As someone who is chronically online and on their phone 24/7, I expected to feel that missing weight in my pocket all night, but I didn’t. In fact, I was surprised by how little I cared about not having it. Phoebe Bridgers brought The Lost Tour to Vancouver for a sold out show on October 24th, and for once (as someone who works in content marketing), instead of worrying about if I got enough content or if I should be filming, I was able to just watch and be present.

Walking into the arena and seeing the stage setup for the first time was such a surreal experience. Like a lot of the people who are chronically online, I’ve seen all the sketches and animations people have made after going to the show, but seeing it in person still had me in awe.

I’ve loved Phoebe’s music for as long as I could remember, and I still have vivid memories of trying to get the hang of guitar tabs by learning “Funeral.” This was my second time seeing her live, my first time being when she opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour in New Jersey with Gracie Abrams. So finally getting to see her headline her own arena show was a big deal for me to say the least. 

Alex G took the stage first and to be completely honest, I was quite confused when he started going on a tangent about how “life is like a puzzle” and then kept taking a moment between his songs to ask if anyone in the audience was named “The Edge” or had the middle name “The Edge.” Towards the end of his set, he took a moment to thank every person on his team, from his band mates on stage, to his tour manager, to the bus drivers which I thought was super sweet.

Between his set and Phoebe’s, the crowd started the wave and I’ve never seen a wave go on for that long. People were also waving at each other from across the arena with their glow sticks and lighters. It was so cute to notice little things like that, and I ended up chatting with people I probably wouldn’t have talked to if we all had our phones to scroll on.

If I had to try and sum up the entire night in two words, they would be nostalgic and ethereal. Not in a “I feel like a kid again” way, but every aspect of the show felt intentional and familiar, and also kind of like I was at Science World (or the idea of it at least). The top of the show started by drawing everyones attention to the b-stage as “The Outside” played, before the dome (reminiscent of both that one episode of sponge bob with the marching band, and the igloo from club penguin ifykyk) on the main stage lifted to finally reveal her as “Motion Sickness” started to play. The whole thing was very wizard of oz-esque.

For the first bit of the show, I was in awe every time the dome and projections shifted. Some of the visuals looked like they came straight out of the early 2000s Barbie movies, and there were round things projected in the dome, like an eyeball, a rubber band ball and a baseball, that reminded me of the I Spy books from elementary school. When the lights went red for “Garden Song,” with the mountains from Punisher on the backdrop, I thought the screaming couldn’t get any louder. Boy, was I wrong. (I still don’t have my voice back as I’m writing this and I blame “I Know The End.”) 

The thing that surprised me most was that literally everyone knew every word. Her songs are so personal, but they’re also so vivid that everyone gets something different out of them. During “Garden Song” and “Moon Song,” I kept thinking about how everyone in that room probably had their own completely different relationship with those songs. 

You could also tell right away how close she is with her band, and how much she loves being on tour. She can totally hold the stage by herself, but the band added so much. The bass and all the extra instruments made songs I’ve heard a million times feel new again, and with how unique her music already is, that was really cool to hear.

When she played “Still Standing,” I was taken aback not only by how stunning her production was and how I didn’t even know light could look like glitter and also pixelated, but also by how absolutely silent the arena was, especially considering it was a sold out show.

She might’ve belted out “You don’t have to believe in magic” but it was precisely that exact moment that had me believing in magic. Her production team, set designers, lighting designers, band, everyone involved in this show deserve all the flowers. The lighting for every song was perfectly designed, and never felt repetitive. There was a moment in particular when she first steps out onto the B stage in a white version of the lace dress she wears, and under the black light she is just glowing. Her hair, her glitter tears, her dress, (all the white shirts in the audience too) and her piano, as the stage slowly spun. The transitions between all the songs were immaculate (and devastating in the most beautiful way). I also have to give a nod to her photographers. The photos that she’s put out of this tour perfectly encapsulate the magic of how it felt to be there (shoutout Matt Grubb & Wes Ellis). There was also a moment where everyone sang happy birthday to Connor, one of her band members and they brought out a cake, just to have Phoebe joke about “Steve Aoki-ng” someone in the pit, or better yet, reversing it and letting someone smash the cake in Connor’s face, which was a silly switch up between the most beautiful performances of the most devastating songs ever.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love “Waiting Room.” It’s sat in my top five most-played songs for years. Back at MetLife, Phoebe introduced a song by saying she’d written it when she was younger, and I was sure that was my moment. It turned out to be “Georgia,” which I was more than happy with, but knowing she isn’t the biggest fan of “Waiting Room,” I’d mostly made peace with never hearing it live. When those first chords rang out at Rogers Arena, I could hardly believe it. The room never let up for a second, all 36 times we sang “know it’s for the better.”

Then came a solo debut of boygenius‘ “Revolution 0.” When she pulled out an iPad with the lyrics on it, I started to get nervous, in the best way. When she told us she’d never played it live on her own before, I knew we were getting something special.

The encore closed the night the only way it could have. As “Scott Street” wound down, the arena lit up and thousands of people swayed together, arms waving, eyes fixed on the stage. I’ve never seen a crowd that excited. I tend to forget the details of concerts after a while, but I’m certain this is one I’ll remember. And not because I have videos to look back on. Getting to hear songs from Lost Weekend live has just reaffirmed my thoughts that she’s a genius. She’s still writing songs that feel new and even more experimental, and somehow, are just as good as the ones I’ve had on repeat for years.

For information and upcoming dates on The Lost Tour 2026, head to phoebebridgers.com.

Author: Jorina Lee

My K-pop education continued on October 11 as aespa brought their SYNK : COMPLæXITY Tour to Rogers Arena in Vancouver. After seeing TWICE in January and IVE in August, this was my third concert foray into K-pop. I was excited to see how aespa would compare, and the answer was a little different from my first two experiences. Where TWICE brought the fun and IVE delivered its own polished pop spectacle, aespa leaned into futuristic visuals, heavy electronic production and choreography that rarely let up.

With no opening act, the stage belonged entirely to Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning. Vancouver marked the final stop of the North American leg before the group heads to Europe in January, making this the last chance for fans on this side of the Atlantic to see the production for a while.

There had been some concern about Giselle’s participation after she left the stage five songs into the group’s October 9 show at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Thankfully, she was back in Vancouver. Both she and Winter mentioned having a cold, but you wouldn’t have known it from their performances. Neither appeared to let it get in the way, and both delivered strong performances throughout the night.

The show opened with “LEMONADE,” immediately filling Rogers Arena with heavy bass, electronic beats and futuristic visuals. The production was massive, but the sound mix occasionally worked against the group. At points, the bass threatened to overpower the vocals, which was frustrating when four singers this capable were onstage.

“Switchblade” and “Whiplash” kept the momentum going before aespa reached back to its 2020 debut single, “Black Mamba.” The choreography remained sharp, and the group’s ability to move between demanding routines and vocal passages without losing its composure was impressive. “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” brought a harder hip-hop edge, with Giselle’s rap standing out against the heavy production.

The concert was divided into five acts, with cinematic video segments building on the group’s fictional universe. The story occasionally felt like a lot to keep up with, particularly for someone who hasn’t followed every chapter of aespa‘s mythology. Still, the visuals gave the show a clear identity. The production had a narrative thread running through it.

The second act offered a welcome change of pace. Karina introduced “Count on Me” on a piano, leading into a softer arrangement that let the members’ voices take centre stage. “Camouflage” and “Angel #48” continued the dreamier stretch. These moments were a reminder that aespa doesn’t need a wall of bass and flashing screens to hold an audience’s attention.

The solo and duet stages were among my favourite parts of the night. Giselle and Ningning brought a relaxed feel to “Lollipop,” while Karina and Winter took a more energetic approach with “Serenade.” Each pairing had its own character, making the performances feel distinct rather than like variations on the same routine.

The four solo performances gave the members even more room to show what they could do. Ningning’s “I Love You But I Gotta Let You Go” built from restrained verses into soaring high notes, while Karina’s “16 Bit” relied on a more understated, moody delivery. Giselle showed a softer side on “BYEB4HELLO,” moving beyond her usual rap role, and Winter’s “Saddle Up” put her choreography and stage confidence front and centre.

These performances made a strong case for the individual personalities within aespa. The group’s sleek, coordinated image is part of its appeal, but seeing the members step outside that format made the concert more interesting.

The heavier material returned with “Armageddon” and “Bite,” followed by a run of choreography-driven performances including “Next Level,” “SHAKIN’” and “Supernova.” The dancers added scale to the show, and the synchronized routines looked particularly effective against the digital scenery. By this point, the production had made its point: aespa knows how to turn its music into a full arena experience.

The pre-encore dance challenge was a fun change of pace, with cameras scanning the crowd and giving fans a chance to show off their moves on the big screens. The segment ended with an (shy) audience singalong to “Roll” before aespa returned for “Yeppi Yeppi” and “’Til We Die.”

As someone still getting to know K-pop, I appreciated the range. The spectacle was impressive, but the quieter songs and individual stages stopped the night from becoming one long sensory overload. The sound mix could have been better, and some of the storyline went over my head, but those were minor complaints in a show packed with strong performances.

TWICE got me curious about K-pop, and IVE gave me another reason to keep exploring it. aespa made a convincing case for sticking around. Their Vancouver show was loud, visually striking and full of personality, with four performers who could hold Rogers Arena’s attention even when the production threatened to steal it. That’s a solid way to close out a North American tour.

Upcoming Aespa – SYNK : COMPLæXITY’ World Tour Dates:
01/14 – Manchester, United Kingdom @ AO Arena
01/16 – London, United Kingdom @ The O2
01/19 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
01/22 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Avicii Arena
01/24 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
01/26 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
01/29 – Milan, Italy @ Unipol Dome
01/31 – Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi
02/02 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
More information here.