Concerts Reviews
SE SO NEON at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver – Live Review
On September 20, 2025, Korean indie rock project SE SO NEON filled Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre. The night marked one of the most anticipated stops on their North American tour, and the crowd, a mix of longtime fans and curious first-timers, got more than they bargained for.
The evening opened with SASAMI, who built a world of her own through layered synths and swirling guitar. Her set leaned into atmosphere more than immediacy. By the time the lights dimmed again for SE SO NEON, the audience was primed for the rest of the night.
Led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Hwang SoYoon, SE SO NEON has been redefined this year. Originally founded in 2016 as a full-band project with bassist Park Hyun-jin, the group shifted into a solo-driven act in early 2025. But if anyone worried the music might lose its fire, Saturday’s show put those doubts to rest. With Gyun back on drums (a familiar face from their 2023 tour), the duo powered through a set that balanced the jagged energy of their early work with the expansive textures of SoYoon’s solo material.
The setlist pulled from across eras. “Summer Plumage” felt like a nod to the project’s roots, “Twit Winter,” from her solo album, revealed her gift for marrying tenderness with bite. “New Romantic” shimmered with understated beauty before giving way to the wiry tension of “Secret Police.”
Some of the night’s most memorable moments came when the dynamics swung wide. “NOW” built patiently, its expansive chorus crashing like a wave before pulling back into quiet reflection. “Go Back” exploded in urgency, every hit from Gyun landing like a challenge for the crowd to keep up.
Visually, the show matched the mood. Cool washes of blue and violet drenched the room during hushed passages, while bursts of white and magenta lit up the heavier peaks. It wasn’t overproduced, just enough to mirror the music’s ebb and flow.
SoYoon herself was the quiet centre of gravity. She didn’t spend much time chatting between songs, but her presence spoke volumes. Her guitar work had a jagged elegance, moving from delicate phrasing to full-on distortion with ease, while her voice carried a certain intimacy . When she did speak, it was to thank the crowd and to promise she’d return to Vancouver, a sentiment that earned cheers almost as loud as the music.
The encore sealed the night. “Kidd” closed things out with a final burst of energy, guitars snarling as SoYoon leaned into the last chorus with full force.
SE SO NEON continues to hold a unique spot in the indie rock landscape. This isn’t a project afraid of change. Instead, it thrives on it. While they are technically no longer a “band,” SE SO NEON still feels like a collective force. And at the centre of it all, SoYoon showed that her voice, guitar, and vision are more than enough to keep it burning.
Upcoming tour dates:
Tuesday, September 23 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
Thursday, September 25 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
Friday, September 26 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC
Saturday, September 27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Thursday, October 2 – Mexico City, MX – Teatro Metropolitan
More information here.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SE SO NEON
SASAMI
All Photo Credit: Guntas Kaur
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
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Bring Me the Horizon Lights Up Ottawa
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, October 2 2026
Three bands, three very different flavours of heavy, and not a dull stretch in the night. From the opening notes of the first set to the last drop of confetti, this was a show that gave fans their money’s worth.
The Plot in You
The Plot in You had the job of waking up the room, and they did it by leaning on their biggest strength: the vocalist, Landon Tewers. He has a remarkable range, and what stood out most was how smoothly he moved between two completely different modes. One moment he was unleashing deep, guttural screams that hit like a wall of sound. The next he dropped into soft, melodic passages.
That contrast gave the set its shape. Instead of staying at full volume the whole time, the band let the quiet moments breathe, which made the heavy parts land harder. It was an impressive showing from an opener, and a good reminder that this is a band with real dynamic range.
Motionless in White
Motionless in White brought a different energy: dark, theatrical, and confident. With such an extensive discography, they had plenty of material to choose from, and the set felt like a well-curated tour through their career. Longtime fans had something to sing along to, and newcomers got a clear picture of what the band is about.
The look matched the sound too with the bassist and guitarist wearing creepy makeup and masks, which gave the stage a horror-movie atmosphere. It added to the show without ever pulling focus from the music, and it made them fun to watch even from the back of the room.
Bring Me the Horizon
Then it was time for one of the biggest rock acts in the world: Bring Me the Horizon. From the start, frontman Oli Sykes controlled the room. He wasn’t just performing at the crowd; he was directing it. He demanded circle pits and crowd surfing, and the floor responded. Pits opened up, bodies went over the barricade, and the whole arena never sat still.
The production was enormous. Fire, smoke, confetti, fireworks, and lasers were all deployed throughout the night, and none of it felt like a gimmick. Each effect was timed to hit at the right moment, amplifying the biggest drops and choruses. The backdrops and visuals were just as impressive, giving the stage a cinematic, almost apocalyptic feel that changed with the mood of each song.
One of the most striking moments came during “Shadow Moses,” when Oli brought out a flare. With the red glow cutting through the smoke and the crowd roaring the song back at him, it was one of those images that sticks in your memory long after the lights come up.
A young man was brought on stage to sing “Pray for Plagues,” a tradition the band has kept up at every show on this tour. After the fire, noise, and spectacle, it reminded everyone that this massive production still has room for a fan to share the spotlight.
Through all of it, the pacing was excellent. From their well known hit “Can You Feel My Heart” to their more recent “Darkside, the band balanced intense, high-energy stretches with moments that let the crowd catch its breath, and Oli kept the connection with the audience alive the whole way through.
This was a complete night of heavy music: a strong opener with a standout vocalist, a theatrical and razor-sharp middle act, and a headliner that treated the show like a full-scale production without losing the raw energy at its core. Loud, spectacular, and a whole lot of fun.
Head here for information on the rest of the tour.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BRING ME THE HORIZON
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
THE PLOT IN YOU
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport