Since Stereos was nominated for two Juno Awards, reporters are burning up the lines for interviews. Today, for instance, lead singer Pat Kordyback, now in Victoria, has three lined up.
Is he tired of yakking with reporters? “Not at all. It's a good excuse not to load gear,” he quips with good-natured humour.
The pop-rock band is one of the opening acts on Hedley’s four-bill The Show Must Go … On the Road Tour, a coast-to-coast 20-date tour that ends in Newfoundland on April 20. Fefe Dobson is also on hand for the long haul, and Faber Drive and Boys Like Girls provide support on selected dates. One of their first stops is on Monday at the Shaw Conference.
The Hedley extravaganza is the Stereos' first big arena tour and the group is stoked. “This is what we've been preparing for all along. If last night was an indication, the crowd was really having fun and singing along.”
The Hedley tour kicked off March 22 at Penticton's South Okanagan Events Centre to a crowd of about 4,000 people. Although some fans timed their arrival to skip the openers, James Miller of the Penticton Herald, a self-described classic rock aficionado, reviewed the near sell-out concert gushing about “how superb all four acts were.”
Kordyback, a Bellerose high graduate, described the tour vibe as extraordinary. “Everything at this point is so gravy. Everything is so new and we feel rejuvenated. Our spirits are really high.”
In fact they're still on an adrenalin rush from playing in the United States on a seven-city mini-tour. Their profile was lower and the gigs smaller, “but it was very encouraging to have to start fresh and prove ourselves all over again.”
If there were any doubts, the group laid them to rest with two Juno nominations for New Group of the Year and Pop Album of the Year. “It's very encouraging, especially since a lot of speculation has centered around the legitimacy of our band because of our success from a music show.”
Stereos skyrocketed to instant fame after winning a band competition on MuchMusic's DisBand followed by the sleeper hit Summer Girl.
Despite the cacophony surrounding them, the fivesome remain pretty grounded. As Kordyback says, “I've never been an awards guy. How we determine success is based on the number of kids going to our show, not by the suits who say we are doing well. We're successful because we have fans that help us be a success.”
Tickets for the all-ages concert are $54. Call 780-451-8000 or visit www.ticketmaster.ca
