#prconcert

georgee, the first opening act, brought smooth R&B and funk. He had a chill and humorous demeanor, cracking self-deprecating jokes with the audience before moving into sensual vocal runs. From the lofi-esque “split” to the ironically energizing “sad” and bouncy “baby4u,” georgee’s passionate vocals and playful lyrics instantly drew listeners in: “I’m a baby for you / When you leave me I get nervous / I stay up waiting for you / And I think that I deserve it.”

Next up was Carmen DeLeon, who brought joyous energy and a mighty stage presence. DeLeon, who sang mostly in Spanish, had a soft but fierce voice, always maintaining a Latin elegance. She moved seamlessly from the electro sway of “Mariposas” to the determined “Mala Memoria” and darker, post-breakup anthem “BBB.” DeLeon cultivated an infectious atmosphere, quickly getting everyone out of their seats to dance. She pulled her father, who was also on stage, into a tango and spontaneously ran into the crowd to dance–much to their collective delight.

Faouzia started her set with “Puppet,” a bold celebration of independence: “Little did you know / I’m my own Geppetto / And now you get to watch me go, go, go.” Her strong and angelic vibrato echoed throughout the chorus. Beautiful reassurance followed with “Thick and Thin.” Faouzia had incredible control over her voice and navigated complex vocal runs with ease. A fan favourite, “Born Without a Heart” was also performed. The crowd sung along to lyrics that celebrated boundaries reset.

Faouzia wore a purple shimmering outfit that matched her dreamy persona and was accompanied by a keyboardist, guitarist, and drummer. She moved fluidly on the stage. At one point, she took an audience member's phone and recorded herself singing on it. Faouzia’s newest single, “HABIBI (MY LOVE),” was sung. Its romantic and opulent nature put the audience in a trance.

Her signature Arabic trills shined in the gentle “SoLie” and the fearless “RIP, Love.” Of course, Faouzia performed “Minefields,” a tragic and passionate tune. Lyrics described the strain of forbidden and scarred love: “Now this might be a mistake / We’re broken in so many ways / But I piece us back / together slowly.” One of the last songs of the night was “Tears of Gold,” another classic to mend a broken heart. Faouzia’s fiery vocals complemented clever wordplay: “Don’t you know that I cried tears of gold for you? / I sit here poor for you / Collect my pennies and my dimes / That’s why you love it when I cry.”

Faouzia’s show was a pleasure to experience. Vibrant and interesting opening artists and a captivating main performance. Faouzia has built herself a stellar discography that was elevated on the stage. And while she has racked up millions of streams on Spotify and Youtube, she still remains a relatively underrated talent. Faouzia has flourished on her “CITIZENS” tour and will certainly continue to do so.

Fortune Sound Club is an intimate venue; small and known for hosting more ‘underground’ artists. They may have underestimated Magdalena Bay’s cult following though, especially after the rise of their song “Killshot.” The song reached viral success — more on that later. A packed club held space for Negative Gemini to open with an energetic performance, drawing influences from early 2000’s punk rock, glitch-core, and hyperpop. Her high-pitched voice and engaged stage presence had the crowd going long before Magdalena Bay even came out, which was great.

The entire show was a highlight. Magdalena Bay is known for their ironic self-awareness and kitschy visuals, but I was not expecting such a complete show. They did not come here just to perform, they came to give us a concert. I feel like this is something a lot of artists lose on their music journey. However, Magdalena Bay started with “Secrets (Your Fire)” and did not hold back on taking us on a vapourwave / future funk nostalgia trip in sound and stage.

Mica’s voice is breathy and delightful, perfectly matching the whimsical airiness of the band’s sound. Her flowery, “dancing freely in your room” stage presence was also charming and fun to watch (and mimic). The entire crowd swayed with her, especially during the cutesy-pop song “Hysterical Us” and funky “U Wanna Dance?” She – and the band’s overall live demeanor – reminded me of Kero Kero Bonito’s Sarah, or even Charli XCX, and I consider these singers to be experts in riling up a crowd.

After the first few songs, the band took a pause to introduce what made the show so special — Chaeri! Chaeri, as represented by a floating holographic head, is an AI that is learning how to become more human. Mica primarily interacted with Chaeri by giving the AI a few poignant yes or no questions, followed by the conclusion that the AI could become more human by learning other people’s secrets (and thus, their emotions). Chaeri’s motivation became the narrative for the entire show, with each song relating human experience and emotion.

This storyline was so intentional that they played pre-recorded ‘secrets’ — shown as tracks on their album — throughout the show for Chaeri to react to, letting Mica and Chaeri banter further. I felt that this gave the concert meaning, like an arc. By the time the dreamy “Halfway” came on, I was invested in Chaeri’s storyline. A secret about having a crush came on, and the band performed “You Lose!,” which not only showcased Mica’s vocal range but also Lewin’s instrumental prowess in production. The way each instrument gave a new layer of texture to contrast Mica’s reverbed voice was a joy to experience live.

Toward the end of the concert, Chaeri commented on the crowd’s “bodies moving rhythmically,” to which Mica explained was dancing. This was after “How to Get Physical,” a groovy disco-inspired number. During the instrumental interlude of the song, Chaeri commented on wanting to join, and in order to do that, Mica said she needed a body. After encouraging the crowd — “Body! Body! Body!” — Mica pulled off a cloaked robot body with Chaeri’s head now attached to a screen “head.” It was incredible. Like, the way the crowd went ballistic for this fictional AI becoming human was amazing.

The band encored with their most famous hit, “Killshot.” As if I wasn’t impressed by the story they just gave us, part way through the song, they paid homage to the ‘reason’ for their sudden increase in popularity: anime fancam edits. Mica said, “here's some sexy anime!” and suddenly, a bunch of TikTok edits using the “slowed + reverb” version of “Killshot” appeared on the screen. I recognized a handful and it just felt so personal and sweet, much like the rest of the concert.

I hope that Magdalena Bay keeps their charm, artistic vision, and unique sound. I also hope that they stay closely informed about their audience, as well as music trends! I am so excited for them to come back.

Opening the show was Johnny Marr along with his full band. While best known as the guitarist for The Smiths, he has a decades-long solo career. In addition, he’s toured and recorded with several other bands including Modest Mouse, The Cribs, and Electronic with Bernard Sumner of New Order. Johnny continues to carry himself with a smooth, cool, chill vibe on stage – now over four decades since he began performing. He was adorned by a backdrop silhouette of a Buddha playing guitar, which just seems to work for the guy.

During his half-hour set, the energy was up the entire time. Nothing could have dampened the enthusiasm – even some minor tech/sound issues. (“I’d like a hair fix as well,” Johnny joked after the dead mic was replaced.) His banter and attitude suggested he was truly happy to be performing for Vancouver and on stage. Johnny circled through nine songs. In addition to some solo work, he covered Depeche Mode’s “I Feel You” and his own band Electronic’s “Getting Away With It.” 

Of course, the most recognizable tracks were The Smiths hits. He did “Panic” near the beginning which led to an arena of people, along with Johnny, chanting “Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ!” for a good two minutes. So much fun. The middle featured “This Charming Man,” an upbeat and sarcastic tune that had Johnny on vocals sounding, to be frank, much better than his former singer Morrissey ever did. Last but certainly not least was closing with “How Soon Is Now?” – a melancholy and long new wave track that features some of my favourite guitar work of The Smiths. Although an older artist may not have been the choice everyone was expecting as the supporting act, Marr was fantastic support and then some.

Finally came the main event. From the minute they  took the stage it was clear the entire band – including slick frontman Brandon Flowers – haven’t lost any charisma or goodwill in the last few years. The energy was intense the entire night as the group delivered almost nothing but loud, proud, upbeat anthems spanning their entire career.

The Killers are a band whose image has been influenced by almost every genre of band that has come before them. The indie rock sounds of the 2000s. The poetic, reflective imagery of Bruce Springsteen and country artists. The new wave and glam progression of the 80s. It’s kind of a cosmic gumbo. While never depressing or too slow, their sound ranges from arena rock to mellow, soulful country. Their setlist included songs from all of their albums, always making a smooth transition and never keeping the mood too low for long.

Brandon made lots of direct and indirect interaction with the audience from the beginning to the end. He joked about being back in the arena. (“This is a super spreader event… We are spreading peace, love, and rock and roll!”) He held the hands of a lucky few sitting on the side stage. He spoke candidly of the challenging decisions the group made to release two albums in the last two years, during a time when most artists didn’t. In their most cool move, during the encore, the band brought a fan called Pepo on stage to play drums for the entirety of “For Reasons Unknown.”

Although the visuals were not as intense or powerful as many concerts I’ve attended previously, they seemed to be just right in complementing without overshadowing the music. There were plenty of lasers and colour hue changes throughout. More than once, streamers and confetti were released over the entire pit: it really was one giant party in there. There were still some cool, specific images, like dancers in a box during “Human.” (“Are we human or are we dancer?”) Astrological starscapes during “Spaceman.” Desert passages and the “Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, a few times. Still, much of the backdrop was simply close-ups of the band members. But they had enough energy, stage presence, and moves that it never felt wrong. In fact, it only served to heighten the larger than life presence of a band that just radiates showmanship.

One unexpected but very cool part of the set was Johnny Marr coming out to join the band for a few songs. “When you’re growing up as a young kid in a small town, like 4000 people, and everything seems black and white… you discover a band called The Smiths… and everything seems to be a little more in colour,” Brandon shared with the crowd. It was clearly genuinely exciting for Flowers to be playing alongside his childhood influence. They covered two Smiths songs, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.” Both are somewhat more mellow and in a higher vocal range than Brandon tends to sing in: nevertheless, the combination worked. If The Smiths ever want to reunite, I’d be happy to see Brandon do guest vocals over the original guy.

No doubt The Killers are a crowd pleaser, and that’s why they sold out Rogers Arena to 18,000 people. One forgets how many of their songs are beloved anthems until you’re at the live show. It felt like every other track I was saying “Oh yeah, this one!” There was the chanting along to the chorus of “Somebody Told Me” (“that you had a boyfriend, who looked like a girlfriend…”) and the heartbreaking cries of “Read My Mind.” (“Before you jump, tell me what you’ll find…”) It was pure magic with the deep rumblings of “I got soul but I’m not a soldier” repeated a couple dozen times for “All These Things That I’ve Done.” And of course, there was the very last song of the encore that had us all singing along to every single line. Anyone who’s been in a bar or party over the last 15 years has witnessed a crowd shout along in real time, but it really doesn’t compare to the real thing live. If I never do anything else in this life, I’m glad I got to experience the live rendition of “Mr. Brightside.”

Perhaps concerts have an extra special energy to them after a long period of unfeasibility. Perhaps The Killers really are just one of the most fun and engaging live bands around after all this time. Probably both. Whatever it is, I came out of the arena pumped and smiling. It was a feeling I haven’t had in a long time and I’m so happy the group delivered. 

Purity Ring holds a special place in my heart. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, the group released Womb, an album that granted me peace of mind amidst the chaos. From cover art to lyrics, beats and melodies, everything is so ethereal and gorgeously synced together.

The show kicked off with opening act EKKSTACY, who delivered passionate and captivating indie punk-rock. Joined by piercing electric guitar and intense drums, EKKSTACY’s setlist included the dimly upbeat “it only gets worse, i promise,” the dominating and dark “I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING,” and the intensely disinterested “f*ck everything!”

EKKSTACY moved with devotion and purpose, often clinging onto the mic stand like his life depended on it. His vocal tone was magnetic, strong, and crisp, while still maintaining a textured indie flair. Red stage lighting painted a bold contrast with the band’s all-black attire.

“I’m actually from here,” said EKKSTACY, a little bit shyly. “I was born in Surrey.”

“You escaped!” yelled someone from the crowd. It was clear that EKKSTACY’s hometown had been sleeping on massive talent.

Purity Ring began their setlist with “pink lightning,” a song swirling in dainty electric sparkles and waves of deep bass. James entered the stage wearing a large, hooded jacket and Roddick produced behind on what looked like a chunky organ.

“Warm water rises / It still feels like I can’t stop crying / Hold me inside it / It still feels like a storm not dying.”

Next up was “soshy,” a track off the duo’s newly released album graves. Cute industrial sounds accompanied James’ elegantly processed vocals. Green abstract projections danced in the background, as golden spurts of lighting lit up Roddick’s instrument. The sound quality was exquisite.

Purity Ring played through a mix of songs from different albums, including the snappy and heavy “Obedear,” along with the slower and cinematic “i like the devil.” They also played “push pull,” “repetition,” and “Lofticries.” Each song was an enchantment that put the crowd in a trance.

“Green, green thunder / And the loud, loud rain / Lead our woes asunder / ‘Neath the proud, proud veins”

James danced lightly and gracefully, almost skating all over the stage. Her hair cascaded in the wind as colourful lighting assortments rotated, and firefly-like projections flickered in the dark. A wardrobe change during the concert had James standing on a tall chair in an extremely long dress, creating a sharp silhouette.

The musicians wore masks the entire performance and thanked those who wore them at the event, advocating for keeping each other safe.

Purity Ring’s last songs included the otherworldly pop number “bodyache,” the light-hearted “Fineshrine,” and the strikingly inspirational “graves.” Coming full circle, Purity Ring ended their performance off with “begin again.” Heavy dramatic bass contrasted with James’ gentle vocals, as the crowd joined in on the chorus.

“You’ll be the moon / I’ll be the earth / And when we burst / Start over, oh darling / Begin again”

Purity Ring’s concert was a sight for sweet eyes. It was a marvelous, magical spectacle that nurtured ears, eyes, and soul.

Billie Eilish is hands down one of the best performers I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen so many videos of her singing at concerts – but with a setlist of almost thirty songs, not to mention her insane vocal ability and stage presence, her live show was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Having the whole of Rogers Arena screaming “Happier Than Ever” was only going to happen a finite number of times.

The night started off with DUCKWRTH, an LA-based rapper and songwriter. He was dressed in a spiffy dress shirt and black tie that looked almost out of place paired with his bleached platinum hair. He launched into a series of sultry songs, including “Crush,” “Super Bounce,” and “Mask Off (Feelings).” “I recently got through a breakup – I’m a little bit in my feelings tonight,” he admitted to the crowd. “Can we dance for a little bit?” He was smooth in both his words and dance moves, giving the microphone stand a taste of what he could do. He teased the crowd by stripping off his shirt and tie, which was immediately met with high-pitched cheers. He closed off his set with high-energy jams “No Chill” and “Kiss U Right Now.”

When Billie finally came on stage, the crowd was deafening. “There are two rules tonight,” she yelled. “One, you’re not allowed to judge a soul in here. And two, have fun!” She opened the show with the hits “bury a friend,” “NDA,” “Therefore I Am,” “you should see me in a crown,” and “my strange addiction.” I got goosebumps the minute she started singing. Everybody in the crowd was going absolutely feral. Her voice is stunning, especially when paired with the woozy synths and electrifying vocal production, courtesy of her brother Finneas. The videos don’t do her justice. 

I love how she puts so much heart into her show. She dances like I do when I’m singing her songs in my bedroom, without a care in the world. It’s cute that she needs kneepads when performing and that she breaks her ankles from it sometimes. She was a total rockstar. 

Her dark lyricism was complete with thrilling visual stimulation. A giant floor-to-ceiling screen the size of a small apartment building showed hypnotic images and moody monochrome colours. There was liberal use of brightness and white spotlights that spanned the entire length of the stage. It felt like the stage was shaking during tracks with bass-boosted vocals, like in “bury a friend,” and the vibrations scratched every itch in your brain.

She then moved onto the acoustic segment of her show, where she played some of her slower tracks such as “GOLDWING,” “Halley’s Comet,” and “Male Fantasy.” She brought out Finneas from behind his bass and keyboards. It had a very tender, stripped-down feel, as they both sat on stools center stage and were accompanied by nothing except their guitars. Her vocals were angelic and controlled. It made every hair on my arm stand up. At the end of “Your Power,” she revealed that it was one of her favourite songs she had written and how it was important to her to protect young girls.

The throwback segment came next. She got into a giant rotating cherry picker-like contraption that elevated her above the crowd. She sang many of her old favourites, including “bellyache,” “ocean eyes,” and “Bored.” Instant chills. There was not a single dry eye in sight. Sometimes I wonder how Billie feels experiencing this night after night. As she sang “Getting Older,” visuals of her and Finneas as little kids played back on the big screen. I can imagine looking back, it must feel like an “I did it” moment for her. ​​“I’m so grateful I have you guys and I feel like we all grew up together,” she said graciously.

By the time she got to “everything i wanted,” I knew the end was coming. She launched into “when the party’s over,” “all the good girls go to hell,” and her most popular song ever, “bad guy.” The entire crowd was belting the words, yelling the word “duh” in complete unison. The standout was the entire five minutes of aggressive singing during “Happier Than Ever.” I felt every word from head to toe. It was magical. I would give anything to relive the experience again.

I had the pleasure of catching Caesar and Vancouver DJ Kempeh on night two – and it totally lived up to the reviews I had heard from friends who had attended the previous evening. The crowd lived for Kempeh, who generated cheers with every song he played. From Frank Ocean's old favourite "Thinkin Bout You" to Destiny's Child's "Say My Name," the Vancity native clearly knew exactly what would get everyone going.

The room was abuzz in anticipation for Daniel Caesar's set. The no-frills stage setup included a white curtain, and his backing band was dressed in all white. The simplicity allowed for the colourful lights to reflect off everything on stage, adding to the enchantment created by Caesar's voice. His soulful set began with "Japanese Denim," and from the first few notes one could immediately tell that he's even better live than recorded.

Start to finish, he had the audience in the palm of his hand. His vocals are hypnotizing – so stunning that it almost mimics a perfectly-played wind instrument. A mellow presence, Caesar courts his audience with mesmerizing melodies, no stage antics needed. He really connected with his fans, plunging into the first row where he was greeted with adoring hands waiting for a high five and flashing phone cameras.

Perhaps one of the most wonderfully chilling moments of the night was when Caesar performed "We Find Love" and "Blessed." There wasn't a soul not singing along. The audience repeated the choruses over and over for both songs, and it turned into a really touching moment where the crowd sang the  words that they felt so deeply in unison.

The set could have gone on forever – no one was ready to leave once it ended. Upon exiting, I could hear a flurry of emotional reviews, and noticed a few teary eyes. Based on the reaction, it's evident that this will likely be Caesar's first and last small theatre tour; next time, he'll be in much larger venues.

The artist of few songs made a stop in Vancouver at Fortune Sound Club for an early(ish) all-ages show. Tickets were being resold for nearly triple face value as the sold-out, intimate show was a hot teen ticket. Lines got long early for concert-goers to secure a front-row spot to see the rising star, and the crowd held their spots for nearly two hours before the rapper finally took the stage. 

Fans walked in to a DJ who played for the two hours, keeping everyone pumped and patient while playing rap hits from Migos, Kendrick Lamar, and more. There were no other openers, so the young DJ had a lot of time to fill, but he and Rich Chigga's DJ kept the crowd lively. 

Closer to 10pm, the room went silent, and a photo of Rich Chigga's face appeared on the screen. Fans whipped out their phones to take photos and stared at it like the Mona Lisa in silence. Cheers erupted as the rapper burst onto the stage, opening with "Back At It."

This show almost didn't happen for Imanuel. He told the crowd about how he needed to request an emergency visitor's visa in order for him to cross the American border and perform in Vancouver. He got the green light to fly from Los Angeles at 11am that morning, making the show possible.

His set was short, playing bits of his own songs and dipping into songs he's featured on with artists like Skrillex and Diplo. Before the last song, he told everyone that the sound had cut out and he needed to perform "Dat $tick" acapella. His DJ sang the melody, while Imanuel rapped over with the crowd joining in at full force. Turns out, he had fooled the crowd, as when he was leaving the stage the actual song started up and he performed his hit again. Everyone burst out laughing, but quickly started rapping along again. Though the night was short, there were plenty of highlights. With his latest major-label features, there's no doubt he'll be playing bigger venues in the near future.

Their 2016 finale had a family-like atmosphere, with the multi-talented Dianne Ocampo making her return after five months of travels. Her stand-in, Reid, joined the band on stage on percussion, bringing the whole squad back together. Their most dedicated fans and closest friends gathered to celebrate the year the band had, singing and dancing their way through their set. Always gracious performers, Carousel Scene showed the crowd that they appreciated all who came: whether it was through getting down in the pit, or flashing their beaming perma-smiles that couldn't be contained.

Opening the show with "All We Do," they kicked off on an upbeat note. The set continued with a good balance of electro-pop bangers ("Girls") and slow jams ("Secrets"). Though they haven't been pop for long, they've mastered their new sound quickly. Take their cover of Majid Jordan's "Small Talk" – spicing up the song's classic OVO Sound feel, the group put a Carousel Scene/’80s pop twist on the tune.

It's tough to come up with solid adjectives for lead singer Ashley Weis' unique vocals and engaging stage presence. To get an idea, she's best described as a "purée of Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Alex Turner, Karen O MJ, Julian Casablancas and Hayley Williams." Guitarist Khalvin Canhe's smooth backing vocals added new dimension to the set, and it's great to see the band experimenting with each member's talents.

With the band coming back together in time for the new release, 2017 is looking full-speed ahead for Carousel Scene. Hoping to hear plenty more new beats and catch many a body roll at shows they've got lined up for this year.