FANGIRL Online: Haute & Freddy bring their Traveling Circus to Vancouver
Haute & Freddy are one of those bands that I came across on Instagram and thought to myself "They look cool." Normally I'd keep doomscrolling in hopes of a dopamine fix, but this time I stopped - pulled in by Haute's ocean blue eyes and Freddy's infectious grin - I listened... it was really good. Could this band supply the dopamine I so desperately needed?
Spoiler alert: Yes. And clearly I'm not the only one .
Hot on the release of their new single "Touch Touch", which harkens back to the best of the 80s', the duo are gearing up for the third leg of their Big Disgrace tour which kicked off with a sold out BANG! at The Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver. The band took to their socials to provide outfit inspo for each show on their tour, encouraging fans to dress up and match with them. Vancouver's theme was plaid and from the minute I walked into the venue I was surrounded by clowns, draped in plaid, as far as the eye could see. I heard a girl behind me in the crowd complaining to her friends that she wished they had dressed up too. Later in the night, that same girl said "Haute sounds like Madonna, she's that good."
I'd argue she's even better. I said it.
The thing with Haute & Freddy that you need to understand is: this duo didn't come out of nowhere, they've been writing your fave pop stars' hit songs - from Britney (yes, THE Britney) to Bebe Rexha - you just didn't know it.
Their show starts with a short mixed media film that tells Haute & Freddy's origin story as two failed circus performers that kept freeing the elephants and making up songs instead of walking the tightrope. Joined on stage by Fou Fou Ha!, a clown performance collective, the whole experience is immersive and interactive.
with Haute belting her heart out and Freddy holding down the beat, there's no escaping the sonic force that these two command. In between songs Haute switches from pop goddess to stand up comic, doing improv with the audience and making up songs on the spot to encourage their fans, AKA The Royal Court, not to be afraid to make mistakes in music and be a little silly. "Wouldn't it be great if everyone was gay!?" Haute exclaims and is met with a triumphant roar from the crowd.
For their song "Scantily Clad" they cast audiance members to play the parts of King, Queen, Pope, Knights, and, of course, a woman in a pink beret. Joking that this was like a war enactment, Haute clarified "It's not a real war though, because real wars are absolutely stupid." Again, the room bursts into laughs and cheers. And then seamlessly the drums brought us back to why we were all here - the music.
Squares need not apply, this band is not for you. Theatre kids and drama nerds rejoice - your traveling circus has arrived to pick you up and there's no sign of it stopping any time soon!
I consider myself lucky to have caught this tour because I don't think we'll be seeing them on a stage this small ever again. The big times, or should I say the big tops, are calling.
The Big Disgrace tour is coming to a city near you:
