Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: David Lee Roth Brings the Party to Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre
Some artists play a concert. David Lee Roth puts on a show.
The legendary Van Halen frontman took over Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre on July 13 for nearly two and a half hours of classic rock, storytelling, and larger-than-life personality. From the moment he stepped on stage, it was obvious Vancouver still holds a special place in his heart. Throughout the night, he reminisced about recording here over the years and shared fond memories of his time at the Nelson Place Hotel, where, judging by the grin on his face, he had more than a few unforgettable nights.
If you’ve ever seen Diamond Dave, you know the music is only part of the experience.
Roth’s storytelling was in peak form, with tales between songs that seemed to wander wherever his brain felt like taking them. The longest detour of the night eventually landed on “Ice Cream Man,” with Roth picking up an acoustic guitar and easing into the Van Halen classic. Moments like that are exactly why he’s never been just a singer; he’s a showman through and through, and the crowd was loving every minute of it.
At one point, Roth referred to himself as “35 years old… times two,” and honestly, the man has enough energy to make people half his age question their cardio. He powered through almost two and a half hours with barely a pause, constantly moving across the stage with his signature Muppet-like swagger, dramatic poses and facial expression, and even a limbo under his microphone stand just because… he’s David Lee Roth. As a self-proclaimed “paper cup of whiskey,” Roth couldn’t have described himself more perfectly: a little rough around the edges, endlessly charismatic, and impossible not to enjoy.
The setlist delivered exactly what Vancouver came to hear, with Van Halen classics including “Panama,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” “Dance the Night Away,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Jump,” and “Runnin’ with the Devil.” One of the evening’s standout moments came during “Unchained,” where Roth busted out a harmonica solo, adding his own twist to one of the band’s heaviest anthems.
The crowd was all in from the opening song, singing every chorus back to the stage, cheering between stories, even telling Roth to “gimme a break” when the time came (iykyk). While his voice doesn’t quite reach the same sky-high notes it did in the ’80s, that hardly mattered. Rather than chasing perfection, Roth leaned into what has always made him such a captivating performer: personality, humour, spontaneity, and an undeniable love for being on stage. You could genuinely feel how much fun he was having, and that enthusiasm spread through the theatre.
His backing band kept the iconic songs sounding tight and full of energy, while the backup vocalists were an absolute highlight of the night. They were impossible not to watch, dancing through every song, interacting with each other, and laughing along with Roth‘s antics. The moment one of the backing vocalists sauntered across the stage to jump behind another set of synth keys, you knew the crowd was about to be transported straight into synth heaven. Their chemistry with one another and with Roth added another layer of excitement to an already lively performance, making the stage feel alive from start to finish.
With plenty of videos from earlier stops on the tour circulating online, Vancouver’s performance felt like one of the strongest of the run. Roth looked relaxed, sounded confident, and seemed genuinely excited to be back in a city that’s clearly been an important part of his career. Whether it was the hometown memories, the electric crowd, or simply one of those nights where everything clicked, the show had an extra spark that carried through from start to finish
David Lee Roth may not sound exactly like he did four decades ago, and honestly, that’s okay. What hasn’t changed is his ability to command a stage, make thousands of people smile, and turn a concert into a full-blown rock ‘n’ roll party. For diehard Van Halen fans, it was a chance to relive the classics. For everyone else, it was a reminder that great songs are one thing, but a true showman knows how to make them unforgettable.
Check our our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full glallery!
DAVID LEE ROTH IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Role Model Lets Loose With Vancouver Crowd on Chuck On Tour
There are few things more revealing about a concert crowd than how quickly they abandon any sense of self-consciousness. By the time Role Model took the stage at Vancouver’s Freedom Mobile Arch on September 12, that line had long since disappeared. The audience was there to dance, scream, sing and, every so often, erupt into a “Chuck!” chant that seemed to spread through the venue on instinct.
For Tucker Pillsbury, better known as Role Model, this is the kind of room his music was made for. The Vancouver stop was part of Chuck On Tour, the world tour supporting his newly released third album, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass. The record marks another step forward for an artist who has steadily evolved from the confessional, genre-blurring pop of his 2022 debut Rx into something warmer, more expansive and increasingly comfortable in its own skin.
That evolution was evident throughout the set. Opening with “Chuck’s Mantra” before launching into “High Hopes 3000” and “Song Is All You Get,” Pillsbury established the playful, loose energy that would carry through the night. The newer material sat naturally alongside fan favourites, with songs like “Look at That Woman,” “Superglue,” “Good Thing” and “The Dinner” keeping the momentum moving.
But the defining feature of the night wasn’t any individual song, it was the audience. There was essentially no downtime between songs before someone was dancing, shouting or belting out a lyric. And not polite, restrained dancing either—the kind where you throw your inhibitions out the window, sing at the top of your lungs with your best friends and let the music take over completely. Freedom Mobile Arch became one giant group singalong, with the crowd seemingly determined to match Pillsbury’s energy note for note.
That sense of community was especially apparent during “Joy,” a buoyant highlight from Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, before the set moved through tracks including “a little more time,” “Old Recliners” and “The Longest Goodbye.” The newer songs gave the performance an emotional range that kept the night from becoming simply a pop spectacle; underneath the dancing and shouting, Pillsbury’s songwriting remains rooted in vulnerability and the complicated messiness of relationships.
And then came “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” The viral Kansas Anymore standout has become one of Role Model’s defining songs, and in Vancouver it landed exactly as expected: as a massive communal release. The crowd knew every word, turning what could have been a straightforward performance into something much bigger.
The set ultimately closed with “Harmony,” bringing Chuck On Tour’s Vancouver stop to a fitting conclusion.
Role Model has spent the past few years growing his audience without losing the intimacy that made his music resonate in the first place. After the success of the No Place Like Tour, which sold more than 90,000 tickets worldwide, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass feels like the next natural chapter rather than a reinvention.
At Freedom Mobile Arch, that progression was reflected back at him by a crowd that clearly feels invested in the journey. For a couple of hours, there was nothing complicated about it: the music came on, the dancing started, the Chuck chants broke out, and everyone gave in.
Opening the night, Samia brought a sharp, intimate energy to the Freedom Mobile Arch, setting the tone for an evening built around big feelings and even bigger sing-alongs. Her confessional songwriting and effortlessly expressive vocals gave the crowd a chance to settle in before Role Model took the stage, with plenty of fans already singing along to favourites from her catalog.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ROLE MODEL
SAMIA
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Rachel Chinouriri Takes Paris by Storm at Sold-Out Headline Debut
Ahead of the release of her sophomore album “I Think I Spoke Too Soon” next October, the rising star Rachel Chinouriri took over Paris last Friday for a sold-out show. After having opened for Sabrina Carpenter’s tour back in 2025, this was the singer’s first-ever headline concert in the capital, to the joy of her long-term and newer fans alike.
The night started with Heidi Curtis, whose appearance could only be described as reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Florence & the Machine. Heidi’s songs are a nice mix of classic rock and folk. The singer told us she’s a fan of all things folkloric, which we can definitely hear in her song “Siren”, about the dark love story between a siren and a sailor.
She then performed her soon-to-be-released “Summon”. Having never been played acoustic before, the song hadn’t originally been planned as part of the setlist. Nonetheless, its last minute addition was a brilliant decision, as it for sure caught the audience’s attention, getting the loudest cheers of the crowd during and after its performance. Heidi Curtis then played “Lost and Found”, and, despite the crowd not knowing the lyrics, they clapped in rhythm all along. Finally, she closed her set with “Undone” before exiting the stage with flowers and a Polaroid gifted to her by fans, as well as a belated happy birthday chant.
Heidi Curtis was, without a doubt, the perfect choice as an opener, and it’s clear that she gained new fans in Paris.
It was then time for Rachel Chinouriri to perform and, from the moment she stepped on stage, it was clear she belonged under the lights. She immediately captivated everyone’s attention, locking eyes with everyone in the room and waving and smiling to people in the front, the back and the sides of the room alike.
Starting her set with “One Song Away from Crying”, the lead single off her new album, Rachel then performed the unreleased “AAAHHH!!!” whose lyrics were already known by some dedicated fans.
The setlist was a masterful mix of songs from her entire discography, as the singer then performed “My Everything” and “It Is What It Is”, two songs off her debut album, before performing “23:42” from her EP Little House.
Although her latest single, “Make Believe”, was released the day of the concert, her fans had come prepared knowing the full lyrics to sing along and carrying signs in honor of the song.
The mood calmed down a little for an emotional moment with “So My Darling”, during which the crowd raised blue lights as a fan project, before things picked right up with “Can We Talk About Isaac”. Rachel then performed “The Hills” with a French flag signed by fans before playing two unreleased tracks off her next album. Leaning into more of a disco sound than her previous body of work, the entire room was dancing and partying, transforming the pit into a night club.
The night ended with Rachel performing the two most famous songs off her first album, namely “All I Ever Asked” and “Never Need Me”, to the loud singing of the audience. There being no encore clearly left the fans wanting for more, as they kept dancing to the venue’s playlist long after the singer was gone.
Hopefully, Rachel Chinouriri will be back in Paris for a new headline show soon, but in the meantime she will be opening for Gracie Abrams for her US tour.
Words by Manon Pothin