Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Weezer Turns Vancouver’s Rogers Arena Into a Backyard Party on “The Gathering” Tour
There was something almost too fitting about Weezer calling this tour The Gathering. At Rogers Arena on September 12, the band brought together multiple generations of fans, three decades of songs, a few long-forgotten favourites and enough ridiculous stage antics to make the whole thing feel less like a standard arena concert and more like a very expensive backyard party.
“All are welcome” is the tour’s tagline, and the crowd made a pretty good case for it. There were longtime fans who grew up with The Blue Album and Pinkerton, younger fans discovering the band through TikTok, and plenty of people somewhere in between. Weezer has somehow become one of those bands that can belong to several generations at once.
The evening started with Silversun Pickups, who wasted little time getting the arena moving. Brian Aubert’s distinctive vocals cut through a set built around the band’s thick guitars and driving rhythms. “Panic Switch” and “Lazy Eye” were obvious highlights, but newer material fit comfortably alongside the classics.
The Shins followed, and their set felt like a completely different kind of nostalgia trip. James Mercer and company sounded remarkably polished, working through songs from across their catalog, including “Caring Is Creepy,” “New Slang,” “Sleeping Lessons” and “Simple Song.” The crowd did plenty of the singing on the bigger songs, turning the arena into something far more intimate than its size would suggest.
Then it was time for Weezer. The stage setup immediately made the arena feel strange in the best possible way. A suburban house sat at the centre of the stage, surrounded by the sort of backyard details that should look ridiculous inside Rogers Arena but somehow worked (this seems to be trend these days with Noah Kahan and J Cole also having houses in their stage production). The whole thing was built for the band’s particular brand of geeky humour and absurdity.
Weezer opened with “Shine Again,” from this year’s Gold Album, before launching into “Surf Wax America.” From there, the set moved all over the band’s history. “Hash Pipe,” “The Good Life,” “Beverly Hills,” “Pork and Beans,” “My Name Is Jonas,” “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly” were all there, but the set was far more interesting than a greatest-hits parade.
The band pulled out “Keep Fishin’” and “Slob” from Maladroit, with the latter making its first appearance in the set since 2005. “No Other One” returned after several years away, and “Lonely Girl” was another welcome deep cut. For a band with this many hits, Weezer clearly didn’t feel obligated to play it safe.
The Pinkerton portion was another highlight, fitting for the album’s 30th anniversary. Six songs from the record made the set, including “Falling for You,” “Pink Triangle,” “Tired of Sex” and “El Scorcho.” The latter got a Vancouver-specific lyrical tweak, a small touch that made the performance feel like a show rather than a reproduction of an old setlist.
The best part, though, was when the band stopped behaving like a conventional rock band. During the acoustic section, Rivers Cuomo moved to keyboards, Patrick Wilson picked up an acoustic guitar and Brian Bell played clarinet. Cuomo later moved behind the drum kit for “Pork and Beans.”
Silversun Pickups bassist Nikki Monninger returned to the stage for three songs with Cuomo, including “We Might as Well Be Strangers,” “Go Away” and “I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams.” The latter two have found a surprising second life with younger listeners thanks to TikTok, giving the show another generational crossover that probably would have seemed absurd a decade ago.
And that is what made The Gathering work. Weezer could have built this tour around nostalgia alone. Instead, the band used nostalgia as the foundation and then kept messing with it.
There were hits. There were deep cuts. There were instrument swaps, guest appearances, jokes and plenty of Cuomo’s familiar antics. Most of all, there was a sense that the band understood exactly what its audience wanted without letting that dictate the entire night.
Weezer may have spent much of its career figuring out where it fits. In Vancouver, it looked pretty comfortable exactly where it was: somewhere between the past, the present and a suburban backyard that somehow ended up inside Rogers Arena. That’s a pretty good gathering.
Head here for The Gathering tour dates and ticket information.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
WEEZER
THE SHINS
SILVERSUN PICKUPS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: aespa Close North American Tour With a Futuristic Spectacle in Vancouver
My K-pop education continued on October 11 as aespa brought their SYNK : COMPLæXITY Tour to Rogers Arena in Vancouver. After seeing TWICE in January and IVE in August, this was my third concert foray into K-pop. I was excited to see how aespa would compare, and the answer was a little different from my first two experiences. Where TWICE brought the fun and IVE delivered its own polished pop spectacle, aespa leaned into futuristic visuals, heavy electronic production and choreography that rarely let up.
With no opening act, the stage belonged entirely to Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning. Vancouver marked the final stop of the North American leg before the group heads to Europe in January, making this the last chance for fans on this side of the Atlantic to see the production for a while.
There had been some concern about Giselle’s participation after she left the stage five songs into the group’s October 9 show at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Thankfully, she was back in Vancouver. Both she and Winter mentioned having a cold, but you wouldn’t have known it from their performances. Neither appeared to let it get in the way, and both delivered strong performances throughout the night.
The show opened with “LEMONADE,” immediately filling Rogers Arena with heavy bass, electronic beats and futuristic visuals. The production was massive, but the sound mix occasionally worked against the group. At points, the bass threatened to overpower the vocals, which was frustrating when four singers this capable were onstage.
“Switchblade” and “Whiplash” kept the momentum going before aespa reached back to its 2020 debut single, “Black Mamba.” The choreography remained sharp, and the group’s ability to move between demanding routines and vocal passages without losing its composure was impressive. “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” brought a harder hip-hop edge, with Giselle’s rap standing out against the heavy production.
The concert was divided into five acts, with cinematic video segments building on the group’s fictional universe. The story occasionally felt like a lot to keep up with, particularly for someone who hasn’t followed every chapter of aespa‘s mythology. Still, the visuals gave the show a clear identity. The production had a narrative thread running through it.
The second act offered a welcome change of pace. Karina introduced “Count on Me” on a piano, leading into a softer arrangement that let the members’ voices take centre stage. “Camouflage” and “Angel #48” continued the dreamier stretch. These moments were a reminder that aespa doesn’t need a wall of bass and flashing screens to hold an audience’s attention.
The solo and duet stages were among my favourite parts of the night. Giselle and Ningning brought a relaxed feel to “Lollipop,” while Karina and Winter took a more energetic approach with “Serenade.” Each pairing had its own character, making the performances feel distinct rather than like variations on the same routine.
The four solo performances gave the members even more room to show what they could do. Ningning’s “I Love You But I Gotta Let You Go” built from restrained verses into soaring high notes, while Karina’s “16 Bit” relied on a more understated, moody delivery. Giselle showed a softer side on “BYEB4HELLO,” moving beyond her usual rap role, and Winter’s “Saddle Up” put her choreography and stage confidence front and centre.
These performances made a strong case for the individual personalities within aespa. The group’s sleek, coordinated image is part of its appeal, but seeing the members step outside that format made the concert more interesting.
The heavier material returned with “Armageddon” and “Bite,” followed by a run of choreography-driven performances including “Next Level,” “SHAKIN’” and “Supernova.” The dancers added scale to the show, and the synchronized routines looked particularly effective against the digital scenery. By this point, the production had made its point: aespa knows how to turn its music into a full arena experience.
The pre-encore dance challenge was a fun change of pace, with cameras scanning the crowd and giving fans a chance to show off their moves on the big screens. The segment ended with an (shy) audience singalong to “Roll” before aespa returned for “Yeppi Yeppi” and “’Til We Die.”
As someone still getting to know K-pop, I appreciated the range. The spectacle was impressive, but the quieter songs and individual stages stopped the night from becoming one long sensory overload. The sound mix could have been better, and some of the storyline went over my head, but those were minor complaints in a show packed with strong performances.
TWICE got me curious about K-pop, and IVE gave me another reason to keep exploring it. aespa made a convincing case for sticking around. Their Vancouver show was loud, visually striking and full of personality, with four performers who could hold Rogers Arena’s attention even when the production threatened to steal it. That’s a solid way to close out a North American tour.
Upcoming Aespa – SYNK : COMPLæXITY’ World Tour Dates:
01/14 – Manchester, United Kingdom @ AO Arena
01/16 – London, United Kingdom @ The O2
01/19 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
01/22 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Avicii Arena
01/24 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
01/26 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
01/29 – Milan, Italy @ Unipol Dome
01/31 – Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi
02/02 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
More information here.
Concerts Reviews
LØLØ Brings her ‘God Forbid a Girl Goes on Tour’ to the Pearl in Vancouver
LØLØ brought her second headlining tour – aptly named “God Forbid a Girl Goes on Tour” – to Vancouver this week, a first for the Canada-born artist. We’ve been a fan since we first heard “Death Wish” back in 2021, which seems like it was yesterday, and we aren’t going to overthink that right now. That being said, we’ve been waiting a long time for this night, and what a show!
We’ve been frequenting The Pearl more and more lately, and like so many others this show was sold out and packed wall-to-wall. There was a small mob for the first opener of the night, Dawson Gamble, and the floor was packed by the time Con the Artist took the stage. When LØLØ appeared, it was all plaid miniskirts and devil horns from the stage to the merch booth.
When the lights went down, LØLØ’s voice boomed over the speakers, narrating excerpts from a journal. LØLØ is not a choreographed, over-polished pop princess. Like so many artists that grew their audience from nothing, she does her best to connect with individuals in the audience. She takes her time, holds their hands, and during one memorable song, brings them on stage to dance.
“I think that people don’t want perfection,” she told Rolling Stone earlier this year. “They just want to see a live show and a special moment.”
LØLØ was very upfront about her adventures online, finding her voice, and time spent during COVID, and from the vibe you have to assume the audience had been there with her the entire time. From “The Floor is Lava” to “Faceplant,” all the hits were covered and sung along to. Speaking of which…
Must Hear Songs by LØLØ (In Our Humble Opinion):
• “death wish” (Single, 2021)
• “Hot Girls in Hell” (falling for robots, 2023)
• “u turn me on (but you give me depression)” (falling for robots, 2023)
• “Let It Go” (A Whole New Sound (Disney), 2024)
Fun fact: LØLØ was featured on a 2024 Disney punk album alongside Simple Plan, Magnolia Park, and Yellow Card, to name a few iconic bands. Check out her version of “Let It Go” from “Frozen.” It’s unexpected and a lot of fun.
LØLØ ‘s first moment of viral fame was her cover of “Hey There Delilah,” updated and sung from Delilah’s perspective. Pulling Con the Artist back on stage for a duet gave the crowd a wonderful, heartfelt moment that was honestly quite touching. Not everyone’s favorite song, but a lovely moment for everyone in the audience.
LØLØ, with several incredible songs in her library and with a stack of “Warped Tour” appearances already in the books, seems poised to breakthrough to the next level. She’s electric on stage, and animated, and we can only dream of the day she is given more space to play. Until then, another highlight concert of 2026, and something to think about until her next visit!
LØLØ Setlist:
• the devil wears converse
• pretty little wreck
• god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!
• THE FLOOR IS LAVA!
• debbie downer
• me with no shirt on
• the punisher
• 2 of us
• u turn me on (but u give me depression)
• faceplant
• Hey There Delilah
• death wish
• delusional darling
• junkie
• DON’T!
• dumbest girl in the world
• wish i was a robot
• hot girls in hell
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery. Thanks for attending the show with us and for checking out our review!
LØLØ
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin