Concerts Reviews
Darius Rucker Ends His Canadian Run on a High Note at the Canadian Tire Centre
Darius Rucker knows how to make a hockey arena feel like a front porch. The country star and former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman wrapped up the Canadian leg of his Darius Rucker Live tour at Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre on October 26, with an easy confidence and a voice that’s aged like top-shelf bourbon.
Before Rucker took the stage, the crowd got warmed up by two rising stars. Alabama’s Kashus Culpepper opened the night with his blues-soaked vocals and laid-back charm, pulling fans in early with songs that leaned heavy on heart and grit. Then came Tyler Braden, who’s quickly earning his own spotlight in Nashville. Braden’s powerhouse vocals and high-energy stage presence got boots stomping and beers raised.
When Rucker finally walked out under soft amber lights, dressed simply in jeans and a ball cap, the arena roared. He opened with “Forever Road,” and right away, it was clear his voice hasn’t lost an ounce of its warmth. “For the First Time” and “This” followed, setting a tone that balanced country radio polish with Rucker’s soulful delivery.
Rucker’s setlist was a smart mix of solo hits, a few Hootie throwbacks, and some well-chosen covers that showed his range. “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” quieted the arena into a gentle sway, and “Only Wanna Be With You,” reimagined with a country twang, turned into a singalong. Watching fans in cowboy hats and Hootie t-shirts belt out the same song was a moment that summed up Rucker’s career: crossover appeal done right.
One of the night’s biggest reactions came during “Beers and Sunshine,” his No. 1 hit from Carolyn’s Boy. The crowd lifted their cups, sang every word, and you could feel the weight of the tour (eight Canadian dates in less than two weeks) melt into pure joy. Between songs, Rucker chatted easily with fans, joking about the cold Canadian fall and thanking the audience for sticking with him “through the Hootie days, the country days, and everything in between.”
His band deserves plenty of credit too. They moved seamlessly from heartfelt country ballads to rock-leaning tracks like “Homegrown Honey” and “Radio.” Their take on Hank Williams Jr.’s “Family Tradition” hit just right. Rucker may have roots in rock, but his heart beats firmly in country rhythm now.
Midway through the show, Rucker took things down a notch with “If I Told You,” one of his most emotional performances of the night. His delivery was raw and personal, the kind of moment that reminds you why his crossover worked in the first place. Country music fits him because he’s always sung from the gut.
He closed the main set with crowd favourites “Hold My Hand” and “Alright,” both delivered with a grin and that classic Rucker ease. When he left the stage, the cheers for an encore were immediate.
He returned with a little surprise: a soulful cover of “Valerie,” followed by “Tracks,” then a playful and funky rendition of “No Diggity” that had everyone laughing and dancing. It’s the kind of curveball that only Rucker could pull off mid-country set. Finally, he gave the crowd what they’d been waiting for: “Wagon Wheel.” From the first strum, the arena turned into one giant choir, and Rucker stood back smiling, letting the song take on a life of its own.
After the last chord rang out, Rucker raised his hand and thanked the fans one more time, promising he’d be back soon.
Darius Rucker may have started in the college rock bars of South Carolina, but on this final night in Ottawa, he proved that his country chapter is still wide open and that he’s right where he belongs.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DARIUS RUCKER
TYLER BRADEN
KASHUS CULPEPPER
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: AC/DC – Hell’s Still Bellin’
AC/DC. Christ. What’s left to say? Everything’s been said, screamed, tattooed on someone’s bicep already. Doesn’t matter. That’s the whole racket, they never changed, never blinked, and more than fifty years later they’re still the loudest gang in the room.
Growing up, they felt ancient already. I am a 2001 kid. Turns out the joke’s on me: they’re still out there, riffing like it’s ’79, refusing to retire into legend status.
Princess Auto Stadium was packed with about 35000 attendees. Everyone was wearing red twinkling devil’s horns. To warm up the night, The Pretty Reckless started with one of the hits “Death by Rock and Roll.” Some support acts play like they’re grateful for the slot. Taylor Momsen played like she owns the stadium. The hair falling forward, somehow the less you can see of her face the more magnetic she gets. Stage presence isn’t something you learn. She’s just got it.
The band didn’t sound like an opener. Every riff landed with the swagger “Going To Hell” and “Since You’re Gone” kept it burning, and “About You” brought it down to something rawer before the lights cut. By the time The Pretty Reckless walked off, the audience were already screaming AC/DC! AC/DC!
Winnipeggers stood stunned through AC/DC‘s whole set. Angus Young, 71 years old still in that signature blue schoolboy uniform and yellow-and-blue cap, ran wild across the stage, duck-walking like no time had passed at all, genuinely, a dream come true to watch in person.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug stayed largely in the background, keeping the engine running for Angus and Johnson to tear apart.
The production matched the legend, “Hells Bells” arrived with an actual giant bell hanging over the stage. The setlist ran deep: “Thunderstruck,” “Have a Drink on Me,” “Shot in the Dark,” “Stiff Upper Lip,” “Highway to Hell,” “Jailbreak,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” Almost every song sounded just as good as the album version. The crowd tore their vocal cords apart singing along to “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “TNT.” “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” closed things out with cannons blasting into the night sky.
The house lights came up and nobody moved right away. Smoke still hanging over the stage, ears ringing, horns still lit up red across the stands. Bands this old aren’t supposed to sound this dangerous. They aren’t supposed to still mean it. But AC/DC never got the memo about slowing down, and honestly, thank God for that. I walked out hoarse, deaf, and completely satisfied.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
AC/DC
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
All Photo Credit: Nischal Karki
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Party On, Vancouver: Dogstar Sells Out the Vogue Theatre
The Vogue Theatre was packed wall to wall on September 16 as Dogstar rolled into Vancouver, and the excitement was impossible to miss. New York rock band The Backfires kicked things off with a lively opening set, warming up the room before Bret Domrose, Robert Mailhouse and Keanu Reeves stepped onto the stage. Naturally, hundreds of phones immediately went up when Reeves appeared, because Vancouver was not about to let this extremely Keanu moment go undocumented.
Reeves held down the bass, Domrose took on guitar and vocals, and Mailhouse powered the night from behind the drums. While one member may come with a little more star power, Dogstar quickly felt like a proper three-piece instead of a celebrity side project. The chemistry between them was relaxed and natural, with plenty of smiles, glances and little interactions that made it clear they were genuinely happy to be playing together. Reeves frequently wandered across the stage to jam alongside his bandmates, occasionally making his way toward the front and sending another wave of phones into the air.
Dogstar’s story stretches back to Los Angeles in 1991, when Reeves and Mailhouse first started making music together. Domrose later joined the band, and the trio released two albums before going their separate ways in 2002. More than two decades later, they reunited, returned to the stage and released Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in 2023. Now, with their latest album All In Now and another tour underway, Dogstar are giving this chapter of the band far more than a quick nostalgia lap.
The set began with “Siren,” immediately setting an easygoing alt-rock tone for the night. Their cover of The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” brought an extra burst of familiarity, while “Punch the Sky” landed with the kind of energy made for a full theatre. Rather than pausing for long speeches, the band kept things moving, letting the music and their chemistry do most of the talking. Domrose’s vocals stayed at the centre of the songs, Mailhouse gave them plenty of drive, and Reeves appeared completely locked into the groove on bass.
Yes, people cheered whenever Reeves moved closer to the edge of the stage. Yes, there was an undeniable thrill in seeing the internet’s favourite human casually rocking out a few feet away. But the attention did not stay on him alone. Domrose and Mailhouse were just as essential to the show, and together the trio delivered a performance that felt tight without becoming overly polished. There was still room for the songs to breathe, for the band to play off one another and for the night to feel a little spontaneous.
A fun surprise arrived during the encore with a roaring cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The band shared that they had only performed it live once before, making it a particularly unexpected way to close the night. The Vogue responded accordingly, singing, cheering and soaking up every last second before the trio left the stage.
More than 30 years after forming, and over two decades after calling it quits, Dogstar are back on the road and clearly having a great time together. That sense of fun was infectious, turning the sold-out show into something warmer and more memorable than a simple celebrity sighting. Vancouver may have arrived ready to see Keanu Reeves play bass, but by the end of the night, Dogstar had given the crowd plenty of reasons to stay invested in the whole band.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DOGSTAR
THE BACKFIRES
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle