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: Isaiah Rashad – Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip at Infosys Theater at MSG
Top Dawg Entertainment artist Isaiah Rashad delivered a cinematic, intimate set for his Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip tour, with opener Alemeda in support. His third studio album, It’s Been Awful, captures the weight most people carry quietly: the depths, the despair, the need for community, the desire for higher purpose, and the pulse to push forward. He gave us soulful vibes like “SUPAFICAL,” controlled the tempo with “DO I LOOK HIGH,” and dropped vulnerable reminders through songs like “ACT NORMAL,” inviting the crowd into his reality, in a real slow-burn, confessional kind of way.
The project has achieved critical acclaim since its debut, with “BOY IN RED” featuring SZA (another TDE heavyweight) in the conversation for a Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance, and rumblings that the project itself may be up for Best Rap Album. For longtime listeners, it felt more like an honest catch-up. He’s been making dense, emotionally rich music since Cilvia Demo, balancing trippy production with hard truths about depression, addiction, and family strain. Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip doesn’t just celebrate a new album, it reinforces why his voice has always mattered.
With seven of his stops now in the books, Rashad finally brought the tour to New York. He’s been hosting special meet-and-greets, allowing the faithful to come in early and catch his soundcheck, ask him questions, and build a closer connection. That sense of openness is part of what makes him so compelling.
This tour felt like a campsite sideshow in the best way. The show kicked off with him stepping out in a blood-covered white tee, and from that moment his goal was to connect with the crowd: taking pictures with his disposable camera, dapping up people as if he knew them personally, and grounding himself in the moment. Every city has its own flavor, and he embraced us from the start. Alemeda thrashed alongside her guitarist, while Rashad brought super fans on stage to sing the hook of “CAMERAS,” and Sunny’s camera rolled road memories behind him throughout. The whole production had a cinematic rhythm, balancing humor, intimacy, and autobiography without ever losing its sense of fun.
I discovered Rashad years ago through “4r Da Squaw,” and hearing it live reminded me how impactful the early material remains. I immediately identified with it— the pain, the glory, and the ups and downs that inevitably come with trying to establish yourself. At the show, he played a bunch of deep-cut favorites like “Headshots (4r Da Locals)” and “Heavenly Father.” These blended seamlessly with the new material. Fans were rapping every word, listening closely, or crashing into mosh pits. The audible uproar during his performance of “SAME SH!T” and “AIN’T GIVIN’ UP” proved that every pocket of his catalog hits.
By the end of the night, he reminded us all that he would always “Lay with us, Pray with Us, and Stay with Us,” a fitting summary of both the night and his larger mission. With just twenty-two more stops to go before a full-circle anniversary show in Inglewood, fans need to lock in before he disappears on us again. Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip plays like a tribute to everything he’s survived, and a confident step toward whatever comes next.
Lil Sunny’s Awful Road Trip Setlist:
THE NEW SUBLIME
M.O.M.
SCARED 2 LOOK DOWN
FREE LUNCH
WAT U SED
PARK
BOY IN RED
SUPAFICAL
WEST SAVANNAH
HEAVENLY FATHER
HAPPY HOUR
CAMERAS
GTKY
AIN’T GIVIN’ UP
WAT’S WRONG
LAY WIT YA
SAME SHIT
HEADSHOTS
4R DA SQUAWDO I LOOK HIGH?
RIP YOUNG
11 tracks from It’s Been Awful
4 tracks from The House Is Burning
4 tracks from The Sun’s Tirade
2 tracks from Cilvia Demo
Review and Photos by Anthony Grant @gallerybytm
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Angine de Poitrine Touches Down From Another Galaxy for Night 1 in Vancouver at The Pearl
Before the doors to The Pearl even open, downtown Vancouver is already starting to look a little different. Polka dots begin appearing in the crowd; one person here, a group there, until the black and white, circular patterned fits become almost impossible to miss. As more and more people make their way toward the venue, it becomes clear that something very strange is brewing.
That could only mean one thing: self-proclaimed space-time voyagers Klek and Khn de Poitrine are in town, and things are about to get weird.
After blowing up and going viral at an almost ridiculous rate this year, thanks in part to their KEXP appearance just down south in Seattle, Angine de Poitrine’s shows coming to town have become highly anticipated. And it’s not just prog fans showing up. Their strange, theatrical world has something for everyone: weird music lovers, fans of live visuals and performance, and anyone curious to see exactly what all the fuss is about. Seeing the alien brothers live in person, we can confirm that they do live up to the hype!
The show opened with fellow Montreal musician René Lussier, a jazz guitarist with a flair for theatrics as well. Accompanied by drummer Robbie Juster, the two performed some funky, jazzy tunes, complete with a few wonderfully weird gimmicks, including René wielding an electric toothbrush against his guitar to create some truly crazy sounds. It was a very fitting opening act for the wonderfully strange spectacle that was about to follow.
Angine De Poitrine is a band to experience up close and personal, which is why catching them at the Pearl was the perfect opportunity to see this band in their current form: strange yet intriguing, predictably unpredictable, theatrical and chaotic, and all while being completely and wonderfully bizarre in the best possible way. They know exactly who they are and what they are about.
They played a solid eight-song set over the course of about an hour and a bit, and that was all they needed to completely capture the room’s attention – not that the alien outfits didn’t do that already! What was cool to see was Khn de Poitrine’s brand new custom Godin microtonal double-neck guitar that only took 38 days to build – very impressive! From the bizarre sounds and wild instrumentation to the visual theatrics unfolding onstage, there never really was a moment to look away. The moment you did and looked back up again, they were either busting out a little hoppy dance, contacting the mothership through their glowing eyes and triangular-shaped honing mechanisms, or doing something else that made you question whether you were still at a concert or had accidentally wandered into some kind of intergalactic transmission.
Angine De Poitrine exists somewhere between experimental music, performance art, and an alien transmission that somehow learned how to groove. Thank you to Angine de Poitrine for being their truly authentic selves and for being the kind of gloriously wacky beacon of light this world could use a little more of right now!
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ANGINE DE POITRINE
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle