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: ARTMS Close ‘Art of BLUE BLOOD’ North American Tour With a Bang in Vancouver
Vancouver got the final North American stop of ARTMS’ Art of BLUE BLOOD tour on October 27, and the five-member group made sure to leave a strong impression before heading to Europe in November.
With no opening act, the evening belonged entirely to HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry, who brought a full-scale production and plenty of personality to the Vogue Theatre. HaSeul was absent from the tour as she continues recovering from surgery. Her presence was missed, but the remaining four members made the most of their time onstage, delivering a show that never felt like it was working with a smaller lineup.
This was my first time seeing ARTMS live, and I came in as a relatively new fan. I had discovered the group through the ridiculously catchy ‘Virtual Angel’, which quickly made me curious about what else they had to offer. Walking into the Vogue, I was hoping the live show would match what had drawn me to the music in the first place. It did, and then some.
For the newbies like me, ARTMS is made up of five former members of LOONA. Following LOONA’s legal dispute with their former agency, BlockBerry Creative, the members went on to begin a new chapter under MODHAUS, officially launching ARTMS in 2024. The name draws inspiration from NASA‘s Artemis program as well as the Greek goddess Artemis and represents a fresh start for the five artists, who have continued building on the musical identity and creative history they developed with LOONA. Their connection to their former group remains an important part of their story, with LOONA songs still finding a place in their live performances.
The group opened with ‘Hyper Crush’, ‘BURN’ and ‘Blue Blood’, immediately setting the tone with sharp choreography, strong vocals and polished production. The set moved through several different sections, giving the concert a sense of progression rather than feeling like one long string of performances. ‘Candy Crush’, ‘Verified Beauty’ and ‘Sparkle’ kept things moving before the members took turns stepping into the spotlight for individual performances.
The solo section was a welcome change of pace. HeeJin (and her guitar) performed ‘sAvioR’, followed by Kim Lip taking on her former LOONA solo track ‘Twilight’. The two then joined forces for a dance cover of S.E.S.’s ‘Be Natural’. JinSoul brought back another LOONA favourite with ‘Singing in the Rain’, while Choerry performed ‘Eclipse’. JinSoul and Choerry later teamed up for Abir’s ‘Tango’.
For newer listeners like myself, these performances offered a good introduction to the members’ individual personalities and musical backgrounds. For longtime fans, they were a chance to revisit some familiar material. ARTMS has a history that extends beyond its current identity, and the group clearly understands that its audience appreciates both sides.
The nostalgia continued with ‘Starlight’, originally by ODD EYE CIRCLE, and a special version of ‘Not Friends’. The group then returned to its newer material with ‘Icarus Gang’ and ‘Born Stunner’, followed by ‘Obsessed’ and ‘Icarus’. The production throughout was impressive, with the lighting and visuals giving each section its own character.
What stood out to me most was how much ARTMS seemed to bring to a venue like the Vogue. The choreography, staging and overall production felt bigger than the room. There was nothing about the performance that suggested the group was holding back because it wasn’t playing an arena. In fact, I could easily see this exact show scaled up to a much larger stage. ARTMS has the presence and performance ability to handle that kind of production, and I’d be curious to see what they could do with even more space.
The ments (the fan interaction breaks between songs) were another highlight. The members made a point of connecting with fanbase (named “OURII”), and the conversations gave the evening a more personal feel. One particularly fun moment came during the group photo, when they asked Vancouver fans to come up with a special pose for the occasion. The audience suggested raising their arms into a V shape, for “Vancouver”. The members took the idea one step further by adding a little body wiggle. It was silly, spontaneous and immediately became a running joke, with the girls bringing the pose back several times during their conversations.
After the main set, ARTMS returned for an encore featuring ‘Pixel Memory’ and the much-anticipated ‘Virtual Angel’. Hearing the latter live was easily one of my personal highlights. It’s the song that introduced me to the group, and seeing it performed with a room full of fans singing along made the experience even better. The group followed with ‘Air’ before closing with ‘love4eva’, a LOONA song originally performed by LOONA’s subunit yyxy. It was a fitting nod to the members’ shared history and the fans who have supported them through different chapters of their careers.
As the final North American show before the European leg, Vancouver got a memorable send-off. ARTMS delivered a production that felt ready for a much bigger stage without losing the personal connection that made the Vogue Theatre such a good setting for it. I may have come in as a new fan, but I left with a much better understanding of what makes this group worth watching. And if this is what ARTMS can do in a theatre, an arena show should be something special.
For more information about ARTMS, click here.
Check out our favourite photos of the show below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ARTMS IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Phoebe Bridgers has Vancouver Believing in Magic on The Lost Tour
As someone who is chronically online and on their phone 24/7, I expected to feel that missing weight in my pocket all night, but I didn’t. In fact, I was surprised by how little I cared about not having it. Phoebe Bridgers brought The Lost Tour to Vancouver for a sold out show on October 24th, and for once (as someone who works in content marketing), instead of worrying about if I got enough content or if I should be filming, I was able to just watch and be present.
Walking into the arena and seeing the stage setup for the first time was such a surreal experience. Like a lot of the people who are chronically online, I’ve seen all the sketches and animations people have made after going to the show, but seeing it in person still had me in awe.
I’ve loved Phoebe’s music for as long as I could remember, and I still have vivid memories of trying to get the hang of guitar tabs by learning “Funeral.” This was my second time seeing her live, my first time being when she opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour in New Jersey with Gracie Abrams. So finally getting to see her headline her own arena show was a big deal for me to say the least.
Alex G took the stage first and to be completely honest, I was quite confused when he started going on a tangent about how “life is like a puzzle” and then kept taking a moment between his songs to ask if anyone in the audience was named “The Edge” or had the middle name “The Edge.” Towards the end of his set, he took a moment to thank every person on his team, from his band mates on stage, to his tour manager, to the bus drivers which I thought was super sweet.
Between his set and Phoebe’s, the crowd started the wave and I’ve never seen a wave go on for that long. People were also waving at each other from across the arena with their glow sticks and lighters. It was so cute to notice little things like that, and I ended up chatting with people I probably wouldn’t have talked to if we all had our phones to scroll on.
If I had to try and sum up the entire night in two words, they would be nostalgic and ethereal. Not in a “I feel like a kid again” way, but every aspect of the show felt intentional and familiar, and also kind of like I was at Science World (or the idea of it at least). The top of the show started by drawing everyones attention to the b-stage as “The Outside” played, before the dome (reminiscent of both that one episode of sponge bob with the marching band, and the igloo from club penguin ifykyk) on the main stage lifted to finally reveal her as “Motion Sickness” started to play. The whole thing was very wizard of oz-esque.
For the first bit of the show, I was in awe every time the dome and projections shifted. Some of the visuals looked like they came straight out of the early 2000s Barbie movies, and there were round things projected in the dome, like an eyeball, a rubber band ball and a baseball, that reminded me of the I Spy books from elementary school. When the lights went red for “Garden Song,” with the mountains from Punisher on the backdrop, I thought the screaming couldn’t get any louder. Boy, was I wrong. (I still don’t have my voice back as I’m writing this and I blame “I Know The End.”)
The thing that surprised me most was that literally everyone knew every word. Her songs are so personal, but they’re also so vivid that everyone gets something different out of them. During “Garden Song” and “Moon Song,” I kept thinking about how everyone in that room probably had their own completely different relationship with those songs.
You could also tell right away how close she is with her band, and how much she loves being on tour. She can totally hold the stage by herself, but the band added so much. The bass and all the extra instruments made songs I’ve heard a million times feel new again, and with how unique her music already is, that was really cool to hear.
When she played “Still Standing,” I was taken aback not only by how stunning her production was and how I didn’t even know light could look like glitter and also pixelated, but also by how absolutely silent the arena was, especially considering it was a sold out show.
She might’ve belted out “You don’t have to believe in magic” but it was precisely that exact moment that had me believing in magic. Her production team, set designers, lighting designers, band, everyone involved in this show deserve all the flowers. The lighting for every song was perfectly designed, and never felt repetitive. There was a moment in particular when she first steps out onto the B stage in a white version of the lace dress she wears, and under the black light she is just glowing. Her hair, her glitter tears, her dress, (all the white shirts in the audience too) and her piano, as the stage slowly spun. The transitions between all the songs were immaculate (and devastating in the most beautiful way). I also have to give a nod to her photographers. The photos that she’s put out of this tour perfectly encapsulate the magic of how it felt to be there (shoutout Matt Grubb & Wes Ellis). There was also a moment where everyone sang happy birthday to Connor, one of her band members and they brought out a cake, just to have Phoebe joke about “Steve Aoki-ng” someone in the pit, or better yet, reversing it and letting someone smash the cake in Connor’s face, which was a silly switch up between the most beautiful performances of the most devastating songs ever.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love “Waiting Room.” It’s sat in my top five most-played songs for years. Back at MetLife, Phoebe introduced a song by saying she’d written it when she was younger, and I was sure that was my moment. It turned out to be “Georgia,” which I was more than happy with, but knowing she isn’t the biggest fan of “Waiting Room,” I’d mostly made peace with never hearing it live. When those first chords rang out at Rogers Arena, I could hardly believe it. The room never let up for a second, all 36 times we sang “know it’s for the better.”
Then came a solo debut of boygenius‘ “Revolution 0.” When she pulled out an iPad with the lyrics on it, I started to get nervous, in the best way. When she told us she’d never played it live on her own before, I knew we were getting something special.
The encore closed the night the only way it could have. As “Scott Street” wound down, the arena lit up and thousands of people swayed together, arms waving, eyes fixed on the stage. I’ve never seen a crowd that excited. I tend to forget the details of concerts after a while, but I’m certain this is one I’ll remember. And not because I have videos to look back on. Getting to hear songs from Lost Weekend live has just reaffirmed my thoughts that she’s a genius. She’s still writing songs that feel new and even more experimental, and somehow, are just as good as the ones I’ve had on repeat for years.
For information and upcoming dates on The Lost Tour 2026, head to phoebebridgers.com.
Author: Jorina Lee