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: Jimmy Eat World Brings Bleed American Back to Life in Vancouver
There are some concerts you go to with no idea what you’re going to get. A 25th anniversary tour built around one of the best albums out there is not one of them. You know the songs, the order, exactly when the big moments are coming ; the only real question is whether the band can make those songs feel as alive as they did the first time you heard them. Jimmy Eat World had no trouble answering that question.
On July 19, the Arizona rock band finally returned to the Vancouver area for the first time since 2017, bringing the Bleed American 25th Anniversary Tour to the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. It had been a long wait, and the packed room made it clear that fans had not forgotten what they had been waiting for.
Motion City Soundtrack opened the night, giving the crowd a strong dose of early-2000s nostalgia before Jimmy Eat World took the stage. It was a fitting pairing. Both bands came of age during a period when alternative rock, pop-punk and emo could still find a home on mainstream radio, and both have built careers that outlasted the era that first made them famous.
For me, though, the night carried a more personal weight for a different reason: this was my first time seeing Jimmy Eat World live. After more than three decades as a band, and nearly a decade since their last Vancouver appearance, the fact that it took until 2026 for me to finally see them live made the wait feel even more significant.
Jimmy Eat World began the evening with songs from Clarity, their 1999 breakthrough album, including “Clarity,” “Your New Aesthetic,” “Blister,” and “Lucky Denver Mint.” It was a smart choice. The band could have gone straight into Bleed American and given everyone exactly what they came for, but those opening songs made a point: Jimmy Eat World did not suddenly become a great band in 2001. They had already been doing this for years.
Then they switched to “Bleed American,” and the stage itself transformed. A large wall that had kept the full production hidden from view moved aside, revealing the expanded Bleed American stage setup behind it. The lighting rig opened up across the width of the stage, giving the band a much bigger canvas for the album that had changed their career. It was a smart bit of theatre without feeling overproduced.
The album was performed from beginning to end, and hearing it in sequence made one thing very clear: Bleed American is an unusually complete record. The obvious hits are there, but so are the songs that tend to get pushed aside when a band is working with a limited setlist.
“A Praise Chorus” remains an absolute rush. “The Middle,” one of JEW‘s biggest and most recognizable hits, turned the venue into a massive singalong. “Sweetness” took that energy even further, with thousands of people shouting every “whoa-oh” back at the stage. “Get It Faster” brought the aggression. “Your House” offered one of the night’s more affecting moments. And “Hear You Me” remains one of those songs that can stop you in your tracks, even after you’ve heard it hundreds of times.
The beauty of hearing Bleed American played from start to finish is getting the full picture. The album has explosive highs, quieter emotional moments and everything in between. Songs that don’t always get the spotlight in a regular setlist suddenly have room to breathe.
Jim Adkins remains a compelling frontman, delivering these songs with the same sincerity that made them work in the first place. Tom Linton’s guitar playing was sharp and energetic, while Rick Burch and Zach Lind continued to provide the steady foundation that has held this band together for more than three decades.
There was no sense that the band was simply going through the motions of an anniversary tour. They looked like they were having fun and so did the fans.
That crowd was one of the best parts of the night. Fans who discovered Bleed American when it was released stood beside younger listeners who weren’t even alive when the album came out. Everybody seemed to know the words.
The main set ended with “My Sundown,” bringing the album to its quiet conclusion before the band briefly left the stage.
Jimmy Eat World returned for a five-song encore that moved beyond Bleed American, opening with “Disintegration” and continuing through “Pain,” “For Me This Is Heaven” and “(Splash) Turn Twist” before closing with “23.” It was a fitting reminder that Bleed American may have been the record that changed the band’s career, but it is only one piece of a catalog that has kept giving fans reasons to stick around.
Twenty-five years after Bleed American changed everything for the band, these songs haven’t become museum pieces. They’re very much still capable of making a room full of people lose their voices.
And after waiting nine years to see Jimmy Eat World back in Vancouver, I can say this with complete confidence: it was worth the wait.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
July 22 –– Sandy, UT –– Sandy Amphitheater
July 24 –– Concord, CA –– Toyota Pavilion at Concord
July 25-26 –– Long Beach, CA –– Vans Warped Tour
August 14 –– Halifax, UK –– The Piece Hall
August 15 –– Cardiff, UK –– Cardiff Castle
August 16 –– London, UK –– Gunnersbury Park
August 22 –– Montreal, QC –– Vans Warped Tour
August 23 –– Toronto, ON –– RBC Amphitheatre
September 6 –– Phoenix, AZ –– Chase Field, supporting My Chemical Romance
September 9 –– Austin, TX –– Moody Amphitheater
September 10 –– Dallas, TX –– The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
September 12-13 –– Mexico City, MX –– Vans Warped Tour
November 12 –– Nashville, TN –– TBA
November 14 –– Tampa, FL –– MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
November 14-15 –– Orlando, FL –– Vans Warped Tour
More information here.
JIMMY EAT WORLD
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Screaming All Around Me – Flyleaf Live in Silver Spring
What started as a string of festival appearances over the past few years has turned into a reunion tour over a decade in the making. When Lacey Sturm left Flyleaf in 2012, it left an enormous hole in one of the defining bands of the 2000s. The band continued touring with a new vocalist while Sturm took some time off, eventually returning to the stage with her solo project. In 2022, the band’s social media pages were reactivated, and they took to the festival circuit, with Sturm once again at the helm.
Earlier this year, the band’s self-titled album’s 20-year anniversary tour was announced to much fanfare, with thousands of likes and comments adorning the post. The tour finally reached Silver Spring and could not have come sooner. Fans filled into a sold-out Fillmore just a few miles from Our Nation’s Capital on Wednesday night for one of the shows of the summer.
The show was opened by two very capable bands. Tiny Ships, an alt-rock band native to New Jersey, took to the stage first. They brought a great sound and strong stage presence. Although they are a little rough around the edges, they will likely grow into a solid band as they gain more experience. Opening for Flyleaf on a sold-out show definitely says something about their future and gives a good indication of where their career is heading!
Ohio Christian Metalcore band Convictions played next and absolutely dominated every corner of the Fillmore’s stage. Unclean vocalist Michael Felker made his way from side to side with what seemed to be the goal of screaming in the face of every front row fan. The band has a very gritty sound that just makes you want to jump twenty feet in the air and then go for ten-mile run through the desert. They played a ten-song set and really stole the show. If Flyleaf was not headlining, the band would easily be the best band on any bill they open for. I would not be surprised if the band is earning some prominent festival slots and headlining their own sold-out shows soon. Check Convictions out if they are playing a show near you. You won’t regret it!
After the extreme adrenaline of Convictions started to wear down, the energy picked right back up as Sturm and crew made their way onto the stage. It is very common for some fans who came for the openers to leave early when the headliner comes out, but not a single person left the venue early on Wednesday night. They were all there to relive the songs of their teenage angst years all over again.
After a preshow prayer from Sturm, drawing on her religious roots, the set started right off with a bang of a back-to-back dosing of “In the Dark and Chasm.” It is a lucky thing that I wear really good earplugs at shows, or else I might have some hearing damage from how loud the screams were inside the Fillmore. Sturm commanded the crowd with a masterful control. Every movement she made was followed by thousands of eyes awaiting the next great moment on an already amazing evening.
The crowd’s voice was warmed up by the time Sturm requested some participation on Fire Fire. The 2012 track from the band’s last release with Sturm was a huge favorite and a big highlight from the early part of the set. “Cassie,” “Freedom,” and “Stand” filled out the ending part of the first half of the show. Even though the show was half over, it seemed to just be kicking into gear.
The back half of the night was filled with all the songs that a Flyleaf show would be incomplete without. “Cage on the Ground” kicked off the second half, followed by “This Close” and “Saving Grace.” It was extremely hard to hear the bass of Pat Seals, or the guitars of Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartmann with how much the crowd participation filled the venue with noise. James Culpepper’s drums cut right through the noise though and gave a thumping kick to keep the Fillmore on beat.
“Fully Alive” started to signal that the show was unfortunately close to an end which was met with calls for the night to never end. After a sermon from Sturm following “I’m So Sick,” the band launched into one of the most defining songs in rock music, “All Around Me.” The bumping chorus juxtaposed with the soft and sweet vocal melody showcase Flyleaf’s superior musical composition skills and ensured that a new generation of Flyleaf fans would be born with the large number of kids in attendance.
Overall, the show was just top notch. Sturm and Flyleaf’s reunion was well worth the wait. Unfortunately, if this review convinced you to purchase a ticket to the closest Flyleaf show, you may be out of luck as like the Fillmore, every other venue on the tour has sold out as well. Hopefully this tour was not a one-off for the band though and will lead to new music and another decade of shows around the world.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
FLYLEAF
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger