Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: A$AP Rocky Brought Arena-Sized Mayhem to Vancouver on Canada Day
Canada Day usually belongs to fireworks. This year, A$AP Rocky brought enough flames, sirens, helicopters, and controlled chaos to make his own case for stealing the holiday.
Stopping at Rogers Arena on July 1 for the Vancouver date of his Don’t Be Dumb Tour, the Harlem rapper delivered one of the year’s biggest arena spectacles. The music was only part of it. A$AP Rocky has never approached live performance like a standard rap show, and this production pushed even further into theatrical territory, blurring the line between concert, action movie, and dystopian art installation.
The evening didn’t begin without some frustration. Like many stops on the tour, there was no opening act, no warm-up DJ, and a long wait after doors opened before Rocky finally appeared. By the time the lights dropped, anticipation inside Rogers Arena had turned into impatience. Fortunately for A$AP, his audience (many of them clearly too young to remember the early A$AP Mob days firsthand) never seemed ready to give up on him.
When he finally arrived, he made sure nobody forgot it. Instead of walking onto the stage, A$AP Rocky emerged from the arena floor surrounded by dancers dressed as militarized officers while a helicopter hovered overhead with searchlights sweeping across the crowd. Within seconds, the floor dissolved into a massive mosh pit as he launched into “Trunks.” It was loud, disorienting, and exactly the sort of entrance the Don’t Be Dumb aesthetic has been building toward.
The surveillance-state imagery remained throughout the night. Upside-down flags, “Big Brother Is Always Watching” banners, flashing emergency lights, riot shields, and a microphone built into a megaphone reinforced the show’s themes of authority and resistance. Whether every fan followed the underlying message hardly mattered. The visuals worked because they never stopped moving. Every few minutes there seemed to be another surprise waiting around the corner.
A$AP Rocky soon reappeared hanging from a second helicopter suspended above the audience while another inflatable helicopter drifted around the arena. Pyrotechnics exploded across the stage. Lasers filled every corner of Rogers Arena. Nearly every song arrived with a new visual twist, making the production feel far bigger than the average arena rap show.
If anything, the scale occasionally threatened to overwhelm the music itself. Much of the first half leaned on material from this year’s Don’t Be Dumb. Songs like “Helicopter,” “Order of Protection,” “Punk Rocky,” and “STFU” fit naturally within the show’s militarized concept, even if some haven’t yet earned the instant crowd reaction of A$AP‘s older catalog. His delivery often rode alongside backing vocals rather than standing completely on its own, but that hardly slowed the momentum. This wasn’t a night built around technical precision. It was built around atmosphere. He even apologized for his raspy vocals, joking that he was “trying to keep it sexy for the ladies.”
The crowd responded just as much to the energy as to the songs themselves. White T-shirts spun through the air during repeated calls to “wave your shirt like a helicopter,” mosh pits opened almost on command, and fans matched A$AP Rocky‘s enthusiasm from the floor all the way into the upper bowl. For an artist who has spent much of the last several years making headlines through fashion, film, and family life alongside Rihanna, there was never much doubt that his fanbase had stayed loyal.
The strongest stretch of the night came once Rocky reached deeper into his catalogue. “Peso,” “Purple Swag,” “Goldie,” “Fashion Killa,” and “Everyday” reminded everyone why his influence stretches far beyond chart positions. These songs have aged remarkably well, finding a second life with younger audiences through streaming and social media without losing the dreamy, stylish swagger that made them stand out more than a decade ago.
A$AP Rocky balanced those quieter moments with plenty of personality. He joked with fans, encouraged the crowd to look after one another in the mosh pits, and closed the night with his trademark mix of humour and common sense, telling everyone not to drink and drive, and, naturally, “don’t be dumb.” It was a fitting ending.
The Don’t Be Dumb Tour occasionally feels like it’s trying to outdo itself. The helicopters, sirens, dancers, and constant visual overload can sometimes compete with the songs rather than support them. Yet A$AP Rocky somehow keeps everything from falling apart through sheer charisma. Even hidden beneath masks, oversized jackets, or hanging from a helicopter above the audience, his presence remains unmistakable.
On a day built around national celebration, Rogers Arena became home to a different kind of spectacle. Canada Day had fireworks outside. Inside, A$AP Rocky supplied enough of his own. The result wasn’t a perfect concert. It was something far more memorable: almost two hours of stylish chaos from one of hip-hop’s most distinctive performers, reminding Vancouver that very few artists can build a world around a live show the way he can.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Fri Jul 03 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Sat Jul 04 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Wed Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Sat Jul 11 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
More information here.
A$AP ROCKY in VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Simple Plan End the ‘Bigger Than You Think!’ Tour on a High Note in Paris
Last Saturday was Halloween, and what better way to celebrate than by going to a Simple Plan show, with hundreds of people dressed up as the Scooby Gang. To make matters even better, the sold-out concert was the closing show of their Bigger Than You Think! tour, ending four and a half weeks with a bang. With two openers and over two hours of music, the evening was packed with high energy and full of nostalgia.
First of the night was Charlotte Sands, a powerhouse of a voice taking over the stage at 7:30pm accompanied only by her drummer. The singer started off strong by performing “None of My Business”, a song from her newest album Satellite. She then followed with “pity” and “use me”, two songs off can we start over?, her sophomore album.
Before singing “Afterlife”, Charlotte Sands asked the audience to put their phone lights on, and soon enough the entire arena was illuminated with people’s flashlights, making the performance emotional and memorable. Back when she first released this single over a year ago, the singer dedicated it to her fans, posting snippets of the song over videos of her with her fans – this moment served as a beautiful reminder that everyone can connect to its lyrics.
Before closing out her set with “Hush”, Charlotte Sands performed “neckdeep” – a song which proved to be incredibly fitting as she used it as a segue to introduce the next act, UK pop-punk band Neck Deep.
Charlotte Sands will be back in Paris on April 12 for her own headline show, and tickets are already on sale.
Up next on stage were Neck Deep, making a grand entrance with their matching blue wigs, worn by both the band and their crew. Indeed, the band paid homage to Charlotte Sands by dressing up like her for Halloween, even introducing themselves as “Neck Deep aka Charlotte Sands aka Neck Deep”. Beginning their set with “Dumbstruck Dumbf**ck”, the energy only went up from there and, soon enough, at least two circle pits were forming in the venue. Lead singer Ben Barlow encouraged fans to let loose and the crowd did not hesitate, as crowd surfers made their way to the sounds of “Motion Sickness” or “Can’t Keep Up The Roots”.
Presenting themselves as “a generic pop-punk band”, a label they’re proud to reclaim as a clap-back to haters, Neck Deep explained that they’re also more than that, as they went on to sing their ballad “When You Know”. Ben Barlow then asked people to make women-only mosh pits for “She’s A God”, making sure men kept out and for the women to enjoy the moment.
Finally, Neck Deep closed out their set with two fan favorites: “December (Again)” and “In Bloom”.
Despite the twenty-minute break in between sets, the energy never died down thanks to a perfectly curated playlist full of French classics. From Renaud to “La Tribu de Dana”, French fans were already singing and dancing before the quartet from Quebec even got on stage – and it only got louder from then on. Starting off with “I’d Do Anything” and “Nothing Changes”, the pyrotechnics, confetti and LED screens made the experience fun and enthralling. By the time “Shut Up” played, everyone was jumping and screaming along. The band then went on to play the French version of “Jet Lag”, to the pleasure of the Parisian audience.
Both new and long-term fans were celebrated throughout the concert by lead singer Pierre Bouvier. He made sure to emphasize that whether you’ve been here for 20 or 10 years, since 2002 or 2022, everyone was welcome and the band was thankful nonetheless.
One of the highlights of the evening was the band giving away two tickets for their hometown show next February, including two plane tickets to Canada, to a lucky fan randomly selected in the audience. They went on to sing “Summer Paradise”, launching giant balloons in the crowd.
The atmosphere quieted down a bit next, as Pierre Bouvier went across the venue to sing “Untitled” alone on a piano. Taking advantage of the emotional moment, the singer explained how much of a dream it is for them to play here. Continuing with a mashup of “Crazy”, “Perfect World”, “Save You” and “This Song Saved My Life”, Pierre walked his way back to the main stage, high fiving and hugging fans.
The mood picked back up from where it left off and the millennial anthems continued next, as the band played the hit song from Shrek’s soundtrack, “All Star”, followed by Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”.
Finally came the highly expected moment of this show. “This is Halloween night, you know what time it is”, the band announced as people dressed as Scoobydoo started running onstage from all over the floor. Soon enough, the entire stage was filled with hundreds of people, in what seemed like an endless parade.
As the end of the night was looming to a close, Simple Plan took another moment to reminisce and express their gratitude to their audience. From their first show in the French capital back in 2003 to their multiple shows at Le Bataclan over the years, Pierre expressed how heartwarming it is for them to get to play so many concerts here, especially considering they’re “our cousins from across the big lake”. Before the concert even ended, the band was already looking forward to coming back. After four and half weeks on the road, they told the French crowd they couldn’t think of a better place to end their tour, as that night was their biggest sold-out headline show in Europe.
After drummer Chuck Comeau crowd surfed for the second half of “I’m Just A Kid”, Pierre played a snippet of Green Day’s “Basket Case”. The concert (and the tour) finished off strong with “Perfect”.
One thing’s for sure: Simple Plan knows how to deliver a high-energy show full of nostalgic hits. Whether you grew up listening to their songs or only discovered them recently, the band’s discography resonates with everyone and will make you sing and dance along. Just like they said, we’re already looking forward to the next show.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SIMPLE PLAN
NECK DEEP
CHARLOTTE SANDS
All Photo Credit: Manon Pothin
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: ARTMS Close ‘Art of BLUE BLOOD’ North American Tour With a Bang in Vancouver
Vancouver got the final North American stop of ARTMS’ Art of BLUE BLOOD tour on October 27, and the five-member group made sure to leave a strong impression before heading to Europe in November.
With no opening act, the evening belonged entirely to HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry, who brought a full-scale production and plenty of personality to the Vogue Theatre. HaSeul was absent from the tour as she continues recovering from surgery. Her presence was missed, but the remaining four members made the most of their time onstage, delivering a show that never felt like it was working with a smaller lineup.
This was my first time seeing ARTMS live, and I came in as a relatively new fan. I had discovered the group through the ridiculously catchy ‘Virtual Angel’, which quickly made me curious about what else they had to offer. Walking into the Vogue, I was hoping the live show would match what had drawn me to the music in the first place. It did, and then some.
For the newbies like me, ARTMS is made up of five former members of LOONA. Following LOONA’s legal dispute with their former agency, BlockBerry Creative, the members went on to begin a new chapter under MODHAUS, officially launching ARTMS in 2024. The name draws inspiration from NASA‘s Artemis program as well as the Greek goddess Artemis and represents a fresh start for the five artists, who have continued building on the musical identity and creative history they developed with LOONA. Their connection to their former group remains an important part of their story, with LOONA songs still finding a place in their live performances.
The group opened with ‘Hyper Crush’, ‘BURN’ and ‘Blue Blood’, immediately setting the tone with sharp choreography, strong vocals and polished production. The set moved through several different sections, giving the concert a sense of progression rather than feeling like one long string of performances. ‘Candy Crush’, ‘Verified Beauty’ and ‘Sparkle’ kept things moving before the members took turns stepping into the spotlight for individual performances.
The solo section was a welcome change of pace. HeeJin (and her guitar) performed ‘sAvioR’, followed by Kim Lip taking on her former LOONA solo track ‘Twilight’. The two then joined forces for a dance cover of S.E.S.’s ‘Be Natural’. JinSoul brought back another LOONA favourite with ‘Singing in the Rain’, while Choerry performed ‘Eclipse’. JinSoul and Choerry later teamed up for Abir’s ‘Tango’.
For newer listeners like myself, these performances offered a good introduction to the members’ individual personalities and musical backgrounds. For longtime fans, they were a chance to revisit some familiar material. ARTMS has a history that extends beyond its current identity, and the group clearly understands that its audience appreciates both sides.
The nostalgia continued with ‘Starlight’, originally by ODD EYE CIRCLE, and a special version of ‘Not Friends’. The group then returned to its newer material with ‘Icarus Gang’ and ‘Born Stunner’, followed by ‘Obsessed’ and ‘Icarus’. The production throughout was impressive, with the lighting and visuals giving each section its own character.
What stood out to me most was how much ARTMS seemed to bring to a venue like the Vogue. The choreography, staging and overall production felt bigger than the room. There was nothing about the performance that suggested the group was holding back because it wasn’t playing an arena. In fact, I could easily see this exact show scaled up to a much larger stage. ARTMS has the presence and performance ability to handle that kind of production, and I’d be curious to see what they could do with even more space.
The ments (the fan interaction breaks between songs) were another highlight. The members made a point of connecting with fanbase (named “OURII”), and the conversations gave the evening a more personal feel. One particularly fun moment came during the group photo, when they asked Vancouver fans to come up with a special pose for the occasion. The audience suggested raising their arms into a V shape, for “Vancouver”. The members took the idea one step further by adding a little body wiggle. It was silly, spontaneous and immediately became a running joke, with the girls bringing the pose back several times during their conversations.
After the main set, ARTMS returned for an encore featuring ‘Pixel Memory’ and the much-anticipated ‘Virtual Angel’. Hearing the latter live was easily one of my personal highlights. It’s the song that introduced me to the group, and seeing it performed with a room full of fans singing along made the experience even better. The group followed with ‘Air’ before closing with ‘love4eva’, a LOONA song originally performed by LOONA’s subunit yyxy. It was a fitting nod to the members’ shared history and the fans who have supported them through different chapters of their careers.
As the final North American show before the European leg, Vancouver got a memorable send-off. ARTMS delivered a production that felt ready for a much bigger stage without losing the personal connection that made the Vogue Theatre such a good setting for it. I may have come in as a new fan, but I left with a much better understanding of what makes this group worth watching. And if this is what ARTMS can do in a theatre, an arena show should be something special.
For more information about ARTMS, click here.
Check out our favourite photos of the show below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ARTMS IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer