Concerts Reviews
Keith Urban Brings Connection, Hits, and Heart to Rogers Arena in Vancouver
Keith Urban’s High and Alive World Tour rolled into Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Wednesday night, marking his first global trek since 2022 for The Speed of New World Tour. For fans, it was the first chance to hear songs like “Straight Line” and “Messed Up As Me” outside of his Las Vegas residency. The night blended old hits, fresh material, and a few unexpected curveballs, all anchored by Urban’s charm and guitar heroics.
Before Urban took the stage, three rising country artists warmed up the room. Karley Scott Collins opened with a brief but confident set, closing with her fiery single “Cowboy Sh!t.” At just 23, Collins showed why she’s one to watch, delivering her moody brand of country with grit and polish. Alana Springsteen followed, leaning into pop-country energy. Borrowing a hat from a fan, she worked the stage like she already belonged there. Her cover of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” drew one of the night’s loudest early singalongs.
The biggest surprise among the openers came from Chase Matthew. At 27, with only a handful of years in the industry, Matthew played like he’d been headlining arenas his whole life. His set moved from swaggering stomp (“Drives My Truck”) to glossy country-pop (“Pull Up”) to hooky, Nashville-polished cuts like “No Way Around It.” He’s hard to pin down stylistically: country, rock, and soul all peek through, but the songs hit instantly. More impressive was his stage presence: equal parts charismatic frontman and gracious newcomer. By the end, Rogers Arena was his. You could feel him gaining hundreds of new fans in real time.
Then came Urban. The house lights dimmed, a silhouette appeared on a white sheet that resisted its fall, forcing urban to come to the side to see the audience. Once the sheet removed, the arena roared as he launched into “Straight Line.” From there, it was a two-hour joyride through a career spanning three decades. Early hits like “Where the Blacktop Ends” sat neatly next to newer tracks like “Messed Up As Me,” and Urban made it all sound effortless. “Long Hot Summer” lived up to its title, and “Better Life” reminded fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.
Urban’s connection with the crowd was as much a highlight as his setlist. He wandered down side ramps to chat with fans and stopped for selfies mid-song.
Musically, the band was razor sharp. Fiddle player Gabi Louise, a recent addition, shined during “Days Go By/I Had Some Help.” Katie Ohh stepped into Carrie Underwood’s part on “The Fighter” and absolutely owned it. The rhythm section of Kevin MacIntyre (bass) and Jimmy Paxton (drums) kept everything grounded, while Urban swapped guitars like they were toys, ripping solos that were equal parts technical and joyful.
The surprises kept coming. A stripped-down stop at a smaller stage in the back of the arena brought fans closer than they ever expected. There, Urban performed “One Too Many,” Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” and his own “You’ll Think of Me” with just an acoustic guitar. It was intimate, and maybe the most special part of the night.
Back on the main stage, the hits rolled on: “Somebody Like You,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” and “Wasted Time” all landed perfectly. Covers dotted the setlist, from Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” to a rousing closer of New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give.” The latter turned Rogers Arena into a massive singalong, proof that Urban knows exactly how to send fans home buzzing.
Keith Urban may be 35 years into his solo career, but on Wednesday night, he felt as present and energized as ever. And in the end, that’s Urban’s greatest gift: making an arena of thousands feel like a personal conversation.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
9/12 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
9/13- Regina, SK – Brandt Centre
9/15 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
9/16 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
9/19 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
9/20 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
More information here.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
KEITH URBAN
CHASE MATTHEW
ALANA SPRINGSTEEN
KARLEY SCOTT COLLINS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Face to Face with Sevendust in Riverside, Iowa
For close to thirty years, Hard Rock’s Sevendust has graced hundreds of stages all over the world, playing sell-out shows to rabid fans. The band, fronted by LaJon Witherspoon, has been recognized for its soulful vocals, hard-hitting riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly, thumping bass from Vince Hornsby, and monstrous drum sounds and screams from Morgan Rose. Riverside, Iowa was treated to the full Sevendust experience on Friday night.
The Riverside Casino Event Center has played host to events ranging from poker tournaments to keynote speakers, but on Friday it served as the setting for an amazing night of rock. The show started off with Iowa City–local band NonGrata. NonGrata has become very well known in the Eastern Iowa music scene, having opened for bands like Alien Ant Farm, Norma Jean, Archers, and will be opening for DED this summer. Blending groovy guitars with crisp clean vocals and harsh screams, the band delivers a sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and stage dive. Although Sevendust was the main attraction on Friday night, everyone enjoyed NonGrata. They were a great choice to open the show and get people excited before Sevendust took the stage. NonGrata will be playing shows in Eastern Iowa throughout the year, and Midwest locals should take the chance to see a new band.
After an hour pre-show delay due to the weather, fans were itching to get out of their seats as anticipation for Sevendust taking the stage rose. Riverside was the second show of the One Tour, but there was no sign of early tour woes as the band broke right into Home. The 1999 track off the album of the same name was a great opener, carrying a hint of nostalgia and a whole lot of feeling. Witherspoon made an early effort to cross from side to side, ensuring every fan had the opportunity to interact with him. Stage presence is always among the highlights of a Sevendust show. Fans know they are going to get two things when they go to a Sevendust show: amazing music and plenty of interaction. The great music kept rolling as the second track of the night was a crowd favorite, Denial. The band was joined by hundreds of backup singers who knew every word, creating an ambiance that added essential energy to the environment.
The band seemed emotional in response to how well they were received by the Riverside crowd. After spending significant time in Europe to start the year, Sevendust said it was good to be home. Because these were among the first U.S. shows of the year, American fans had not yet had the opportunity to hear songs from the band’s upcoming album, One, live. The first chance came with the third song of the night, Is This the Real You. Although the Riverside crowd had never heard the song live, that did not stop them from singing along. Sevendust also played two other new tracks from the forthcoming album, Unbreakable and Threshold. Both sounded great live, and anticipation for the new album is high. Based on the reactions to the new material, the album will likely be well received when it comes out in two weeks on May 1.
The focus on new music did not stop Sevendust from breaking into its classics. The setlist was full of songs a Sevendust show would be incomplete without; Praise, Enemy, Waffle, and Black all had their place in the night. It truly was the complete Sevendust experience. The night could not end, however, without an encore of Rumble Fish and Face to Face. Even though the crowd was treated to a 15-song main set and a two-song encore, they still yearned for more. Unfortunately, all good shows must come to an end, but with 25 dates left on the One Tour, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Sevendust again this year.
One comes out May 1.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming tour dates:
4/20 – Indianapolis, IN
4/21 – Lexington, KY
4/22 – Birmingham, AL
4/24 – Mobile, AL
4/25 – Destin, FL
4/26 – Atlanta, GA (supporting Alter Bridge)
4/28 – Dallas, TX
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK
More information on the band’s website.
SEVENDUST
NONGRATA
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger