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.