Concerts Reviews
Linkin Park Balance Legacy and Renewal in Vancouver with From Zero World Tour
Linkin Park’s return to Vancouver felt like something out of an alternate timeline ; one where the band weathered tragedy, reassembled, and reemerged with a different voice but the same electricity. On Sunday night, September 21, Rogers Arena was packed to the rafters for the From Zero World Tour, a two-hour, career-spanning spectacle that proved the band’s legacy isn’t just intact, it’s still evolving.
But first: chaos. JPEGMAFIA opened the evening with a blistering 30-minute set that sounded like it was beamed in from five different planets at once. He thrashed between aggressive hip-hop, noise rock, and psychedelic jams with a live band that veered dangerously close to sounding like Rage Against the Machine one minute and a warped carnival ride the next. His set included the fan favourite “BALD!” (dedicated to the follicly challenged), and a trippy Auto-Tuned rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” It was messy and funny, exactly the kind of left-field warm-up a band like Linkin Park deserves.
Then came the countdown clock. Projected on massive cube screens suspended above the in-the-round stage, the numbers ticked down as the arena went dark. When the band emerged to the swelling “Inception Intro C,” lasers cut across the arena, and Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda launched into “Somewhere I Belong,” and just like that, Linkin Park was back.
The early stretch leaned hard into nostalgia: “Crawling,” and “New Divide” had fists pumping, while Armstrong proved she wasn’t interested in mimicking Chester Bennington so much as channelling his spirit. Her voice is different, gritty in the right moments, soaring where it counts, but she left plenty of space for the fans to scream along. When she tore into “The Emptiness Machine,” a centerpiece of the new From Zero record, you could feel her confidence snap into place.
The show was structured in four acts, almost like a rock opera. The second act veered into Linkin Park’s more experimental side: the punchy “The Catalyst,” “Burn It Down,” “Lies, Greed, Misery.” One of the strongest moments came with “Two Faced,” a new track that sounded like vintage LP, with Shinoda spitting razor-sharp verses, Armstrong screaming her lungs out, and Joe Hahn working the decks like it was 2001 all over again.
Halfway through the show, the crew rotated the set up, giving every corner of the arena a front-row view at some point in the night. Hahn and new drummer Colin Brittain got their own spotlight, trading turntable scratches and pounding rhythms in an extended interlude that bled into a Mike Shinoda solo section where he walked along the barricade and gave his hat to an excited Brazilian fan. His mashup of “When They Come for Me” and Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name” turned Rogers Arena into a 18,000-person rap cypher, the crowd shouting every word of the hook back at him.
Act three was all about catharsis. “Lost,” the unearthed Meteora-era track, was reborn as a piano ballad before the band crashed in for a full-band version. From there, the crowd surged through “Stained” and a crushing “What I’ve Done,” which sounded bigger and heavier than it has in years.
Act four leaned into the emotional core of Linkin Park’s catalog. “Overflow” exploded with a wall of sound, while “Numb” gave way to one of the loudest singalongs of the night. Armstrong pulled back during the chorus, letting the fans carry the weight. By the time the band ripped through “In the End” and “Faint,” the energy was at its highest.
For the encore, the band tore into “Papercut,” reminding everyone why Hybrid Theory remains untouchable. Then came “Heavy Is the Crown,” a new anthem from From Zero, and finally “Bleed It Out.” And just like that, the night was over.
Here’s the thing: Chester Bennington can’t be replaced. Everyone in the arena knew that. But Emily Armstrong doesn’t try to replace him, she adds a new layer. On the older songs, she does them justice while letting the fans fill in the gaps. On the new tracks, she absolutely owns the space. That balance between memory and reinvention is what makes this version of Linkin Park work.
Shinoda, as always, is the glue, trading verses, moving between guitar and keys, and keeping the crowd engaged. Dave “Phoenix” Farrell’s bass was thunderous, Hahn’s visuals and scratches stitched the eras together, and Alex Feder and Colin Brittain slid seamlessly into their roles.
By the end of the night, old fans got the emotional release they craved, new fans discovered a band reborn, and everyone walked out knowing Linkin Park is thriving.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LINKIN PARK
JPEGMAFIA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Jackson Wang Brings MAGICMAN II’s Theatrical Spectacle to Vancouver
If you didn’t know Jackson Wang before Sunday night, you definitely left the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre knowing exactly who he is.
Jackson Wang is a Hong Kong-born artist who first gained international recognition as a member of K-pop group GOT7 before launching his solo career in 2017. Since then, he’s built a reputation that extends far beyond music, headlining global tours, performing at Coachella, and founding his own fashion label, Team Wang. He’s also been unusually candid about the pressures of the entertainment industry, and his 2025 album MAGICMAN 2 marked a return after a year-long hiatus, offering a more introspective and emotionally raw body of work than its predecessor.
I’ll admit I wasn’t deeply familiar with Jackson Wang‘s discography going into this show. But I’d heard the hype that his concerts were more theatrical productions than standard arena performances, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.
Walking into the venue last night, you could feel the energy form the fans. This was a sold-out crowd, and the devotion of Wang‘s fanbase was evident before the lights even dimmed. No opener meant all eyes were fixed on that stage from the moment doors opened. Though lightsticks weren’t permitted, fans improvised with small finger lights, creating that signature sea of glowing lights you’d expect at a K-pop show.
When the venue went dark, the screams were immediate ; the fans behind me already losing their voices. A cinematic intro played across the massive screens. The MAGICMAN II tour is structured almost like a film, divided into narrative arcs with video interludes bridging each section. Then Wang appeared, suspended mid-air on wires, a single spotlight cutting through the darkness. “High Alone” kicked off the night with him literally running in place above his dancers before descending to join them.
From there, the production only intensified. “Access” brought flames shooting from the stage, deep red lighting washing over the arena, and dancers in black with matching dark eye makeup mirroring Wang‘s MAGICMAN alter ego. The choreography was sharp, the atmosphere thick with smoke and lasers. It looked like a visual album brought to life in front of us.
The emotional turns came quickly. “Hate to Love” slowed things down as fog rolled across the stage, and by the end of the song, dancers were physically restraining Wang, pulling at his clothing until he reemerged in a mesh tank top under red light. I lived the drama of it all as Wang leaned into the theatricality of vulnerability here.
Then came the fan service. Wang invited audience members onstage (first one, then a group of four) seating them at centre stage while he and his dancers performed around them. The choreography was sensual, almost Magic Mike-esque, complete with body rolls and hip thrusts. The participants looked both shocked and thrilled, and the crowd absolutely lost it. A girl behind told her friends “I would do anything to be on that stage with him.”
Another video interlude shifted the mood again. Onscreen, Wang appeared in crisis, drinking heavily, breaking down emotionally, his dark alter ego looming. When he returned to the stage in a loose, straitjacket-inspired white outfit, it was clear we’d entered the most introspective portion of the night. “Blue” and “Everything” hit hard, with dancers floating around him in slow, fluid movements. For “Dopamine,” he asked the audience to raise their phone (and finger) flashlights. It was genuinely beautiful.
The hip-hop segment that followed brought the high energy back up. Wang and his dancers returned in baggy sweats and baseball caps, launching into “BUCK,” “Let Loose,” “TITANIC,” and “GBAD.” “Get your fucking ass up, Vancouver. You guys worked hard, you deserve to fucking have fun!” he told us before the bass dropped. The crowd obliged right away.
A nearly ten-minute video monologue preceded the final act, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and Wang reflecting on his year away from music, reconnecting with himself, with his parents, with what actually matters. When he returned to perform “Sophie Ricky,” a ballad dedicated to his parents, childhood photos flickered across the screens in a tender and earnest moment.
The encore was less a traditional finale than a full-blown afterparty. Green lasers flooded the venue, and Wang, living up to his party man reputation, went down in the pit and pulled fans onstage. For nearly thirty minutes, the arena became a dance floor. His parting message was simple: be yourself, and cherish the people around you.
Walking out into the night, I understood the devotion. Jackson Wang shared a raw version of himself with us during this show. And that kind of honesty, wrapped in this much spectacle, is rare.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming MAGICMAN II tour dates:
04/08 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
04/10 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
04/12 Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum
More information via Ticketmaster.
JACKSON WANG IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: A Sold-Out Night for Sticky Fingers in Vancouver
Sticky Fingers made their long awaited return to Vancouver this past Saturday, April 3rd at the PNE Forum.
For those unfamiliar, Sticky Fingers can best be described as the gateway drug into the world of Australian Indie/Psych Rock. When I first heard of the band in 2016, I was working at a ski resort surrounded by Australians and it only felt right that 10 years later seeing them live, I’d be once again in the company of a sold out crowd, full of Aussies.
The opening act was none other than Ruby Waters. The Juno Award Nominee, Ontario-grown and current Whistler local, has been making waves for some time now. She previously opened up for bands like City & Color and Ocean Alley and has been selling out her own tours across Canada, US, UK and Europe.
Ruby has this raw, emotional, soulful tone that has been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse, and I totally see why. She performed crowd favourites like Wet T-Shirt and Sweet Sublime, and even performed a new unreleased record.
Sticky Fingers came out and kicked off their set with Land of Pleasure and just kept performing hit after hit. Outcast At Last, Cool & Calm, These Girls (which apparently hasn’t been on their setlist in over a decade), Gold Snafu and even the much loved acoustic set of Cyclone.
Stepping in for lead vocals on this tour is Claude Bailey. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Camino Gold. I can’t imagine stepping into this role comes without its pressures, but Claude absolutely crushed it. He was able to perfectly capture the Sticky Fingers sound that everybody fell in love with and deliver an incredible performance. The OG members include – Paddy Cornwall (bass/vocals), Seamus Coyle (lead guitar), Beaker Best (drums/percussion), and Freddy Crabs (keys/synth).
This concert was much anticipated and it exceeded all expectations. Everyone go listen to Ruby Waters, Sticky Fingers, and Camino Gold!
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Mon Apr 06 | San Francisco, CA | The Masonic
Wed Apr 08 | Anaheim, CA | House of Blues
Thu Apr 09 | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium
More information here.
STICKY FINGERS
RUBY WATERS
All Photo Credit: Claudia Whittaker