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Katy Perry Brought Her Dystopian, A.I. & Acrobatics Lifetimes Tour To Ottawa

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Last Tuesday, global popstar Katy Perry brought her Lifetimes Tour to the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

Rebecca Black @ Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa

The night started with Rebecca Black, in her pop-disrupting, techno-pop DJ era. Black’s performance radiated confidence and flair, flanked by two dancers who didn’t miss a beat. With a bold, electronic pop sound full of synths and style, Rebecca Black is gaining serious traction, landing spots on The Lifetimes Tour and hitting the festival circuit with growing momentum. It is clear that Rebecca Black is back.

That said, part of the crowd was quietly hoping for a surprise performance of “Friday,” the viral hit that first launched her into the spotlight. She didn’t play it, and while that’s totally fair (she’s been working hard to move past that era), there was still a tiny pang of nostalgia left hanging in the air.

Katy Perry @ Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa

Katy Perry’s Lifetimes Tour is less a traditional concert and more a full-blown sensory experience, equal parts pop showcase, sci-fi fantasy, and immersive art installation. Designed like a virtual reality video game with a storyline to match, the show takes the fans on a dazzling, five-act journey through a futuristic digital dreamscape where Perry, playing a chrome-clad android named KP147, battles an evil force known as the Mainframe with the help of her feline sidekick, Kittybot.

The concert opened with Act 1: Artificial, as Perry rose from the centre of a glowing, infinity stage in cybernetic armour. Songs like “Chained to the Rhythm” and “Dark Horse” hit hard from the start, their performance matched by a striking visual overload of digital chaos, robotic dancers, and sci-fi theatrics. The crowd was immediately pulled into her stylized world, mixing satire, social commentary, and pure pop fantasy.

Act 2: Woman’s World brought a shift into upbeat anthems and iconic throwbacks, with fans belting out every lyric as if no time had passed since Perry first topped the charts. Songs like “California Gurls” and “Teenage Dream” remained iconic and were a joy to see live. The production pulled no punches with pyrotechnics, shimmering LED bodysuits, and tightly synced choreography lighting up the stage.

In Act 3: Nirvana, the mood deepened. The visuals turned dreamlike, almost hallucinogenic, with darker lighting and surreal stage design complementing a more introspective musical tone. At one point, Perry was suspended from the ceiling, performing aerial stunts that felt straight out of Cirque du Soleil. “Wide Awake” stood out, drawing the crowd into a quieter, more reflective space before transitioning into Act 3.5: Choose Your Own Adventure.

Act 3.5 was a moment that made the arena feel smaller in the best way. A giant QR code popped up, prompting fans to vote on what she’d sing next. This wasn’t just a gimmick, Perry truly handed control over, and the vibe shifted into something looser, funnier, and more personal. She invited a group of kids to join her on stage, handed out shakers, and asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. It felt genuine, with no teleprompter in sight. Meanwhile, fans in full costume (yes, cupcake bras and “Roar” jungle looks included) screamed out song requests. One bold fan even asked for “Peacock.” She did treat the audience to fan-voted tracks like “Not Like the Movies” and “The One That Got Away,” with her mini “band” of kids playing along. She riffed, joked, and sang snippets of deep cuts as they were shouted at her. It was chaotic in the best way, and easily the most unpredictable, endearing part of the show.

The tempo kicked back up in Act 4: Mainframe, a glitchy, high-energy section filled with distorted visuals, flashing pixel art, and electronic motifs. Perry performed her 2011 hit “E.T.” while battling a swarm of alien creatures on stage, plus one oversized, worm-like HVAC tube, all while wielding a red, double-bladed lightsaber straight out of a Star Wars fever dream. She belted out defiant, high-octane tracks with ease. Her vocals stayed strong, even amid the acrobatics. The entire sequence felt like the climax of a cyberpunk blockbuster.

The final act, End Game, lived up to its name. Perry emerged triumphantly to perform “Roar” while soaring above the crowd on a giant mechanical butterfly. A bold nod to her near mishap in San Francisco that, in Ottawa, flew flawlessly. She closed the night with “Firework,” as confetti explosions lit up the arena and fans sang at full volume, ending the night on a euphoric high.

Ultimately, the Lifetimes Tour was a reminder of Katy Perry’s singular vision and her ongoing evolution as an artist, despite all he noise around her life and career on social media. Equal parts concert, video game, and space opera, it served as a love letter to her fans.

Upcoming Lifetimes Tour dates:
7/30     Montréal, QC                           Bell Centre
8/1       Québec City, QC                      Centre Videotron
8/3       Detroit, MI                               Little Caesars Arena
8/5       Toronto, ON                             Scotiabank Arena
8/6       Toronto, ON                            Scotiabank Arena
8/8       Boston, MA                             TD Garden
8/9       Philadelphia, PA                     Wells Fargo Center
8/11     New York, NY                         Madison Square Garden
8/14     Newark, NJ                             Prudential Center
8/15     Baltimore, MD                        CFG Bank Arena
8/17     Raleigh, NC                            Lenovo Center
8/19     Nashville, TN                          Bridgestone Arena
8/20     Atlanta, GA                             State Farm Arena
8/22     Tampa, FL                               Amalie Arena
8/23     Miami, FL                                Kaseya Center
More info here.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

KATY PERRY

REBECCA BLACK

All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport

Concerts Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: LP Brings ‘All Is Not Lost’ Tour to Vancouver

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On September 5, multi platinum singer-songwriter LP brought the All Is Not Lost Tour to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, delivering a performance that moved effortlessly between vulnerability, power, and pure rock-and-roll energy. The night also carried a special significance: the tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of Lost on You, the record that helped transform LP from a respected songwriter into a global phenomenon.

Known professionally as LP, Laura Pergolizzi has spent years carving out a space that is uniquely their own. Before becoming internationally recognized as a recording artist, LP established themselves as a songwriter for major artists including Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Celine Dion. Their own breakthrough came with “Lost on You,” which went to No. 1 in 18 countries and eventually surpassed one billion Spotify streams.

Inside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, LP’s music felt much more immediate. Their unmistakable voice moved from restrained and intimate to explosive within moments, giving songs such as “Muddy Waters,” “The One That You Love,” and “Lost on You” a sense of urgency that is difficult to recreate outside of a live setting.

The evening’s setlist reflected both sides of LP’s career. The first part moved through newer material and familiar favourites, including “Shelly,” “Tokyo Sunrise,” “Love Is All I Have,” and “Chasing & Waiting.” Later, the performance shifted toward the Lost on You celebration, bringing some of LP’s most recognizable songs into the spotlight.

It was the kind of moment that makes a concert feel bigger than the room. The song that introduced LP’s voice to millions became a shared experience between artist and audience, with the theatre singing along to every familiar line. After nearly a decade of the song living its own life around the world, hearing it performed in a packed Vancouver theatre gave it a renewed sense of intimacy.

From behind the camera, there was another layer to the experience. Photographing LP meant constantly watching for the moments between the obvious ones. The dramatic poses and powerful vocals naturally create striking frames, but some of the strongest images came from the quieter details, the concentration before a verse, a hand wrapped around the microphone, a fleeting expression beneath the stage lights.

LP is an artist who gives a photographer plenty to work with. Their movement across the stage feels instinctive rather than choreographed, and their performance style carries the same unpredictability as their voice. One moment can feel completely still; the next can explode into movement.

That contrast became one of the defining visual elements of the Vancouver show. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre also suited the performance. Rather than feeling distant or oversized, the venue allowed the audience to remain close to the emotional centre of the show. LP could command the room without having to overwhelm it.

There was also a sense of celebration throughout the night. Ten years after Lost on You, LP is still performing the songs that changed the trajectory of their career while continuing to introduce audiences to what’s next. The tour combines material from the upcoming album with a special presentation of Lost on You in its entirety, making the show feel like both a look backward and a step forward.

That balance is what made the Vancouver performance so compelling. LP isn’t simply revisiting an old record. They are showing how those songs have evolved with them and how they continue to resonate with an audience that has grown alongside their music.

By the final moments of the night, the feeling in the theatre was less like watching an artist celebrate an anniversary and more like witnessing a career still in motion.

For me, photographing LP in Vancouver was an opportunity to capture that evolution in real time: the voice, the movement, the vulnerability, and the electricity that has made LP such a distinctive live performer.

Ten years after Lost on You, the LP still has something to say and judging by the way Vancouver listened, people are still more than willing to hear it.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

LP

All Photo Credit: Raphael Arthur

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Concerts Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: Icons Deep Purple & Kansas Bring A Legendary Celebratory Night of Surprises To Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum

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I don’t say this lightly, but both Deep Purple and Kansas absolutely put on a hell of a show. Since 1968, Deep Purple have basically been the godfathers of live rock performance. Don’t believe me? Go look up their Guinness World Record for “loudest concert,” which they snagged back in 1972. That same energy, that same wall of sound, made the trip across five decades and landed right here for the band’s headlining North American tour stop in Abbotsford. Original drummer Ian Paice is still holding it down, now joined by guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Don Airey, and vocalist Ian Gillan. Sure, only one original member remains, but somehow the whole group still nails the spirit of what made Deep Purple, well, Deep Purple.

They tore through 16 tracks that night. “Smoke on the Water” got the loudest reaction of the evening, no surprise there. “Diablo” and “Perfect Strangers” also landed big, and “Highway Star” kicked the whole thing off on an absolute high. And when I say the crowd was into it, I mean it. Fans who’ve followed this band for almost fifty years were pressed right up against the barrier trying to get as close as possible. That closeness paid off too, with an incredible light show and Simon McBride ripping through solo after solo. Honestly, McBride was the highlight more than once, stepping up so Gillan could catch his breath between songs. Given how much those vocals demand, that rest was more than earned.

Like I said, “Smoke on the Water” was the main event for Abbotsford. It’s one thing to describe it, but actually watching the buildup, seeing the bandmates grinning at each other because they knew exactly what was coming, that was priceless. Then those notes kicked in. You know the ones. Every Guitar Center employee’s nightmare. The whole arena became one voice, singing along to a guitar riff like it was a chorus. It was the moment of the night, the kind of thing every rock fan dreams about experiencing live. That wave of energy carried all the way through to the final song, “Hush.” If you were a millennial who spent way too much time on Guitar Hero 2, hearing this one live gave you full goosebumps. This was the band’s first big hit back in 1968, and in 2026 it still hits just as hard. The crowd treated it like more than an encore. It felt like everyone in that room knew they might not get another chance to see Deep Purple live, and they soaked in every second of it. When the house lights finally came up, Abbotsford just stood there in awe. Deep Purple‘s legendary status was on full display, and nobody in that crowd wanted the night to end.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

DEEP PURPLE

KANSAS

All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno

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