It takes a steadfast force, a vocal range wide enough to wrap around the whole world twice, and a little bit of metallic nail polish to create the kind of Tuesday night turnout that the Commodore Ballroom saw. Twin light boxes illuminated the words HOTEL MIRA in red and blue, mirrored symmetrically on the dark stage. Opening for USS and accompanied by the Elwins, Hotel Mira greeted the crowd cordially before erupting into an atomic blast of writhing, thrusting, gyrating, and just the right amount of exposed nipples.
Consisting of bassist Mike Noble, guitarist Colton Lauro, and frontman Charlie Kerr, the band’s hometown date fell on the tail end of their Western Canadian tour, before wrapping up in Edmonton later this week. Performing a slew of fan favourites, Hotel Mira also performed their newest single Jungle, released less than a month ago and already their second most popular song on Spotify.
Known for their high energy performances, Hotel Mira’s stage presence is so powerful that the concert could be enjoyed even without any sound at all. The visuals that accompany the band are thoughtful and unique, something shown not only through the obvious stage decor, but also in the members themselves. For Kerr, this means a new set of suits, making sure to feature a new suit at every date on the tour. While the pattens differ, with Vancouver’s date featuring a red and black crosshatch, they’re consistent in that “HM” and a broken heart are chain-stitched into the lapels of each one.
With a missed calling as an embroiderer, Kerr initially created the band in 2010, going through a series of name changes (most recently JPNSGRLS) and member changes before blossoming into what is now Hotel Mira. While Kerr’s stage presence is an experience within itself, Noble and Lauro are a backbone, with Noble's ability to flawlessly play bass almost entirely blindfolded by a wavy mop of dark hair, and Lauro, ever-serious with a sound polished beyond his years.