Concerts Reviews
Spiritbox Turns Vancouver Into A Tsunami Sea
May 6th marked a highly anticipated moment for metal fans in Vancouver, the return of Spiritbox. The “hometown” heroes, originally from Victoria, BC, performed their Tsunami Sea Tour to a nearly sold-out PNE Forum. The tour celebrates Tsunami Sea, Spiritbox’s sophomore studio album which released this past March to rave reviews. As a longtime fan, the announcement of the Forum as the tour stop felt significant as it signaled the group had grown exponentially since their last show in the city in 2023 at the Commodore Ballroom. Their impressive trajectory comes to no fan’s surprise as the past few years have been nothing but an uphill climb. From multiple Grammy nominations to major festival appearances, and most recently, Courtney LaPlante’s performance alongside Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella, Spiritbox has firmly established themselves as a major force in the modern music world.
Well before doors opened, hundreds, if not thousands, of fans wrapped around the Forum’s walls. Many of whom were spotted sporting Eternal Blue era merch, which was soon to be joined by Tsunami Sea designs. Once doors opened, energy surged immediately. The merch lines filled quickly, and fans rushed toward the barricade to secure the closest possible spot to the stage. Even for myself, a sense of energy blasted like lighting as my near six month wait for the show was finally ending. The night kicked off with a behemoth trio of opening acts: Poor Sport, Dying Wish, and LOATHE.
Poor Sport and Dying Wish tag-teamed the night with back-to-back sonic uppercuts, ramping up the chaos. Circle-pits were whirlwinds and heads banged with powerful fury. Once the baton was passed to Liverpool juggernauts LOATHE, the fuse hit the powder, and Vancouver erupted. As their set opened with “Gifted Every Strength”, a brooding atmosphere settled over the Forum. The only light came from the moody side-stage fixtures, like a prelude to a storm. Like lightning, LOATHE yanked the crowd into a whirlpool of distortion and disarray, shifting the energy from slow burn to full detonation. Vocalist Kadeem France and co. delivered a rollercoaster of emotion and brutality across an 8-song set that made one thing clear, this performance was a statement.
“Hello Vancouver! We’ve been waiting so long to say that,” Kadeem declared mid-set, signalling the band’s long-overdue debut in the city. Fans, some of whom had waited nearly a decade for this moment, responded in erupting cheers, especially during cult-favourites “Two-Way Mirror” and “Is It Really You?”. If this was anyone’s first time seeing LOATHE, they probably walked out a fan. If they were already one, they walked out grinning. Either way, the Liverpool prog-metal crew left their mark, and thankfully, it won’t be long until round two, as they return this October. This time, at Vancouver’s staple venue Rogers Arena, as they’ll be opening for none other than metal gods Korn.
Though only minutes passed between LOATHE and Spiritbox, it felt like the air itself was holding its breath. Around me, fans swapped stories, revisiting earlier sets, reliving Spiritbox’s last time in town, and speculating nervously about what might unfold. The room buzzed with a tension that no stage light could touch. Then, just after 9 p.m., the lights dimmed and time snapped back into motion. A low, pulsing bass crept in like a heartbeat, and on screen, an image of a burning ship appeared. That was the moment the crowd went silent, the collective anticipation crashing inward. This was it, the moment we’ve waited months for finally arrived.
The set kicked off with “Fata Morgana,” the opening track from Tsunami Sea, and Spiritbox wasted no time. Guitarist Mike Stringer, bassist Josh Gilbert, and drummer Zev Rose unleashed a tidal wave of sound, distorting the stage with unapologetic force. With it, fans answered by turning the Forum floor into a literal Tsunami Sea of crowd-surfers. While the instrumental trio held command, it was singer Courtney LaPlante’s arrival that detonated the room. One moment, anticipation; the next, ignition. A single line, “Sorrow follows me” ripped through the atmosphere, and with it, Vancouver surrendered their sanity.
Courtney’s vocals defy easy description, guttural and feral one moment, hauntingly angelic the next. On tracks like “Soft Spine”and “Holy Roller,” her screams felt ripped from another dimension, only to dissolve into ethereal tones of chilling beauty. It’s this duality, violence and grace, that sets her apart in the metal world. The night’s 16-track setlist was a showcase of the band’s evolution while celebrating their latest release, Tsunami Sea. Spiritbox left little room for breath as they moved with intention through their catalog, each track bleeding seamlessly into the next. Fan-favourites like “No Love, No Loss,” “Secret Garden,” and “Jaded”drew thunderous reactions. Visually, the black-and-white aesthetic of Tsunami Sea took center stage, and transformed the Forum into a monochrome fever dream. At times, the stage visuals verged on eerie, even nightmarish, casting an almost horror-film filter over the performance. Spiritbox’s set wasn’t without its surprises, with two standout guest appearances that elevated an already electrifying performance.
Midway through the night, Noah Edwards of Poor Sport took the stage to join Courtney on vocals for “Circle With Me,” giving the fan-favourite track an added jolt of intensity. Later, Jessie Grace of Don’t Deserve A Grave stepped in for “No Love, No Loss,” her contribution added grit to the already hard-hitting number. While LaPlante’s vocal versatility was front and centre throughout the night, guitarist Mike Stringer delivered a standout performance of his own. Nowhere was this more evident than on “Black Rainbow,” where his precision and force cut through the venue like a blade. Working in perfect tandem with drummer Zev and bassist Josh, the trio built a breakdown that felt cinematic in scale. A thunderous, tightly-wound moment that echoed the intensity of Mick Gordon’s Doom soundtrack.
Spiritbox closed the night with “Ride the Wave,” a track that began with a haunting elegance reminiscent of Evanescence’s The Open Door era, before erupting into a thunderous, full-scale finale. The crowd, far from weary, left the venue visibly buzzing, many already clamouring for more. For a band known for intensity, Spiritbox exceeded even their own reputation, delivering a performance many fans were calling flawless.
With Tsunami Sea representing what may be the band’s most cohesive and ambitious work to date, expectations for this show were sky-high. Yet, by the final note, those expectations were obliterated. The set was sharp, emotionally charged, and showcased a band fully stepping into their prime. For years, it’s been clear Spiritbox had the potential to break through. With a near-capacity crowd at Vancouver’s PNE Forum, that potential is no longer a prediction, it’s reality. At this pace, it’s not hard to imagine their next Vancouver stop being a headlining slot at Rogers Arena.
I’d like to thank Spiritbox and their incredible team for allowing me to capture the magic that was the Tsunami Sea Tour. If you’d like to catch a future date, or find out more info on the band, visit here.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SPIRITBOX
LOATHE
All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Bleachers Bring Big Energy to a Long-Awaited Montreal Return
On June 10th, 2026, fans packed into MTELUS for the Montreal stop of Bleachers’ Bleachers Forever tour. This is the second time the band has had in Montreal, the first being at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival back in 2022, which is the perfect place to build a Montreal fanbase.
Momo Boyd, a New York City based vocalist and songwriter, had no problem setting the tone for the night. With songs like “Cold Hands,” “Strong,” and even a cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, her set was filled with enchanting purple lights, beautifully deep lyrics, and captivating vocals. Although her performance was more “low-key” than a typical Bleachers performance, it had its moments of picking up, and was the perfect way to ease the crowd into the night, and left many audience members as a new fan.
As Bleachers took the stage, opening their set with “My Way,” there was no doubt that this would be a night to remember. The band, consisting of lead singer Jack Antonoff, Mikey Freedom Hart, Zem Audu, Mike Riddleberger, Evan Smith and Sean Hutchinson came out to the wonderful sound of saxophone played by band member Zem Audu, and though the first half of the song was slower, the energy built up shortly after through flashing lights, jumps and a roaring crowd.
The audience erupted in cheers and laughter as lead singer, Jack Antonoff spoke out about artists always skipping Montreal during their tours, saying: “They think they can play Osheaga and that’s enough?”, and “What’s with (bands) that think they can play Osheaga, which is like an expensive ticket, and not just come play a normal show.” As me, and many others in that room have traveled to Toronto to see our favourite artists when they skip Montreal on tour, I completely agree with this!
The night continued with back-to-back hits, including “you and forever,” “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” and of course, “I Wanna Get Better,” and closing the set with “Stop Making This Hurt.” They even played a cover of Margaret by Lana Del Ray, which they’re featured on!
Bleachers set an incredible standard of engaging a crowd and keeping a consistently high-energy audience. From the first note, to the emotional highs and lows, to the closing goodbyes, fans were cheering, singing and dancing the whole time! They even had a photobooth in the venue where you could take pictures before the show! This is certainly a band that will be in people’s rotation for years to come, so the tour name speaks for itself when it says, Bleachers Forever!
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BLEACHERS
MOMO BOYD
All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Alex Warren Finds Family on the Road at Rogers Arena
One year ago, Alex Warren was playing Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre. On Sunday night, he walked onto the stage at Rogers Arena in front of nearly 20,000 people for the Vancouver stop of his Finding Family on the Road Tour.
That kind of jump can expose an artist’s weaknesses. Plenty of performers who thrive in clubs and theatres struggle once the rooms get bigger and the production gets larger. Their personalities get lost somewhere between the video screens and the confetti cannons, yet Warren never came close to that problem.
Before he appeared, opening act Nat & Alex Wolff warmed up the crowd with a short but engaging set. The New York brothers leaned into their easy chemistry, mixing indie-pop hooks with plenty of crowd interaction. Still, the anticipation in the arena was unmistakably for Warren.
The show opened with touching home videos from his childhood projected across the giant screens. It felt like both sentimental and a mission statement. Family, both the one Warren lost and the one he has built around himself, remains at the centre of everything he does.
He wasted little time launching into “Troubled Waters,” immediately sending excitement through the arena. From there, he rolled through early highlights including “Bloodline,” “The Outside,” and “First Time on Earth.”
What stood out wasn’t the production, though there was plenty of it. It was Warren‘s command of the room. For someone whose rise began on social media, Warren understands live performance remarkably well. He knows when to joke, when to tell a story, and when to step aside and let the audience take over. Throughout the night he read signs, spoke directly to fans, and delivered the kind of spontaneous interactions that can’t be programmed into a production schedule.
The audience responded to every moment. Many were young fans who have followed his life for years, and the relationship between artist and crowd felt unusually personal for a venue this size.
Vocally, Warren continues to silence anyone who still sees him primarily as a former content creator. Songs like “The Outside” and “Eternity” showcased the power and clarity in his voice, particularly when he pushed into his upper register. During “Eternity,” a massive sing-along broke out across Rogers Arena, with nearly every section joining in.
The emotional core of the evening arrived during the B-stage portion of the set. To get there, Warren left the main stage and made his way through the crowd, high-fiving fans, stopping for selfies, and turning the walk into an event of its own.
After reaching the smaller stage in the middle of the floor, Warren stripped away much of the arena spectacle and focused on the stories behind the songs. Before performing the unreleased “Same Stars,” he asked fans to put their phones away and experience the moment with him rather than recording it. He then spoke about losing both of his parents and the loneliness that often comes with grief. He reminded the audience that people die twice: once when they pass away and again when their stories stop being told. You could hear a pin drop as phone lights illuminated the arena.
It’s a difficult balance. Warren‘s music often deals with grief, loss, and healing, and there are moments where the emotional weight borders on overwhelming. At times, the show asks a lot from its audience, who ended up in tears several times. Yet those moments never felt manipulative. They felt genuine, even when they were uncomfortable.
“Fine Place To Die” was one of the strongest moments of the night. Sitting alone at the piano, Warren delivered the song acoustically after explaining that everything heard throughout the show was being performed live by him and his musicians. Before starting, he joked, “If I fuck up, post it on TikTok,” earning one of the night’s biggest laughs. Alongside “Heaven Without You,” the stripped-back performance highlighted Warren‘s songwriting and emotional delivery.
The final run of songs shifted the mood back toward celebration. During “Getaway Car,” Warren took a moment to introduce each member of his band, giving the musicians their own chance to shine before launching back into the set. “You Can’t Stop This” and “Burning Down” brought fresh energy into the arena before “FEVER DREAM” exploded into one of the night’s biggest singalongs, complete with confetti cannons and enough excitement to shake the building.
The final run of songs shifted the mood back toward celebration. “Getaway Car,” “You Can’t Stop This,” and “Burning Down” brought fresh energy into the arena before “FEVER DREAM” exploded into one of the night’s biggest singalongs, complete with confetti cannons and enough excitement to shake the building.
Warren explained that the confetti button is normally pushed by his wife, Kouvr, but since she wasn’t in Vancouver, the honour went to fellow musician Cameron Whitcomb, who had just finished performing at the FIFA Fan Festival earlier that day. Whitcomb’s excitement was impossible to miss as confetti filled the arena.
With the encore came the moment everyone had been waiting for. As the opening notes of “Ordinary” rang out, Rogers Arena erupted. The Billboard-topping hit has become Warren‘s defining song, and hearing nearly every person in the building scream the lyrics back at him was one of those rare concert moments where the scale of an artist’s rise becomes impossible to ignore.
A year ago, Alex Warren was proving he belonged in theatres. On Sunday night, he proved he belongs in arenas. More impressively, he managed to make Rogers Arena feel a lot smaller than it actually is.
After the final notes faded, Warren returned to the B-stage one last time to take a bow. Beside him was a young girl who had earlier asked to push the confetti button herself. He gave her something even better. It was a small gesture, but it perfectly captured the spirit of the night: a massive arena show that never lost sight of the people in the room.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Wednesday, June 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Friday, June 19 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Sunday, June 21 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Tuesday, June 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Thursday, June 25 – Atlanta GA – State Farm Arena
Friday, June 26 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Saturday, June 27 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
Monday, June 29 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Thursday, July 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Grand Casino Arena
Friday, July 3 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Sunday, July 5 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Tuesday, July 7 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
Wednesday, July 8 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Friday, July 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Saturday, July 11 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavillion
Monday, July 13 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Wednesday, July 15 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Find out more information about the tour here.