Concerts Reviews
Papa Roach Open Their Canadian Run with Fire and Feeling
Papa Roach kicked off the Canadian leg of their Rise of the Roach Tour in Vancouver on November 25, and the timing couldn’t have been better. The band has been back in the headlines this year thanks to the 25th anniversary of Infest and the excitement around their new material, including Even If It Kills Me. The tour marks their first full cross-Canada run in more than a decade, and they opened the whole thing at Rogers Arena with the confidence of a band that never really left the spotlight.
Before the headliners stormed the stage, Sleep Theory warmed up the arena with a sleek, modern rock set that had the early crowd fired up. The Used followed and pulled everyone straight into their orbit. Their fans showed up loud, many wearing The Used merch from previous shows. By the time they finished, the room was ready for whatever chaos Papa Roach had planned.
And they definitely had a plan.
Instead of easing into things, Papa Roach went for a full jumpscare. The house lights dropped, a massive curtain crashed down, and the band exploded into “Even If It Kills Me.” The pyro blasted, CO₂ shot into high, and the video walls behind them stitched together moody visuals that felt like a short film. It was bold and theatrical in a way that fits them now.
Early on, Jacoby Shaddix made it clear he came to meet people. He climbed off the stage and went straight into the crowd, strolling through the lower bowl seats and singing inches from fans.
The middle of the set leaned into their emotional side. During “Falling Apart,” Shaddix talked openly about his history with suicidal thoughts and why speaking about mental health matters so much to him. It wasn’t preachy ; it felt like a human being leveling with a full arena. A short video on the screens followed, highlighting the Canadian phone line for suicide prevention. When the lights dimmed and Shaddix asked the crowd to raise their phone lights for “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark),” the whole floor glowed white. It looked like a vigil. This band can swing from chaos to connection in seconds, and it always hits hard.
Of course, the chaos returned fast. “Scars,” “BRAINDEAD,” and “Help” hit back-to-back, and Shaddix even ran deep into the stands again for “Help,” popping up in a section nobody expected. The crowd surfing picked up, the circle pit spun every time he yelled for one, and the band leaned into the fun.
For the encore, “Between Angels and Insects” and “Infest” took fans straight back to the early 2000s and Jacoby went back into the crowd. Then came the showstopper: the “Nu Metal Time Machine” medley. They ripped pieces of Deftones’ “My Own Summer (Shove It),” Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff,” and System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey,” all stitched together. The crowd turned into a single hive mind: shouting every lyric, fists up, bodies bouncing.
And then, obviously, “Last Resort” where the arena shook like someone kicked the floor out from under it.
Papa Roach’s reputation has shifted over the years, but seeing them live explains exactly why they’ve lasted. They’re workhorses. They care about the crowd. They don’t phone anything in, even on a Tuesday night. The show had layers of fun, nostalgia, grief, celebration, and it all felt honest.
If the rest of the Canadian dates keep this pace, the tour is going to stay loud all the way to Halifax. “Divorced dad rock” jokes aside, the night ruled. The Roach still bites.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Dec 02 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
Dec 05 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum
Dec 06 – Kitchener, ON – The Aud
Dec 08 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
Dec 10 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre
More information on the band’s website.
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Face to Face with Sevendust in Riverside, Iowa
For close to thirty years, Hard Rock’s Sevendust has graced hundreds of stages all over the world, playing sell-out shows to rabid fans. The band, fronted by LaJon Witherspoon, has been recognized for its soulful vocals, hard-hitting riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly, thumping bass from Vince Hornsby, and monstrous drum sounds and screams from Morgan Rose. Riverside, Iowa was treated to the full Sevendust experience on Friday night.
The Riverside Casino Event Center has played host to events ranging from poker tournaments to keynote speakers, but on Friday it served as the setting for an amazing night of rock. The show started off with Iowa City–local band NonGrata. NonGrata has become very well known in the Eastern Iowa music scene, having opened for bands like Alien Ant Farm, Norma Jean, Archers, and will be opening for DED this summer. Blending groovy guitars with crisp clean vocals and harsh screams, the band delivers a sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and stage dive. Although Sevendust was the main attraction on Friday night, everyone enjoyed NonGrata. They were a great choice to open the show and get people excited before Sevendust took the stage. NonGrata will be playing shows in Eastern Iowa throughout the year, and Midwest locals should take the chance to see a new band.
After an hour pre-show delay due to the weather, fans were itching to get out of their seats as anticipation for Sevendust taking the stage rose. Riverside was the second show of the One Tour, but there was no sign of early tour woes as the band broke right into Home. The 1999 track off the album of the same name was a great opener, carrying a hint of nostalgia and a whole lot of feeling. Witherspoon made an early effort to cross from side to side, ensuring every fan had the opportunity to interact with him. Stage presence is always among the highlights of a Sevendust show. Fans know they are going to get two things when they go to a Sevendust show: amazing music and plenty of interaction. The great music kept rolling as the second track of the night was a crowd favorite, Denial. The band was joined by hundreds of backup singers who knew every word, creating an ambiance that added essential energy to the environment.
The band seemed emotional in response to how well they were received by the Riverside crowd. After spending significant time in Europe to start the year, Sevendust said it was good to be home. Because these were among the first U.S. shows of the year, American fans had not yet had the opportunity to hear songs from the band’s upcoming album, One, live. The first chance came with the third song of the night, Is This the Real You. Although the Riverside crowd had never heard the song live, that did not stop them from singing along. Sevendust also played two other new tracks from the forthcoming album, Unbreakable and Threshold. Both sounded great live, and anticipation for the new album is high. Based on the reactions to the new material, the album will likely be well received when it comes out in two weeks on May 1.
The focus on new music did not stop Sevendust from breaking into its classics. The setlist was full of songs a Sevendust show would be incomplete without; Praise, Enemy, Waffle, and Black all had their place in the night. It truly was the complete Sevendust experience. The night could not end, however, without an encore of Rumble Fish and Face to Face. Even though the crowd was treated to a 15-song main set and a two-song encore, they still yearned for more. Unfortunately, all good shows must come to an end, but with 25 dates left on the One Tour, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Sevendust again this year.
One comes out May 1.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming tour dates:
4/20 – Indianapolis, IN
4/21 – Lexington, KY
4/22 – Birmingham, AL
4/24 – Mobile, AL
4/25 – Destin, FL
4/26 – Atlanta, GA (supporting Alter Bridge)
4/28 – Dallas, TX
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK
More information on the band’s website.
SEVENDUST
NONGRATA
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger