Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie 2025

Formation of Nirvanna the Band (2008)

In Toronto, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol form Nirvanna the Band with the dream of landing a Rivoli show. For seventeen years they struggle to secure a regular gig, their schemes and publicity ideas repeatedly falling short. The band remains a hopeful project rather than a breakthrough act.

The Seventh Inning Skydive plan backfires

They propose a publicity stunt to skydive off the CN Tower into the SkyDome during a Blue Jays game. The plan collapses when the SkyDome roof closes, foiling the dive and leaving Jay frustrated with Matt's grandiose schemes. The failure deepens the strain between their ambitions.

Jay secretly books an Ottawa open mic

While Matt continues pursuing the Rivoli dream, Jay quietly books an Ottawa open mic to test a different route to an audience. He keeps his plan hidden from Matt, hoping to avoid another setback. The secrecy heightens the tension between the two men.

Orbitz spills and a working time machine

Matt builds a time-traveling RV inspired by Back to the Future and accidentally spills Orbitz on it. The spill activates the device and the pair wake up in 2008 again the next morning. They realize Orbitz is the key that makes their time machine work.

Younger selves, older selves, and Rivoli altered

They attempt to fetch another Orbitz from their younger selves' apartment, risking discovery. An exchange between older Jay and younger Matt nudges them to reconsider leaving the band. They decide not to let their younger selves play the Rivoli, returning to 2025 with a changed history.

Return to 2025: Jay’s meteoric rise

In the altered timeline, Jay becomes an extremely successful musician by 2025, while Matt ends up as a drummer in a Jay McCarrol cover band. The shift fuels a tense confrontation when Matt corners Jay at a concert. Jay denies knowledge of any time machine, insisting it was all coincidence.

Loneliness and tragedy

Without Matt, Jay finds celebrity life hollow and lonely. In a misguided bid to fit in with a new band, he accidentally shoots and kills a member, becoming a fugitive. He eventually returns to Matt, still claiming to be an alternate version of himself.

Patching the timeline: CN Tower plan

To repair the timeline, Matt recalls the CN Tower lightning that struck the night their skydiving plan failed. They attempt to power the RV’s time circuits by stretching a cable from the CN Tower to a power box at an intersection. The risky plan hinges on completing the circuit before authorities catch them.

The sacrifice powers the time machine

As authorities close in on Jay, Matt sacrifices himself to complete the circuit and power the time machine with his body. His act is framed as a final, selfless effort to fix history. Jay watches in shock as the moment changes the course of events.

Jay returns to 2008 to warn his younger self

Jay travels back to 2008 and alters Matt’s earlier message to encourage their younger selves to play the Rivoli. The change is meant to set the past on a better course and avoid the tragedy that followed.

A revised present: start earlier

In the present, Matt proposes the skydiving stunt again, but Jay urges starting earlier to prevent complications. The adjustment reflects the new timeline’s emphasis on planning and the band's renewed focus on a Rivoli debut.