Stella Ella Ola

Toronto quartet Stella Ella Ola played a set as short and sweet as the childhood game that serves as the band's namesake, powering through simple tunes with three-part harmonies and humorous banter. The songs were straightforward, drawing the audience in with catchy chords and vocals. The band suffered an early misstep when singer/guitarist Anne Douris's guitar popped a string only a few songs in, but Hollerado's Menno Versteeg, there to support Hollerado/Stella Ella Ola crossover members Jake and Nixon Boyd, quickly came to the rescue. As the age-old adage goes, the show must go on, and it did: the band continued to spread their sticky-sweet tunes, including "Proud Mother Stomp," a fun track that was the band's way of dealing with unkind people, and the confirmed their ability to craft a poppy, upbeat tune out of pretty much anything. The band never tried to do anything other than inexorable cheerfulness, and the tunes were simple and relied on their upbeat quality to keep the audience afloat. However, they did it without wavering, and their uplifting presence and cheery melodies were a great start.