Concerts Reviews
MARINA Crowns Fans and Conquers the Orpheum in Vancouver
For anyone who’s followed MARINA through her eras (glitter-drenched Electra Heart, kaleidoscopic Froot, or the rawer turns of Love + Fear), her latest tour feels like the payoff. The Princess of Power Tour, which stopped at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, BC on September 7, didn’t just feel like a routine album cycle. It was a sold-out spectacle wrapped in video game fantasy, complete with levels and power-ups. And MARINA, now fully in her independent, self-directed era, looked like she was having the time of her life playing the main character.
Coco & Clair Clair kicked off the night, bringing their blend of dreamy rap-pop and sly confidence to the Orpheum. The Atlanta duo has been building a loyal following over the past few years with songs that straddle irony and sincerity, and their set had fans swaying, laughing, and singing along. Tracks like “Pretty” and “Pop Star” played perfectly in a live setting.
MARINA‘s set opened with a rolling Star Wars–style text crawl across a massive LED screen, setting the stage as if the audience was booting up a new adventure. MARINA appeared seconds later, shimmering in her pink bodysuit with fringe sleeves, launching into “PRINCESS OF POWER.” It was campy and theatrical, all of the things longtime fans love her for.
The show unfolded across six “levels,” each tied to songs and themes from her new album Princess of Power. The structure gave the night a clear arc, and MARINA leaned into it, shifting moods to match.
Level One: Star Fields paired that extended intro with an early-career classic, “Are You Satisfied?” to remind the crowd where this journey began, back in The Family Jewels days, when MARINA was the scrappy indie-pop oddball breaking into the charts.
By Level Two: The Heartbreaker, the audience was properly locked in. She dove into “Hermit the Frog” and the perennial fan favourite “How to Be a Heartbreaker.” The crowd sang every “love, love, love, love, love” hook.
Level Three: The Cocoon slowed things down, starting with “EVERYBODY KNOWS I’M SAD,” a new track that shows MARINA leaning into melancholy balladry with grace. Then she followed it up with “I Am Not a Robot,” a song that, tucked deep in her debut album, still has a special pull. Hearing it live again, alongside a newer track like “BUTTERFLY,” created a sweet symmetry between the MARINA of 2010 and the MARINA of 2025.
Things took a neon turn for Level Four: Digital Fantasies. Backed by slick, metallic visuals, she moved through “DIGITAL FANTASY,” the French-titled “JE NE SAIS QUOI,” and “METALLIC STALLION.” These songs leaned into the synth-pop sound she wears so well, her voice slicing through layers of production. If there was a moment that felt closest to “final boss” energy, this was it.
Level Five: Party Paradiso was where the show tipped into playful chaos. Many fans, men and women alike, had shown up dressed as royalty, tiaras and gowns everywhere you looked. MARINA used that energy for “CUNTISSIMO,” inviting a group of audience members dressed as princesses and princes to the stage for a full-on Princess of Power pageant. With her Libra humour in full force, she admitted it was hard to choose a winner since she’s “always indecisive.” In the end, she crowned not one, but two best friends. The entire bit was adorable and celebratory, and it only got louder when she closed the section with “Bubblegum Bitch,” which had the balcony stomping in rhythm.
Finally came Level Six: Keys to the Castle, the show’s final arc. She began with the cinematic sweep of “FINAL BOSS,” then threw the crowd into “ROLLERCOASTER” and “Primadonna.” Before the finale, MARINA took a moment to explain the roots of her new album. Princess of Power, she said, was inspired by video games, especially 1980s titles that used quirky sound effects and bit-crushed tones. She wove those same retro sounds into the record, and the live show, too. That reflection set up the closer, “I <3 You,” a heartfelt sendoff to all the fans.
If the concept and staging were the brain of the show, MARINA’s voice was the soul. The Orpheum Theatre’s acoustics suited her perfectly. Every note, from a breathy falsetto to her full-bodied belt, landed with clarity. She doesn’t rely on heavy backing tracks or elaborate choreography. Instead, her voice did the heavy lifting, filling every corner of the sold-out hall.
It’s easy to forget how long MARINA has been in the game. Since 2009, she’s moved through multiple personas, genres, and industry expectations, only to come out now on her own label, Queenie Records, with her vision sharper than ever. Princess of Power feels like her boldest album yet, and on stage, the concept clicks.
Whether you came for nostalgia, new material, or just to scream “Primadonna girl!” at the top of your lungs, the Princess of Power Tour gave you a place to do it.
Check out more photos of the show below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Princess of Power Tour Dates:
09/10 — Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium +
09/12 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union +
09/13 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium +
09/15 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore *
09/16 — Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre *
09/18 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY *
09/20 — New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall *
09/21 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner *
09/24 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall *
09/25 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *
09/28 — Washington, DC @ All Things Go
09/29 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE *
10/01 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle *
10/02 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern *
10/04 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/07 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center *
10/09 — Dallas, TX @ Southside Ballroom *
10/11 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/13 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre *
10/14 — Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater *
10/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
10/17 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
11/15 — Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital **
+ w/ Coco & Clair Clair
* = w/ Mallrat
More information here.
MARINA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: LP Brings ‘All Is Not Lost’ Tour to Vancouver
On September 5, multi platinum singer-songwriter LP brought the All Is Not Lost Tour to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, delivering a performance that moved effortlessly between vulnerability, power, and pure rock-and-roll energy. The night also carried a special significance: the tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of Lost on You, the record that helped transform LP from a respected songwriter into a global phenomenon.
Known professionally as LP, Laura Pergolizzi has spent years carving out a space that is uniquely their own. Before becoming internationally recognized as a recording artist, LP established themselves as a songwriter for major artists including Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Celine Dion. Their own breakthrough came with “Lost on You,” which went to No. 1 in 18 countries and eventually surpassed one billion Spotify streams.
Inside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, LP’s music felt much more immediate. Their unmistakable voice moved from restrained and intimate to explosive within moments, giving songs such as “Muddy Waters,” “The One That You Love,” and “Lost on You” a sense of urgency that is difficult to recreate outside of a live setting.
The evening’s setlist reflected both sides of LP’s career. The first part moved through newer material and familiar favourites, including “Shelly,” “Tokyo Sunrise,” “Love Is All I Have,” and “Chasing & Waiting.” Later, the performance shifted toward the Lost on You celebration, bringing some of LP’s most recognizable songs into the spotlight.
It was the kind of moment that makes a concert feel bigger than the room. The song that introduced LP’s voice to millions became a shared experience between artist and audience, with the theatre singing along to every familiar line. After nearly a decade of the song living its own life around the world, hearing it performed in a packed Vancouver theatre gave it a renewed sense of intimacy.
From behind the camera, there was another layer to the experience. Photographing LP meant constantly watching for the moments between the obvious ones. The dramatic poses and powerful vocals naturally create striking frames, but some of the strongest images came from the quieter details, the concentration before a verse, a hand wrapped around the microphone, a fleeting expression beneath the stage lights.
LP is an artist who gives a photographer plenty to work with. Their movement across the stage feels instinctive rather than choreographed, and their performance style carries the same unpredictability as their voice. One moment can feel completely still; the next can explode into movement.
That contrast became one of the defining visual elements of the Vancouver show. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre also suited the performance. Rather than feeling distant or oversized, the venue allowed the audience to remain close to the emotional centre of the show. LP could command the room without having to overwhelm it.
There was also a sense of celebration throughout the night. Ten years after Lost on You, LP is still performing the songs that changed the trajectory of their career while continuing to introduce audiences to what’s next. The tour combines material from the upcoming album with a special presentation of Lost on You in its entirety, making the show feel like both a look backward and a step forward.
That balance is what made the Vancouver performance so compelling. LP isn’t simply revisiting an old record. They are showing how those songs have evolved with them and how they continue to resonate with an audience that has grown alongside their music.
By the final moments of the night, the feeling in the theatre was less like watching an artist celebrate an anniversary and more like witnessing a career still in motion.
For me, photographing LP in Vancouver was an opportunity to capture that evolution in real time: the voice, the movement, the vulnerability, and the electricity that has made LP such a distinctive live performer.
Ten years after Lost on You, the LP still has something to say and judging by the way Vancouver listened, people are still more than willing to hear it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LP
All Photo Credit: Raphael Arthur
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Icons Deep Purple & Kansas Bring A Legendary Celebratory Night of Surprises To Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum
I don’t say this lightly, but both Deep Purple and Kansas absolutely put on a hell of a show. Since 1968, Deep Purple have basically been the godfathers of live rock performance. Don’t believe me? Go look up their Guinness World Record for “loudest concert,” which they snagged back in 1972. That same energy, that same wall of sound, made the trip across five decades and landed right here for the band’s headlining North American tour stop in Abbotsford. Original drummer Ian Paice is still holding it down, now joined by guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Don Airey, and vocalist Ian Gillan. Sure, only one original member remains, but somehow the whole group still nails the spirit of what made Deep Purple, well, Deep Purple.
They tore through 16 tracks that night. “Smoke on the Water” got the loudest reaction of the evening, no surprise there. “Diablo” and “Perfect Strangers” also landed big, and “Highway Star” kicked the whole thing off on an absolute high. And when I say the crowd was into it, I mean it. Fans who’ve followed this band for almost fifty years were pressed right up against the barrier trying to get as close as possible. That closeness paid off too, with an incredible light show and Simon McBride ripping through solo after solo. Honestly, McBride was the highlight more than once, stepping up so Gillan could catch his breath between songs. Given how much those vocals demand, that rest was more than earned.
Like I said, “Smoke on the Water” was the main event for Abbotsford. It’s one thing to describe it, but actually watching the buildup, seeing the bandmates grinning at each other because they knew exactly what was coming, that was priceless. Then those notes kicked in. You know the ones. Every Guitar Center employee’s nightmare. The whole arena became one voice, singing along to a guitar riff like it was a chorus. It was the moment of the night, the kind of thing every rock fan dreams about experiencing live. That wave of energy carried all the way through to the final song, “Hush.” If you were a millennial who spent way too much time on Guitar Hero 2, hearing this one live gave you full goosebumps. This was the band’s first big hit back in 1968, and in 2026 it still hits just as hard. The crowd treated it like more than an encore. It felt like everyone in that room knew they might not get another chance to see Deep Purple live, and they soaked in every second of it. When the house lights finally came up, Abbotsford just stood there in awe. Deep Purple‘s legendary status was on full display, and nobody in that crowd wanted the night to end.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DEEP PURPLE
KANSAS
All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno