Concerts Reviews
TWICE Kick Off the North American Leg of their THIS IS FOR World Tour With Two Hours of Joy in Vancouver
TWICE have spent the last decade growing from a bubbly K-pop rookie group into one of the most reliable live pop acts on the planet. Formed in 2015 through JYP Entertainment’s show Sixteen, the nine-member group (Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu) built their reputation on sharp choreography, sticky hooks, and a rare sense of longevity in an industry that moves fast. Their <THIS IS FOR> World Tour marks another big step, as their 10th Anniversary tour. Vancouver got the honour of opening the North American leg, with night one landing at Rogers Arena on January 9.
This show carried weight: it’s the first night of a new leg, first of two sold-out Vancouver dates, first time TWICE ever performed here. Or so they kept saying (more on that later).
Before the doors even opened, the sense of community hit hard. This was my first K-pop concert, and the concourse felt almost like a fan convention. ONCE (as TWICE fans are called) showed up early and prepared. Freebies were everywhere: fake Canadian bills printed with member faces, bracelets, banners, fake concert tickets as keepsakes. People traded gifts with strangers like it was normal, and it ruled. It reminded me of the exchange of bracelets at Taylor Swift’s shows.
Outfits ranged from full music video cosplay to subtle nods. Candy Bongs (TWICE’s lightstick) lit up the building in every direction. Someone even brought a giant inflatable Candy Bong that eventually made it onstage. Jihyo got her hands on it during “Scientist” and used it to whack her own members. No notes.
The lights dropped just after 8 p.m. “FOUR” played in the dark while Candy Bongs glowed across the arena. A massive 360-degree stage sat in the middle, with towering LED screens hanging above. The scale felt serious. TWICE rose into view and launched straight into “THIS IS FOR.” The scream from the crowd swallowed the mix.
Act I leaned heavy on confidence. “Strategy,” “MAKE ME GO,” “SET ME FREE,” and “I CAN’T STOP ME” landed clean and tight as this group moves with muscle memory built over ten years. The ments showed real excitement and a touch of nervousness. Kudos to the translator who helped both members and fans understanding each other as most members spoke mainly in Korean.
Act II raised the emotional stakes. “MARS” and “I GOT YOU” hit with warm vocals. “Gone” stood out for me, especially with the arrangement with the live band. Jihyo and Nayeon owned it. “CRY FOR ME” and “HELL IN HEAVEN” kept the intensity high. “RIGHT HAND GIRL” pulled huge cheers, proof that deep cuts still matter.
Then came the solos. This section turned the show into a full showcase. Tzuyu opened with “DIVE IN,” graceful and controlled. Mina followed with “STONE COLD.” Nayeon brought pop chaos with “MEEEEEE.” Jeongyeon surprised with “FIX A DRINK,” leaning into a country edge that somehow worked. The pink, glittery cowboy outfit was perfect for it. Dahyun played piano during “CHESS” and owned the room. Chaeyoung returned to the stage with “SHOOT (Firecracker),” and the welcome back energy was real. She had missed several dates earlier in the 1st leg of the tour, and you could feel the relief from then fans as the group back to OT9. Jihyo’s “ATM” confirmed what I already suspected. She has unreal stage presence and total command of the crowd. Sana softened the mood with “DECAFFEINATED.” Momo closed the solo run with “MOVE LIKE THAT,” pure movement and confidence.
Then it was time for the “TAKEDOWN” curveball. Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung debuted it live on this tour, pulled from the Netflix hit K-Pop Demon Hunters. The arena lost its mind. I knew and loved the song going in, but I did not expect that reaction. The honmoon was clearly sealed after that performance.
Act IV was wall-to-wall hits. “FANCY,” “What Is Love?,” “YES or YES,” and “Dance the Night Away” turned the arena into a giant singalong. The fan dance cam kicked in before the encore and ONCE showed up prepared with sharp choreography.
The encore opened with “SCIENTIST,” another tour debut. Before the final song, the members talked again about Vancouver. Nine years ago, they filmed the “Likey” music video in Vancouver. That explained why they ended the show “LIKEY,” an unusual closer that was direct nod to the city. The crowd loved it and screamed the lyrics back at the members.
I walked in knowing only a handful of songs and very little about the members, and I walked out with a bias (Jihyo earned that spot without debate) and a smile on my face. More than that, I left understanding why TWICE have lasted this long. Here’s to ten more years!
Upcoming THIS IS FOR Tour Dates:
1/10 – Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
1/13 – Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
1/14 – Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
1/17 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA
1/18 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA
1/21 – Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA
1/22 – Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA
1/24 – Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA
1/25 – Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA
1/28 – PHX Arena – Phoenix, AZ
1/31 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
2/01 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
2/13 – Capital One Arena – Washington, DC
2/14 – Capital One Arena – Washington, DC
2/18 – UBS Arena – Belmont Park, NY
2/20 – UBS Arena – Belmont Park, NY
2/21 – UBS Arena – Belmont Park, NY
2/24 – Xfinity Mobile Arena – Philadelphia, PA
2/27 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
3/03 – Bell Centre – Montreal, QC
3/06 – TD Coliseum – Hamilton, ON
3/07 – TD Coliseum – Hamilton, ON
3/27 – Kia Center – Orlando, FL
3/28 – Kia Center – Orlando, FL*
3/31 – Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC
4/03 – TD Garden – Boston, MA
4/04 – TD Garden – Boston, MA
4/06 – United Center – Chicago, IL
4/07 – United Center – Chicago, IL
4/10 – Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
4/12 – Grand Casino Arena – Saint Paul, MN
4/14 – Ball Arena – Denver, CO
4/17 – Moody Center – Austin, TX
4/18 – Moody Center – Austin, TX
5/09 – MEO Arena – Lisbon, PT
5/12 – Palau Sant Jordi – Barcelona, ES
5/16 – Accor Arena – Paris, FR
5/17 – Accor Arena – Paris, FR
5/20 – Inalpi Arena – Turin, IT
5/23 – Uber Arena – Berlin, DE
5/26 – LANXESS Arena – Cologne, DE
5/30 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
5/31 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
6/03 – The O2 – London, UK
6/04 – The O2 – London, UK
More information on the tour here.
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Party On, Vancouver: Dogstar Sells Out the Vogue Theatre
The Vogue Theatre was packed wall to wall on September 16 as Dogstar rolled into Vancouver, and the excitement was impossible to miss. New York rock band The Backfires kicked things off with a lively opening set, warming up the room before Bret Domrose, Robert Mailhouse and Keanu Reeves stepped onto the stage. Naturally, hundreds of phones immediately went up when Reeves appeared, because Vancouver was not about to let this extremely Keanu moment go undocumented.
Reeves held down the bass, Domrose took on guitar and vocals, and Mailhouse powered the night from behind the drums. While one member may come with a little more star power, Dogstar quickly felt like a proper three-piece instead of a celebrity side project. The chemistry between them was relaxed and natural, with plenty of smiles, glances and little interactions that made it clear they were genuinely happy to be playing together. Reeves frequently wandered across the stage to jam alongside his bandmates, occasionally making his way toward the front and sending another wave of phones into the air.
Dogstar’s story stretches back to Los Angeles in 1991, when Reeves and Mailhouse first started making music together. Domrose later joined the band, and the trio released two albums before going their separate ways in 2002. More than two decades later, they reunited, returned to the stage and released Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in 2023. Now, with their latest album All In Now and another tour underway, Dogstar are giving this chapter of the band far more than a quick nostalgia lap.
The set began with “Siren,” immediately setting an easygoing alt-rock tone for the night. Their cover of The Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait” brought an extra burst of familiarity, while “Punch the Sky” landed with the kind of energy made for a full theatre. Rather than pausing for long speeches, the band kept things moving, letting the music and their chemistry do most of the talking. Domrose’s vocals stayed at the centre of the songs, Mailhouse gave them plenty of drive, and Reeves appeared completely locked into the groove on bass.
Yes, people cheered whenever Reeves moved closer to the edge of the stage. Yes, there was an undeniable thrill in seeing the internet’s favourite human casually rocking out a few feet away. But the attention did not stay on him alone. Domrose and Mailhouse were just as essential to the show, and together the trio delivered a performance that felt tight without becoming overly polished. There was still room for the songs to breathe, for the band to play off one another and for the night to feel a little spontaneous.
A fun surprise arrived during the encore with a roaring cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The band shared that they had only performed it live once before, making it a particularly unexpected way to close the night. The Vogue responded accordingly, singing, cheering and soaking up every last second before the trio left the stage.
More than 30 years after forming, and over two decades after calling it quits, Dogstar are back on the road and clearly having a great time together. That sense of fun was infectious, turning the sold-out show into something warmer and more memorable than a simple celebrity sighting. Vancouver may have arrived ready to see Keanu Reeves play bass, but by the end of the night, Dogstar had given the crowd plenty of reasons to stay invested in the whole band.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DOGSTAR
THE BACKFIRES
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Brandi Carlile Brings the Human Touch to Rogers Arena in Vancouver
Brandi Carlile may be playing the biggest rooms of her career, but she has no interest in letting the size of the room dictate the size of the show.
At Rogers Arena in Vancouver on September 17, Carlile turned the last stop of The Human Tour’s Canadian run into something that felt surprisingly personal. The arena was full, the production was appropriately large, and her voice could probably have rattled the rafters without a microphone. Still, the moments that stuck were often the quiet ones.
That has always been one of Carlile’s best tricks. She can sing like someone has opened a trapdoor beneath her, then spend five minutes telling a story about her wife, her kids or something ridiculous that happened backstage. The shift never feels forced and it is part of what makes her concerts work.
The night opened with CMAT, whose sharp mix of country, pop and deadpan humour made for a welcome change of pace before Carlile took the stage. Then came “Returning to Myself,” the title track from her 2025 album, with Carlile immediately putting that famously elastic voice front and centre. “Human” followed, and the combination of the two songs established the emotional centre of the night early: this was a show about vulnerability, but Carlile was never interested in making it precious.
The set moved freely between her newer material and songs that have become career staples. “Mainstream Kid” brought the rock-show energy, “You Without Me” and “The Mother” pulled things back into something tender and deeply personal, and “Right on Time” delivered the kind of vocal performance that makes you wonder how she is going to top it before remembering she still has two hours left.
Her longtime collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth were beside her throughout, and their history with Carlile is a huge part of the show’s warmth. The trio has been playing together for more than two decades, and that familiarity shows. They can make an arena performance feel like three musicians in a room working out a song together.
Carlile leaned into that idea with an audience-request segment, inviting fans to call out songs for her and the Hanseroth twins to attempt on the spot. There is something wonderfully reckless about watching musicians of this calibre debate chords and lyrics in front of thousands of people. It should feel like a gimmick, but instead, it works. “My Song” and “This Time Tomorrow” were the chosen requests and both were a big hit.
Carlile has spoken throughout The Human Tour about the challenge of playing rooms this large. Vancouver was no different. She seemed genuinely determined to shrink Rogers Arena down to something more manageable, and the audience happily played along. The arena crowd became less like an anonymous mass and more like a room full of people who happened to know all the words.
Carlile would then remind everyone just how enormous her voice is. “The Story” remains the obvious example. The 2007 song has spent nearly two decades proving that its emotional punch does not depend on nostalgia, and live, Carlile still takes it from a restrained opening into a full-throated release. “The Joke” landed with similar force, its gospel-inflected arrangement turning Rogers Arena into something closer to a revival than a hockey rink.
The newer “Church & State” provided another major gear shift, bringing a harder edge to the performance and giving Carlile a chance to lean into the rock side of her catalogue. “Sinners, Saints and Fools” followed that same path, building from a reflective song into a full-band crescendo.
That variety is what makes a Carlile set work. She can move from intimate folk storytelling to arena rock without making either side feel like a costume. There is room for the big voice, the jokes (her obsession with Celine Dion landed very well on this Canadian date), the family stories, the politics, the covers and the moments where everything drops away except Carlile and a guitar.
Vancouver also got one of the evening’s most meaningful cover songs when Carlile delivered a stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Given Mitchell’s deep Canadian roots and enduring status as one of the country’s most beloved songwriters, the choice felt especially fitting for the final Canadian stop of the tour. Carlile has long spoken about Mitchell’s influence on her own songwriting, and rather than treating the song as a reverent tribute piece, she approached it with warmth and conviction, allowing its emotional complexity to shine through. The audience responded accordingly, greeting the opening lines with immediate recognition.
The encore kept that balance intact. She brought CMAT on stage for an incredible rendition of the Bee Gee’s “Islands In The Stream.” Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited” gave Carlile a darker, more theatrical showcase, while the final stretch brought the room back together with “Hold Out Your Hand.”
For all the talk about arena tours being a sign of an artist getting bigger, Carlile seems more interested in making the audience feel closer. That is a harder trick than filling a room. Rogers Arena is built to make people feel small. Brandi Carlile spent the night doing the opposite.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BRANDI CARLILE
CMAT
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer