Japandroids have been one of my favourite bands since their incredible debut Post-Nothing. Their Australian fanbase has expanded rapidly since the recent release of Celebration Rock – a damn good thing, since it meant that the duo finally made the long trip over from Vancouver to play their first-ever Australian show in the gentle warmth of the Brisbane evening.

It got a lot hotter fast, as the exceedingly polite pair tore into a searing, vibrant show, the kind of show that provokes a lot of fist-pumping and chanting along to choruses. Their setlist was very heavy on Celebration Rock songs, with only two tracks from Post-Nothing making the cut: “Wet Hair” and “Young Hearts Spark Fire.” These two songs bracketed “The House That Heaven Built” in a three-song run that was undeniably the highlight of the night.

I had a lot of fun in their set, but perhaps due to high expectations wasn’t totally satisfied – “Younger Us,” a spectacular song on record, lacked the emotional power I’d expected, and more songs from Post-Nothing would have pleased me. It’s understandable that a festival show would focus on more recent songs, but hopefully the upcoming (unconfirmed) tour will feature a more diverse setlist.