Concerts Reviews
Music as Medicine: The Lumineers Play Two Nights at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum
On September 8th, 2010, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites played their first show in Los Angeles; in the back of Molly Malone’s, an Irish Pub that is beloved by Angelenos. Fifteen years later, the pair better known as The Lumineers, headlined two nights at one of the largest venues in the city, the Kia Forum. In a night celebrating five albums and twenty years of musical partnership between Schultz and Fraites, rather than simply playing to August 9th’s sold out crowd, The Lumineers performed a love letter to the community they have cultivated.
London based singer-songwriter Tom Odell kicked off the night with ‘“Don’t Let Me Go”, the lead single from his upcoming album A Wonderful Life that is set to release on September 5th. With a four piece band backing him, Odell played piano while alternating between songs from his debut album, Long Way Down, and previous album Black Friday. Halfway through his set, he introduced his newest song “Ugly”, which had only been released the day before. Odell began the song with a dedication: “To anybody in the audience who might’ve had a moment in their lives where they looked at themselves and didn’t like what they saw, I want to remind those people tonight that you are in fact incredibly beautiful, and I dedicate this song to you,”. Odell’s powerful vocals warmed up the crowd quickly, with even those who had never heard his music before loudly cheering him on. While his set was short, it set the room abuzz and laid the groundwork for an incredible night to follow.
The Lumineers followed soon after, opening with “Same Old Song”, the lead single from their newest album Automatic. The energy in the room was immediately electric. The band played old favorites like “Flowers in Your Hair” and “Charlie Boy”, and sprinkled in hits from the new album. Before playing “Asshole”, Schultz remarked that several people in his life, including his wife of over ten years, Brandy, thought he was an asshole when they first met him. In a way, Schultz presented “Asshole” as an ode to those in the audience who seem rough and ragged around the edges.
They then played “BRIGHTSIDE”, the titular track off of their fourth album, and Schultz jumped down into the pit to make his way through the crowd. He made it all the way to the rafters in the section farthest from the stage, giving fans high fives along the way. Shortly after, the band started their dark ballad “Salt and the Sea” from their album III, and brought Tom Odell back out to the stage with loud cheers from the audience ensuing. He joined Schultz on vocals for the second verse, adding a deeper layer to an already emotionally charged song. They couldn’t let Odell leave without showcasing his incredible piano playing alongside Fraites’ own talent; Fraites slid over on his bench making room for Odell to sit next to him, and the two played the piano outro together.
As the night continued, a fan favorite, “Big Parade”, began. Schultz announced that the band was going to try something different– instead of him singing the whole song, all seven of the band members were going to take their own verse. As they traded off, Schultz gave a quick intro for each of them. First up was Lauren Jacobson, violinist extraordinaire. Guitarist and percussionist Brandon Miller took the next verse, and the crowd learned that he initially started as a member of the band’s crew, but he was so talented that they asked him to join them on stage. Then came Byron Isaacs’ turn, The Lumineers’ bass player of over ten years who they met while recording their second album, Cleopatra. Stelth Ulvang was next, who Schultz coined the “Pedro Pascal of the piano”. Ulvang was so excited to take his turn that he accidentally ripped the cord out of his microphone when running over to center stage. While he didn’t sing, percussionist Reverend Derek Brown was the next to be featured; Fraites let him take over his drum kit for a solo that made the crowd go wild. Finally, Schultz put the spotlight on Fraites, who according to Schultz was about to do something that in the twenty years of making music together he hadn’t done– sing in front of a crowd. The crowd went wild. In the verse Fraites sang, the final line was fittingly “They know all his words by heart, by heart and they all sing”.
As the evening was starting to come to an end, Schultz let the audience know that they had been playing with heavy hearts– at the end of May, his younger brother, Sam, suddenly passed away from a heart attack. The band was in Europe at the time, over 4,000 miles away from their shared hometown of Denver, Colorado, but Schultz decided to carry on with the tour. He remarked that “nights like this are really healing,” and that he was “in a strange headspace, but [he’s] also in one that provides [him] with a little bit of clarity on what music has meant to [him],”. Just the week before their run at The Forum, the band headlined Mile High Stadium in Denver, making Colorado history by being the first local artists to do so. The very next day they all attended Sam’s funeral. Following Schultz’ tribute, they then dedicated their next song to Sam, an emotional cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”.
They finished the night with arguably their biggest hits– “Cleopatra” and “Stubborn Love”. One of the most powerful lyrics in the latter is “It’s better to feel pain, than nothing at all. The opposite of love’s indifference”; a very fitting closing to an emotional night of both the band and audience coming together to use live music to heal. “I’m also just grateful that I get to pour my heart out and just give some sort of service to other people in this time, because I feel like I would be useless otherwise. So thank you for letting us serve you guys… thank you for being here, thank you for letting us pour our hearts out and mean something,” said Schultz.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
The Lumineers have several stops left on their Automatic World Tour; find more info here.
Upcoming Automatic World Tour Dates:
2025
8/13 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/14 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/16 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
8/30 Chicago, IL Soldier Field
9/3 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/6 Washington, DC Nationals Park
9/8 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/9 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/11 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond Festival
9/13 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
9/16 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/17 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/19 Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park
9/21 Richmond, VA Iron Blossom Music Festival
9/23 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
9/26 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
9/27 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
9/30 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
10/1 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
10/3 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
10/4 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
10/7 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
10/8 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
10/10 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
10/11 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
10/14 Austin, TX Moody Center
10/17 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
10/18 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
11/7 Scottsdale, AZ Dreamy Draw Festival
2026
1/3 Christchurch, NZ Christchurch Town Hall
1/6 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena
1/9 Melbourne, AU Sidney Myer Music Bowl
1/13 Brisbane, AU Brisbane Entertainment Centre
1/16 Sydney, AU Qudos Bank Arena
1/18 Adelaide, AU Adelaide Entertainment Centre
1/21 Perth, AU RAC Arena
1/24 Singapore, SG Fort Canning Green
1/27 Manila, PH New Frontier Theater
1/29 Tokyo, JP Zepp Haneda
2/1 Delhi, IN Huda Ground
2/4 Cape Town, ZA Grand Arena at Grand West
2/7 Pretoria, ZA Sunbet Arena at Time Square Casino
THE LUMINEERS
TOM ODELL
All Photo Credit: Kelsie Kerr
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