Concerts Reviews
From Liberia to Vancouver: Mon Rovîa’s Music Hits Home
Vancouver got a little quieter on July 7. Not because people stopped talking, but because they were listening. At the Commodore Ballroom, a full house showed up for Heal With Others Tour: Continued, and Mon Rovîa made sure every person in the room felt seen and heard.
Mon Rovîa isn’t your typical folk artist. Born in Monrovia, Liberia during a civil war and adopted by missionaries to the U.S. as a child, his story is one of survival and searching, for identity, for peace, for a home. Now based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mon Rovîa has built a sound he calls Afro-Appalachian folk: grounded in West African rhythm and soul, layered with Appalachian strings and gospel spirit. It’s a mix that doesn’t just invite you to listen, it asks you to feel.
The night opened with local opener Ryan Harris. He set the tone with a soft, sincere solo set that felt like a warm journal entry. Based in Whistler, Harris makes music from his bedroom studio. His gentle guitar work and laid-back presence gave early arrivals a chance to settle in. With songs influenced by his childhood spent surfing between Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, Harris channels the mellow spirit of Ben Howard and Jack Johnson, but with a distinctly Pacific Northwest soul.
Then Mon Rovîa walked onstage. No big entrance. No flashy graphics. Just a quiet confidence and a deep breath, like he was preparing to tell us the truth.
His set opened with “outlaw,” and “cleopatra.” Midway through, he played “crooked the road,” his breakout hit that took off on TikTok. On the surface, it’s a breakup song. But live, it felt like more than that. The chorus “If you’re leaving, know I’ll stay beside that telephone line” spoke to anyone who’s ever waited for hope to call them back. People sang like they meant it.
Between songs, Mon Rovîa talked about mental health, loss and grief. He encouraged everyone to be who they are in this safe space, sharing this quote “I tried to fit into the world, and I starved.”
He played most of his Act 4: Atonement EP, including “Rust” and “winter wash,” a song that wrestles with the mental whiplash of modern life. The set was stripped down to the raw essentials: voice, guitar, and emotion.
What makes a Mon Rovîa show different is that it doesn’t feel like performance. It feels like church. Not the dogmatic kind, but the kind where strangers sit in pews and remind each other they’re not alone. He closed the night with “jester int he bowl.”
With nearly two million monthly listeners and a growing following, Mon Rovîa is clearly having a moment. But you don’t leave his concert thinking about numbers. You leave thinking about your own story , the pain you carry, the people you love, and the small, sacred chance to heal with others.
In a world that feels like it’s always breaking, Mon Rovîa is the reminder that music can help you put something back together. Quietly, honestly, one note at a time.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
MON ROVIA
RYAN HARRIS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Benee Brings Her ‘Particule Tour’ to the Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver
The Hollywood Theatre, Vancouver | March 4, 2026
BAYLI
Opening for BENEE was singer, songwriter, and rapper Bayli! Formerly part of “The Skins,” Bayli has been touring as a solo act since 2019, reaping acclaim for songs like “Passenger Princess” and “SUGARCOAT.” The first thing we thought when dipping our toe through her back catalog this week was how much she encapsulated Robyn’s recent line that “The purpose of [her] life is to stay horny.” That’s very much Bayli’s vibe; her songs are sexy, bordering on erotic. Her brand of EDM-pop is rooted in “explicit queerness” and while she has rejected any one label, her music is for and relatable to everyone. Also, again, very, very, horny.
If You Only Listen by One Song by Bayli:
“Sushi For Breakfast” (Stories from New York, 2020)
Here are a few photos of Bayli that we hope you enjoy!
BENEE
On Wednesday, March 4, BENEE returned to Vancouver to support her 2026 headlining Particles Tour which began earlier this month. A mind-blowing five years after the release of her debut album, BENEE is once again on the road and hitting 23 cities in North America. We were lucky enough to shoot her June 2022 show at The Vogue, and we’ve been patiently waiting for another chance to see her live ever since! We waited through COVID for that show to be rescheduled, we waited 5 years to see her again and, hand to heart, we’ll happily wait until she returns again!
Must Hear Songs by BENEE (In Our Respectful Opinion):
Wishful Thinking (Fire on Marzz, 2019)
Soaked (Fire on Marzz, 2019)
One of BENEE’s more endearing traits is her comfortability and overall contentment on the stage. Still rocking oversized boots and long sleeves, she seemed at home in front of the crowd, dancing through the shadows the minimal lighting provided. And smiling! Always smiling. Whether it was thanking her fans for taking the time to make an adorable sign or – and I’m not saying I understand how we got here – speaking about Canada and leading the entire venue through an impromptu round of “Oh Canada” she cleared enjoyed her time in Vancouver.
BENEE’s latest album continues to experiment with genres, mixing upbeat pop with lighter, more experimental melodies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, her shows are never one-note as she moves back and forth between these sounds, creating a “what’s next” situation where it’s beyond difficult to get bored or into anything resembling a sleepy rhythm. Her show is visually dark, and moody, and there is smoke! But there is a lot coming at you, and a lot to love.
Benee Setlist:
Sad Boiii
Cinnamon
Vegas
Beach Boy
Wishful Thinking
Soaked
Doomsday
Demons
Prey4U
Animal
Heaven
Make You Sick (Snippet)
Glitter
Princess
Underwater
Afterthought (Joji cover)
Supalonely
Off The Rails
Play Video
Green Honda
Once again, we had an incredible night at The Hollywood Theatre and loved every moment of the show. Thank you, BENEE! Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: A Sold-Out Night of Performance Art With Sudan Archives
Words by Kali Moreno
Photos by Kelli Rothwell
A sold-out night at The Pearl set the tone for a show that felt half concert, half art installation. Sudan Archives brought her genre-blurring world to Vancouver following the release of The BPM in 2025, with support from Cain Culto.
Cain Culto confidently navigated an energetic, multi-media set backed by Indigenous, Latin American, and Bluegrass influences – what he calls Kentucky Latin Art-Pop. As he gradually shed layers of clothing, he added homemade props to deliver his song’s messages of empowerment and resistance in both Spanish and English. His musical skills as a vocalist and violinist, paired with his artistic expression as a visual artist, created a riveting piece of performance art.
Dressed in a skin-tight, full body suit and wearing otherworldly grey contact lenses, Sudan Archives commanded a sold-out stage for her one-woman set at The Pearl. The deeply human themes of her songs, which sit in genre around house, techno, and R&B, were shared with the rowdy audience alongside recurring mechanical sounds and choreographed robotic movements. This examination of technology and humanity reminded that her artistry and expression transcend her talents as a singer, violinist, and beat-maker. Sudan Archives performed three encore songs, jumping off the stage to dance with the screaming crowd before leaving Vancouver with the parting words: “y’all are fucking lit.”
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
02-18 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
02-19 San Diego, CA – Music Box
02-20 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
More info on Sudan Archives’ website.
SUDAN ARCHIVES
CAIN CULTO
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell