distance between musicians and audience seemed to disappear, allowing every song, rhythm and reaction to become part of the experience.
But the most unexpected moment came at the end of Hollerado’s performance.
After completing their own set, Greenwing had already accomplished what an opening band traditionally sets out to do: introduce themselves to a new audience and help build momentum for the headliner. Instead, they were invited back onto the stage to perform Hollerado’s final song with the band.
The invitation transformed the evening from a standard two-band bill into a genuine musical collaboration. Greenwing members joining Holarado onstage created a spontaneous sense of community that captured what live music can be at its best. Rather than simply performing separate sets and leaving the stage, the two bands shared the spotlight, bringing the night to a collective finish.
For Greenwing, being asked to perform Hollerado’s last song was also a meaningful acknowledgement from their fellow musicians. It suggested that their opening performance had made an impression and that the connection between the two bands extended beyond the structure of the evening’s schedule.
As the final song rang through The Capital Music Club, the distinction between opening act and headliner momentarily disappeared. There were simply musicians onstage, playing together and sharing the excitement of a live audience.
For Greenwing, the night was a successful Saskatoon performance, but it was also something more: an opportunity to make new connections, reach a wider audience and finish the evening as part of a memorable musical moment. Sometimes the most rewarding part of opening for another band is not simply getting the first set—it is being invited back for the last song.
