Concerts Reviews
Melanie Martinez’s Trilogy Tour takes Toronto by storm!
June 9th, 2024
Melanie Martinez played a sold out show at the Scotiabank Arena in Downtown Toronto this past weekend, and wow…. It was magical to say the least. She was accompanied by openers Sofia Isella and Beach Bunny for the Toronto date, and they were both amazing acts! I had the most incredible opportunity to photograph some of the show as well as attend the concert. Melanie Martinez is very dedicated to her art and music, as well as telling a story with it. Her three albums, – Crybaby, K-12, and Portals – all tell the story of her character Crybaby as she grows up and experiences life, and.. death! All her work is accompanied by incredible and colourful visuals that I think really complete the story she tells through her music!
Before the show even began, walking around the train station by the venue and even outside the arena was so awesome. Pretty much every single person I saw was dressed up to match with one of Melanie’s three albums she has released, and people went all out! I had never seen anything like it! There were people in replicas of outfits Melanie has worn, to outfits inspired by different album artwork. I really applaud her fanbase for going the extra mile to make the atmosphere feel so bright and welcoming.
Sofia Isella was the first opener of the night and from what I saw of her set she had a cool and moody vibe to start. Her voice was great, and I really enjoyed watching her move around the stage, everything she did felt so intentional, and it made me not want to take my eyes off her! She ended up pulling out a violin and playing during one of her songs, which had my jaw on the floor. Sofia had such incredible stage presence, I can say with full confidence, she is a star. I cannot wait to see more from her and hopefully she makes a trip back to Toronto sometime soon!
The second opener was the band Beach Bunny, which consisted of five members. They came on stage ready to go. They immediately started into their first song and clearly, they were a fan favourite, they had a bunch of the crowd up and dancing and singing along! They were a bit more upbeat and pop-y sounding, very dance worthy music! I hadn’t realized I knew of their music until their second and third songs of the night were both ones, I knew the words to! They were a really fun band and I think they got the crowd all warmed up for Melanie to take the stage.
After what felt like a lot of waiting it was finally time for Melanie to take the stage!! Melanie’s team had asked us to photograph songs 7, 8, and 9, instead of the first three. I wasn’t surprised considering she did this as well when I took pictures at her Portals album tour. But, due to the fact we had songs 7, 8, 9, we had to wait off to the sides until it was time for us photographers to roll out and do our thing. I unfortunately didn’t get to see the songs 1-6 but even hearing them was great, Melanie’s voice sounded the best it’s ever been!
She had her set split into 3 sections, almost like one ‘act’ for each album. Each act had a different hair, makeup and outfit which was super cool. I got to my seat for the start of her K-12 album, she was already out in a whole new set of clothes and hair!! She played lots of songs from the K-12 album, and then at the end of her song ‘High School Sweethearts’, an arrow went right… through… her chest. The stage transformed into a graveyard, and she disappeared into the fog… only to emerge as the alien/fairy like creature from her third album Portals (the album depicted Crybaby dying and coming back as an otherworldly creature). She performed this act in a fully new costume, with the same 4 eyed creature mask she wore for her last tour. I saw the Portals tour last year and didn’t think it could get better, but it did. She not only met my expectations but exceeded them tremendously for this show.
Maybe its bias because I have loved Melanie Martinez and her music since the album Crybaby came out, but I think this was one of the best shows I have ever been to. You can tell so much care and thought is put into everything she does. Her sets were jaw dropping, truly so stunning and it made you feel as if you entered her world. Her backup dancers also add so much to the show, they highlight Melanie and compliment her on stage so well. Her band also never fails to impress me with how amazing they sound live. I was so surprised because it also was her first ever arena tour, and she has sold out so many dates, not just Toronto! Overall, I would say the show was magical and had such energy I have missed in concerts. Melanie Martinez deserves every bit of love she receives! If there is anyone wondering if they should get last minute tickets to see her….do it! You will not regret it!
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SETLIST:
Crybaby:
– Cry Baby
– Dollhouse
– Sippy Cup
– Carousel
– Alphabet Boy
– Soap
– Pity Party
– Play Date
– Mad Hatter
K-12:
– Wheels on the Bus
– Class Fight
– Show & Tell
– Nurse’s Office
– Strawberry Shortcake
– Lunchbox Friends
– Teacher’s Pet
– High School Sweethearts
Portals:
– DEATH
– VOID
– TUNNEL VISION
– FAERIE SOIREE
– LIGHT SHOWER
– SPIDER WEB
– BATTLE OF THE LARYNX
– THE CONTORTIONIST
– NYMPHOLOGY
– EVIL
– WOMB
All Photo Credit: Sarah Sharpe
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: AC/DC – Hell’s Still Bellin’
AC/DC. Christ. What’s left to say? Everything’s been said, screamed, tattooed on someone’s bicep already. Doesn’t matter. That’s the whole racket, they never changed, never blinked, and more than fifty years later they’re still the loudest gang in the room.
Growing up, they felt ancient already. I am a 2001 kid. Turns out the joke’s on me: they’re still out there, riffing like it’s ’79, refusing to retire into legend status.
Princess Auto Stadium was packed with about 35000 attendees. Everyone was wearing red twinkling devil’s horns. To warm up the night, The Pretty Reckless started with one of the hits “Death by Rock and Roll.” Some support acts play like they’re grateful for the slot. Taylor Momsen played like she owns the stadium. The hair falling forward, somehow the less you can see of her face the more magnetic she gets. Stage presence isn’t something you learn. She’s just got it.
The band didn’t sound like an opener. Every riff landed with the swagger “Going To Hell” and “Since You’re Gone” kept it burning, and “About You” brought it down to something rawer before the lights cut. By the time The Pretty Reckless walked off, the audience were already screaming AC/DC! AC/DC!
Winnipeggers stood stunned through AC/DC‘s whole set. Angus Young, 71 years old still in that signature blue schoolboy uniform and yellow-and-blue cap, ran wild across the stage, duck-walking like no time had passed at all, genuinely, a dream come true to watch in person.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug stayed largely in the background, keeping the engine running for Angus and Johnson to tear apart.
The production matched the legend, “Hells Bells” arrived with an actual giant bell hanging over the stage. The setlist ran deep: “Thunderstruck,” “Have a Drink on Me,” “Shot in the Dark,” “Stiff Upper Lip,” “Highway to Hell,” “Jailbreak,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” Almost every song sounded just as good as the album version. The crowd tore their vocal cords apart singing along to “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “TNT.” “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” closed things out with cannons blasting into the night sky.
The house lights came up and nobody moved right away. Smoke still hanging over the stage, ears ringing, horns still lit up red across the stands. Bands this old aren’t supposed to sound this dangerous. They aren’t supposed to still mean it. But AC/DC never got the memo about slowing down, and honestly, thank God for that. I walked out hoarse, deaf, and completely satisfied.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
AC/DC
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
All Photo Credit: Nischal Karki
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Party On, Vancouver: Dogstar Sells Out the Vogue Theatre
The Vogue Theatre was packed wall to wall on September 16 as Dogstar rolled into Vancouver, and the excitement was impossible to miss. New York rock band The Backfires kicked things off with a lively opening set, warming up the room before Bret Domrose, Robert Mailhouse and Keanu Reeves stepped onto the stage. Naturally, hundreds of phones immediately went up when Reeves appeared, because Vancouver was not about to let this extremely Keanu moment go undocumented.
Reeves held down the bass, Domrose took on guitar and vocals, and Mailhouse powered the night from behind the drums. While one member may come with a little more star power, Dogstar quickly felt like a proper three-piece instead of a celebrity side project. The chemistry between them was relaxed and natural, with plenty of smiles, glances and little interactions that made it clear they were genuinely happy to be playing together. Reeves frequently wandered across the stage to jam alongside his bandmates, occasionally making his way toward the front and sending another wave of phones into the air.
Dogstar’s story stretches back to Los Angeles in 1991, when Reeves and Mailhouse first started making music together. Domrose later joined the band, and the trio released two albums before going their separate ways in 2002. More than two decades later, they reunited, returned to the stage and released Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in 2023. Now, with their latest album All In Now and another tour underway, Dogstar are giving this chapter of the band far more than a quick nostalgia lap.
The set began with “Siren,” immediately setting an easygoing alt-rock tone for the night. Their cover of The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” brought an extra burst of familiarity, while “Punch the Sky” landed with the kind of energy made for a full theatre. Rather than pausing for long speeches, the band kept things moving, letting the music and their chemistry do most of the talking. Domrose’s vocals stayed at the centre of the songs, Mailhouse gave them plenty of drive, and Reeves appeared completely locked into the groove on bass.
Yes, people cheered whenever Reeves moved closer to the edge of the stage. Yes, there was an undeniable thrill in seeing the internet’s favourite human casually rocking out a few feet away. But the attention did not stay on him alone. Domrose and Mailhouse were just as essential to the show, and together the trio delivered a performance that felt tight without becoming overly polished. There was still room for the songs to breathe, for the band to play off one another and for the night to feel a little spontaneous.
A fun surprise arrived during the encore with a roaring cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The band shared that they had only performed it live once before, making it a particularly unexpected way to close the night. The Vogue responded accordingly, singing, cheering and soaking up every last second before the trio left the stage.
More than 30 years after forming, and over two decades after calling it quits, Dogstar are back on the road and clearly having a great time together. That sense of fun was infectious, turning the sold-out show into something warmer and more memorable than a simple celebrity sighting. Vancouver may have arrived ready to see Keanu Reeves play bass, but by the end of the night, Dogstar had given the crowd plenty of reasons to stay invested in the whole band.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DOGSTAR
THE BACKFIRES
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle