Concerts Reviews
Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour Hits All the Right Notes in Vancouver
I snagged my ticket for Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour the moment they went on sale, knowing they’d sell out in no time. As an older millennial, I hadn’t fully connected with Billie’s earlier albums, but I decided to take the leap and get tickets before hearing her new record, and spoiler alert: it was worth every penny! I also appreciated how the ticketing process was handled by her and her team, limiting resale to Ticketmaster’s Face Value Ticket Exchange. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it kept prices somewhat grounded, which is rare these days.
Walking into Rogers Arena, I felt the buzz of anticipation. Fans, many in Billie’s signature oversized looks or jerseys and adorning the colour blue (Vancouver’s dress code for the night), filled the space, creating a sea of individuality that felt very on-brand for her. The stage setup was striking: a rectangular stage in the middle of the arena, complete with orchestra-like pits and space for general admission fans to crowd around. This setup gave the performance an intimate yet grand feeling.
The setlist was very much on point. Of course, Billie played the heavy-hitters like “bad guy,” “Happier Than Ever,” and “Birds of a Feather,” but what thrilled me most were the deep cuts. I was delighted when she sang “Skinny.” Billie also divided the show into distinct “sets” that shifted moods beautifully. From bass-thumping anthems that had everyone jumping to haunting piano ballads that left us in awe, the transitions were seamless.
The visuals were nothing short of mind-blowing. Lasers pierced through the fog, their neon green and fiery red beams creating an almost otherworldly atmosphere. Between the pulsating bass and the flashing lights, it felt like a full-body experience. Pyrotechnics added even more drama, especially during songs like “bury a friend.” And let’s not forget the massive LED cage that descended at key moments, transforming the stage into a visual playground.
One of the most powerful moments of the night was Billie’s spin on the “mute challenge,” popularized by Beyoncé. During “when the party’s over,” she asked for absolute silence to layer her live vocals. Incredibly, the crowd complied, with only a few whispers of love breaking the quiet. You could even hear the hum of the arena’s air system. It was an eerie yet beautiful moment that showcased the respect Billie commands from her fans.
During her set, she shared something that made her performance even more impressive: she had battled laryngitis in the weeks leading up to the show and could barely talk. You wouldn’t have guessed it though, as her voice was flawless, and her signature breath control left the crowd in awe. She also took a moment to share how happy she was to be back in Vancouver, marveling at the city’s beauty and reminiscing about visiting with her choir group when she was younger.
Throughout the night, Billie proved her versatility. She bounded across the stage like a force of nature, hyping up the crowd during “Therefore I Am” and “Guess,” then brought us to tears with her soul-baring performance of “What Was I Made For?” Her ability to go from soft vulnerability to hard-hitting power was nothing short of mesmerizing.
It’s hard to sum up an evening like this. Billie Eilish isn’t just a performer—she’s a creator of experiences. The Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour lived up to its name, delivering moments that were both tender and electrifying. As the final notes of “Birds of a Feather/BLUE” echoed through the arena, I knew Billie had made me a believer.
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Role Model Lets Loose With Vancouver Crowd on Chuck On Tour
There are few things more revealing about a concert crowd than how quickly they abandon any sense of self-consciousness. By the time Role Model took the stage at Vancouver’s Freedom Mobile Arch on September 12, that line had long since disappeared. The audience was there to dance, scream, sing and, every so often, erupt into a “Chuck!” chant that seemed to spread through the venue on instinct.
For Tucker Pillsbury, better known as Role Model, this is the kind of room his music was made for. The Vancouver stop was part of Chuck On Tour, the world tour supporting his newly released third album, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass. The record marks another step forward for an artist who has steadily evolved from the confessional, genre-blurring pop of his 2022 debut Rx into something warmer, more expansive and increasingly comfortable in its own skin.
That evolution was evident throughout the set. Opening with “Chuck’s Mantra” before launching into “High Hopes 3000” and “Song Is All You Get,” Pillsbury established the playful, loose energy that would carry through the night. The newer material sat naturally alongside fan favourites, with songs like “Look at That Woman,” “Superglue,” “Good Thing” and “The Dinner” keeping the momentum moving.
But the defining feature of the night wasn’t any individual song, it was the audience. There was essentially no downtime between songs before someone was dancing, shouting or belting out a lyric. And not polite, restrained dancing either—the kind where you throw your inhibitions out the window, sing at the top of your lungs with your best friends and let the music take over completely. Freedom Mobile Arch became one giant group singalong, with the crowd seemingly determined to match Pillsbury’s energy note for note.
That sense of community was especially apparent during “Joy,” a buoyant highlight from Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, before the set moved through tracks including “a little more time,” “Old Recliners” and “The Longest Goodbye.” The newer songs gave the performance an emotional range that kept the night from becoming simply a pop spectacle; underneath the dancing and shouting, Pillsbury’s songwriting remains rooted in vulnerability and the complicated messiness of relationships.
And then came “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” The viral Kansas Anymore standout has become one of Role Model’s defining songs, and in Vancouver it landed exactly as expected: as a massive communal release. The crowd knew every word, turning what could have been a straightforward performance into something much bigger.
The set ultimately closed with “Harmony,” bringing Chuck On Tour’s Vancouver stop to a fitting conclusion.
Role Model has spent the past few years growing his audience without losing the intimacy that made his music resonate in the first place. After the success of the No Place Like Tour, which sold more than 90,000 tickets worldwide, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass feels like the next natural chapter rather than a reinvention.
At Freedom Mobile Arch, that progression was reflected back at him by a crowd that clearly feels invested in the journey. For a couple of hours, there was nothing complicated about it: the music came on, the dancing started, the Chuck chants broke out, and everyone gave in.
Opening the night, Samia brought a sharp, intimate energy to the Freedom Mobile Arch, setting the tone for an evening built around big feelings and even bigger sing-alongs. Her confessional songwriting and effortlessly expressive vocals gave the crowd a chance to settle in before Role Model took the stage, with plenty of fans already singing along to favourites from her catalog.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ROLE MODEL
SAMIA
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Rachel Chinouriri Takes Paris by Storm at Sold-Out Headline Debut
Ahead of the release of her sophomore album “I Think I Spoke Too Soon” next October, the rising star Rachel Chinouriri took over Paris last Friday for a sold-out show. After having opened for Sabrina Carpenter’s tour back in 2025, this was the singer’s first-ever headline concert in the capital, to the joy of her long-term and newer fans alike.
The night started with Heidi Curtis, whose appearance could only be described as reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Florence & the Machine. Heidi’s songs are a nice mix of classic rock and folk. The singer told us she’s a fan of all things folkloric, which we can definitely hear in her song “Siren”, about the dark love story between a siren and a sailor.
She then performed her soon-to-be-released “Summon”. Having never been played acoustic before, the song hadn’t originally been planned as part of the setlist. Nonetheless, its last minute addition was a brilliant decision, as it for sure caught the audience’s attention, getting the loudest cheers of the crowd during and after its performance. Heidi Curtis then played “Lost and Found”, and, despite the crowd not knowing the lyrics, they clapped in rhythm all along. Finally, she closed her set with “Undone” before exiting the stage with flowers and a Polaroid gifted to her by fans, as well as a belated happy birthday chant.
Heidi Curtis was, without a doubt, the perfect choice as an opener, and it’s clear that she gained new fans in Paris.
It was then time for Rachel Chinouriri to perform and, from the moment she stepped on stage, it was clear she belonged under the lights. She immediately captivated everyone’s attention, locking eyes with everyone in the room and waving and smiling to people in the front, the back and the sides of the room alike.
Starting her set with “One Song Away from Crying”, the lead single off her new album, Rachel then performed the unreleased “AAAHHH!!!” whose lyrics were already known by some dedicated fans.
The setlist was a masterful mix of songs from her entire discography, as the singer then performed “My Everything” and “It Is What It Is”, two songs off her debut album, before performing “23:42” from her EP Little House.
Although her latest single, “Make Believe”, was released the day of the concert, her fans had come prepared knowing the full lyrics to sing along and carrying signs in honor of the song.
The mood calmed down a little for an emotional moment with “So My Darling”, during which the crowd raised blue lights as a fan project, before things picked right up with “Can We Talk About Isaac”. Rachel then performed “The Hills” with a French flag signed by fans before playing two unreleased tracks off her next album. Leaning into more of a disco sound than her previous body of work, the entire room was dancing and partying, transforming the pit into a night club.
The night ended with Rachel performing the two most famous songs off her first album, namely “All I Ever Asked” and “Never Need Me”, to the loud singing of the audience. There being no encore clearly left the fans wanting for more, as they kept dancing to the venue’s playlist long after the singer was gone.
Hopefully, Rachel Chinouriri will be back in Paris for a new headline show soon, but in the meantime she will be opening for Gracie Abrams for her US tour.
Words by Manon Pothin