USS Returns!

Time is merciless, and grinds on relentlessly.  Many a band has succumbed to that ticking clock, and while there are a handful that manage to eke out an existence in the music industry, many more are mere memories.   Fortunately, some of those fallen acts do get to enjoy a resurrection through the musical archeology of new listeners.   Funny enough, the first time I was fortunate to catch U.S.S. in Halifax was back in 2014 when the alt-rock duo was the supporting act for Mother Mother, a band whose music went viral once TikTok started listening.    In the 12 years since my initial Ubiquitous Synergy Seekers (U.S.S.) experience, I was able to see the band perform more than once in Halifax.  In 2020, when USS announced its breakup, I mourned the loss of a favourite band.  Fast forward to 2025, and the band (Ash Bucholz and Jason “Human Kebab” Parsons) announced that they had reunited, and the duo started performing live again.  Eventually, the road led back to Halifax, Nova Scotia (and the Light House Arts Centre) in the dead of the Winter of 2026.  

Menno Versteeg

Initially, when it was announced that USS was returning to Halifax for the first time in nine years, there was no supporting act attached to the tour, but as the shows neared, word came that none other than Menno Versteeg would open them.   Versteeg is better known as the lead singer for indie-rock band Hollerado (another act that has found new life in the current music landscape).  While it might have been too much to ask to have Hollerado back in Halifax, it is always a treat to catch Menno whenever he makes his way out East.  On this night, he made his way on stage adorned with a bomber jacket with a not-so-subtle No Ice painted on the back.   The jacket was carefully placed next to his seat, and the chatty songwriter settled in and strapped on his guitar.   It was a polarizing set for the Halifax crowd, as there was a chatty din coming from the back of the room. Still, it didn’t deter the seasoned frontman as he played a large swath of cuts from his 2024 solo album Why We Run, including the infectious “Bad Dog”, a tale about a beloved but mischievous pet, which had the Halifax crowd singing along by its conclusion.   

Menno Versteeg

The set also included a stripped-back version of Hollerado’s “So It Goes”, a much-appreciated cut for those of us in the room who still love Hollerado’s tunes.  While there was a fair bit of cheekiness to Menno’s performance, which was apparent from that wry smile and glint in his eye, there was a great deal of weight carried as well, as Menno shared a bit of his family history.  Halifax holds a special place in Menno’s heart, as it was here at Pier 22 that his Grandfather immigrated from Poland.  While here, the senior Versteeg made an eventful deal which saw him trade his job placement. That new placement led him west, where he was to work on a farm, and it was there he would meet a pretty farm girl who would ultimately become Menno’s grandmother.   Earlier that same week, the nation lost a treasured actress in Catherine O’Hara, and it was clear that this also weighed heavily on Versteeg, as his wife Annie Murphy co-starred alongside Catherine on Schitt’s Creek.  He shared some of Annie’s thoughts on her co-star, which included “She would have never presumed to call herself a teacher (too self-deprecating, too Canadian), but holy fuck was I ever a student”, and gave a few Coles Notes for those who also want to study, “Giggles always.  Jokes first.  As long as they feel right in your bones. When you find the people you love and make you laugh, stick with your lovers and laughers”.   There are a few more that Menno recounted, and you can find them on Annie Murphy’s IG page.   Then it was time for Menno to sling that jacket over his shoulder and head off stage.  It was a fantastic way to kick off the night. 

Ash Buchholz

Then it was time to throw the clock back and fire off those work shoes for the arrival of U.S.S.  That period between disbandment and reunion saw Ash step back a bit from the public spotlight, and Jason Parsons (better known as the Human Kebab) focused on his DJ work, and we got a taste of those skills to kick the show off, as a ridiculous throwback mix of 90’s era gems started to play over the house speakers which fired up the crowd who was already salivating over the return of the dynamic duo.  As those grunge-laden tunes faded away,  Ash and Human Kebab made their way on stage to an appreciative crowd who gladly welcomed the fellas back to the East Coast.  

Human Kebab

The passage of time did nothing to diminish the alchemy that is USS, with Human Kebab handling the big bassy beats and backing up the guitar work and vocals of Bucholz; it makes for undeniably infectious ear candy.   It was also not a night to front-load the set with a collection of new, unfamiliar tunes; instead, it was a set loaded with fan favourites and a couple of deeper cuts, but the band launched right into a vicious one-two punch of “Yo Hello Hooray (Everyday)” and “Work Shoes”.  As excited as the packed Light House Arts Centre was to see USS perform once again, it was a feeling that was clearly reciprocated by the band, as they gushed over the energy in the room and sincerely apologized for being away for nearly a decade.   For the next couple of hours, the band dusted off their catalogue and treated the Halifax crowd to cuts such as “Shipwreck”, “Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole” and of course the pre-requisites “This is the Best” and “Yin Yang”.  As the show wound down, the band returned for a 3-song encore, and reached into their bag of tricks for the opening cut off of their 2008 EP Welding the C:/ “2 15/16”, and as the band launched into “Damini” (from their album Advanced Basics), I headed out into the night with a heart full of beloved tunes.     

It was a special night to hear some songs that I never thought I’d get a chance to hear live again, but with the reunion of USS and a cheeky promise of needing to visit Halifax every 6 months, it was a joyous opportunity.  That passage of time may never stop, and we will continue to see bands come and go, but for those bands that find a special place in your heart and between your ears, you need to get out and support them.  Don’t rely on Spotify to do it, buy the ticket, go to the show and pick up some merch, all of that means you might get one more chance to see that beloved band one more time.  

USS

Menno Versteeg