By Raynee Novak

It may have been 20 years since Moneen first asked us the question, but at their recent Vancouver show they delivered the answer: a resounding yes.

The band bounced onto the stage at the Commodore Ballroom and knocked it right out of the gate with the full album play-through of Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?.

Halfway through the set, while Kenny Bridgers (singer/guitarist/keyboards) started playing “I Have Never Done Anything for Anyone That Was Not for Me as Well”, the lights got just as moody as the emo godfathers, leaving Bridgers centre stage. 

After completing the album with extra twinkles and an extended pedalboard mashing between Bridgers with guitarist Chris “Hippy” Hughes, the band left the stage. The whole crowd shouted “MONEEN!” over and over, stamping their feet in hopes the band might break the one album night and bring out an encore.

The artists came bounding back out and, after thanking the audience for their attendance once again, launched into the story of how the tour came to be: Sparta frontman Jim Ward calling Bridgers to ask Moneen to tour with them. Once the tale had been told, in true polite Canadian fashion, the band broke out with “Don’t Ever Tell Locke What He Can’t Do” off their album The Red Tree.

A barely contained crowd broke out in a sing along as Moneen started playing “The Passing of America” from their album Smaller Chairs for the Early 1900s. Halfway through, Bridgers divided the audience into two parts, having Ward come out to lead the left side while Hughes led the right. Soon Bridgers had launched himself into the mosh pit and was held up above everyone while the audience sang together. It was the perfect end to the set.

Bridgers was right when he told us there would be smiles on Moneen’s faces at the show. Four very happy boys played their hearts out.