Concerts Reviews
Halestorm and Lindsey Stirling Reach New Heights on the nEVEREST Tour in Vancouver
If anyone in Vancouver still doubts that violin and metal can share the same stage, the nEVEREST Tour put that question to rest on October 10 at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. The lineup of Apocalyptica, Lindsey Stirling, and Halestorm felt like a musical science experiment gone right. Three acts that couldn’t be more different, yet somehow fit together like a perfectly distorted chord.
The night kicked off with Apocalyptica, Finland’s cello-wielding metal veterans. The lights dimmed, and the classic Ennio Morricone track “The Ecstasy of Gold” filled the arena. Metallica fans knew what was coming. Moments later, the three cellists stormed the stage and ripped into “Bettery.” You could feel the bass in your chest, but it wasn’t coming from guitars, it was the sheer power of those cellos.
They powered through a set packed with Metallica covers: “Master of Puppets,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “Nothing Else Matters.” The band has been at it since the mid-’90s, and it shows. By the time they closed with “Seek and Destroy,” the crowd was chanting along as if Metallica themselves were onstage.
Then came Lindsey Stirling, and the mood shifted from heavy to heavenly, though not in a soft way. Stirling has built a career on making the violin feel like a rock weapon, and in Vancouver, she was unstoppable. Backed by her band and dancers, Stirling hit the stage like a spark of kinetic energy in human form.
Every song had choreography, costume changes, and a story woven through it. “The Phoenix” opened the show in a swirl of lights and motion, with Stirling leaping and spinning as her bow lit up in time with the music. She mixed songs from her 2024 album Duality with fan-favourites like “Crystallize” and “Roundtable Rival.”
A highlight came when Stirling rolled out her now-famous “spin-the-wheel” segment. Fans cheered as she gave the wheel a dramatic flick to determine the night’s mystery song. Despite Stirling wanting the arrow to land on “Carol of the Bells” to fit the wintery temperature of Vancouver, it landed on deep cut “Til the Light Goes Out”. She also threw in her covers of “Sandstorm” and “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” giving both dance tracks a violin twist that somehow felt even more energetic than the originals.
Stirling’s connection with the crowd was effortless. She cracked jokes between songs, got everyone to light up their phones for “Firefly Alley,” and thanked fans for supporting her for over a decade since her America’s Got Talent days. Watching her command the stage, it’s hard to imagine anyone ever telling her she wasn’t “right for television.” She’s built an entire career proving how wrong they were.
By the time Halestorm took the stage, the crowd was already buzzing. The white curtain went up, silhouettes appeared, and then the drop. Confetti shot into the air as Lzzy Hale’s unmistakable scream cut through the noise, launching into “Fallen Star” off their new album Everest. But this show was extra special ad it was Lzzy’s birthday, and the Vancouver crowd had planned ahead.
Before the curtain dropped, the entire pit section held up signs wishing her a happy birthday, along with inflatable gold letters spelling it out across the barricade. When the lights came up, Lzzy saw it all mid-song, grinning through the opening riff as confetti rained down. The fans kept the signs raised through the entire first song, turning the arena into a giant birthday card. She called it “the best surprise I’ve ever gotten at a show,” clearly moved by the effort.
Halestorm have always been a force live, but that extra energy pushed them even higher Lzzy’s vocals were razor sharp, switching from growls to high notes with ease. Joe Hottinger’s guitar work was as tight as ever, and Arejay Hale looked like he was drumming to save his life. His mid-set solo included a battle with a giant inflatable Yeti hand (a nod to the Everest album cover), which ended with him pulling out massive drumsticks to finish the duel. The crowd loved every second of it.
The setlist leaned heavily on Everest, with “Like a Woman Can” (bringing back two Apocalyptica members on stage to add dimension to the song), “How Will You Remember Me,” and “I Gave You Everything” sitting comfortably alongside staples like “Love Bites (So Do I)” and “I Miss the Misery.” Lzzy took a moment at the piano for “Shiver” and “Break In,” her voice echoing through the arena with an intensity that silenced the chatter. You could tell she meant every word.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Lindsey Stirling returned to the stage for a duet of “Shatter Me,” the track they recorded together a decade ago. The energy between them was electric: two women from different worlds sharing one song and absolutely nailing it. Stirling twirled as Lzzy belted.
Halestorm closed the night with “Here’s to Us,” toasting the crowd and each other. Confetti rained down again, this time golden, as the band raised their glasses in one final salute.
Walking out into the chilly Vancouver night, fans looked dazed in the best way, like they’d just been through three different concerts in one. That’s the beauty of the nEVEREST Tour: it’s heavy, it’s theatrical, and it’s unlike anything else on the road right now.
If you ever needed proof that metal, symphony, and performance art can live under the same roof, Halestorm, Lindsey Stirling, and Apocalyptica just gave it to you.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
HALESTORM
LINDSEY STIRLING
APOCALYPTICA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
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