Concerts Reviews
Valley at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver – Live Review

On October 23rd, 2024, Canadian indie pop band Valley brought their Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden Tour to the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. It was a night filled with hits spanning across their catalogue since 2018 and a showcase of their new album’s great songwriting and lyricism. After being in America for the first half of the tour and Vancouver being the start of the Canadian cities, Valley expressed their love for the city and gratitude for being back home in Canada.
Renforshort
Canadian singer-songwriter Lauren Isenberg performing as renforshort, opened the show and brought the energy to the awaiting crowd. The Toronto-born artist began posting her songs online when she was only 14. After gaining popularity and releasing music as an independent artist, she signed with Geffen Records in 2019 and adopted the name renforshort. She mentioned to the crowd at the beginning that she was nervous. As the show continued, she began to loosen up and the crowd matched her energy. She performed a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” and had the whole crowd shouting the chorus back at her.
Valley
At 9:05 pm the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted awaiting the band to come on. Blue lights started to illuminate, showing off Valley’s aesthetic stage design matching the cover of their new album, with grass and flowers covering the stage. The band opened with “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,” the title track of their new album and instantly had the whole crowd jumping and singing along.
The band is from Toronto and consists of lead vocalist Rob Laska, bassist Alex Dimauro, and drummer Karah James. The band formed in 2014 after the members of two other bands accidentally got double-booked for the same time slot at a local recording studio. The band has seen great success being nominated for two Juno Awards and a Socan Songwriting Prize.
In March 2024, guitarist Mickey Brandolino announced his departure from the band to pursue full-time music production. Leaving the band as a trio left uncertainty for the future of their music. Their new album is truly a showcase of the growth of the band and the songwriting of both Rob Laska and Karah James.
The band’s versatility and talents were on full display as the members switched instruments during the night with drummer Karah singing and playing guitar and Rob playing the piano during more acoustic songs. As the night winded down, Valley played hit songs such as “Swim,” “Like 1999,” “hiccup” and “There’s Still A Light in The House” which had the entire venue singing along and dancing.
Wednesday’s concert was a great night of indie music for die-hard Valley fans and first-time listeners. Playing their biggest hits and showcasing their new album, definitely had concert goers adding a few new songs to their playlist after the show.
Catch Valley on their Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden Tour across Canada from October to December!
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VALLEY






RENFORSHORT



All Photo Credit: Hunter Soo
Concerts Reviews
The Offspring Bring ‘Supercharged World Tour” to Vancouver
Born in the *very* early 80’s, I was probably the perfect age to experience The Offspring when they hit it big. I remember when “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” was exploding, and “Why Don’t You Get a Job” was pretty much everywhere for a minute. Remember when Much Music was still a thing that featured music? But for me, the 90’s was the decade of punk/rock songs finding their way into video games and I can’t hear “All I Want” without thinking about Crazy Taxi. I think I played that game to hear that song! Probably not what the game designers had planned, but what do they care? I bought the damn game, take the win!
The Offspring launched 2026 by bringing their Supercharged World Tour to Canada earlier this month, with their second show here in Vancouver. The Offspring are one of those bands you think about when you think of 90’s punk. We just enjoyed Sum 41’s farewell tour last year, and while I hate that they’re gone, others carry on. We’ll never forget you, GOB! Supporting their new record brought their fans out in droves, packing Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.
The Offspring have no shortage of hits, and they rocked their way through them all. Their fans – liberty spikes front and center – had no opportunity to sit or rest from the moment the main attraction hit the stage. Tracks like “Bad Habit,” “Hammerhead,” and “Make It All Right” hit hard. Everyone knew the words, and everyone sang along. Often loudly. Proudly!
Check out our favorite photos of the night below!
Upcoming The Offspring: SUPERCHARGED WORLDWIDE in ‘26 Tour Dates:
Tue Jan 27 — Prince George, BC — CN Centre
Wed Jan 28 — Grande Prairie, AB — Bonnetts Energy Centre
Fri Jan 30 — Edmonton, AB — Rogers Place
Sun Feb 01 — Calgary, AB — Scotiabank Saddledome
Thu Feb 05 — Winnipeg, MB — Canada Life Centre
Fri Feb 06 — Fargo, ND — FARGODOME
Sat Feb 07 — Sioux City, IA — Tyson Events Center
Tue Feb 10 — Evansville, IN — Ford Center
Wed Feb 11 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
Fri Feb 13 — Hamilton, ON — TD Coliseum
Sat Feb 14 — London, ON — Canada Life Place
Tue Feb 17 — Peterborough, ON — Peterborough Memorial Centre
Thu Feb 19 — Ottawa, ON — Canadian Tire Centre
Sat Feb 21 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
Mon Feb 23 — Moncton, NB — Avenir Centre
Tue Feb 24 — Halifax, NS — Scotiabank Centre
More information can be found at TheOffspring.com.
THE OFFSPRING




BAD RELIGION



All Photo Credit: Jason Martin
Concerts Reviews
The Offspring Supercharge Victoria With A Night of Hits
The Offspring kicked off the Canadian leg of their Supercharged World Tour in Victoria on January 22, and from the jump, it felt like more than just another tour stop. For decades, they’ve stood tall in punk rock history, firmly planted on the genre’s Rushmore alongside Green Day, NOFX, and Bad Religion. They even helped spark the rise of one of Canada’s own legends, Sum 41. The timing of this tour couldn’t be better either, landing right after the release of Supercharged, an album that pulls together different eras of the band into one fast, loud, and familiar rush. With a fresh record to celebrate and a hit-stacked catalog that spans generations, it’s easy to see why thousands showed up to sell out the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre.
Even before stepping inside, the night already felt alive. Fans swarmed the area, and more than a few leaned fully into the fun, rocking full Pretty Fly Guy fits. Once inside, that energy expanded. What felt like hundreds instantly turned into thousands, and you could feel it was one of those passing the torch kind of nights. Fans who grew up blasting Smash, Self-Titled, and Ignition brought their kids along to experience the music that helped shape their own teenage years. It didn’t take long to realize this crowd was ready to go off. But before The Offspring hit the stage, punk royalty took over.

“We promised you we’d play here again Victoria, sorry it took us 25 years.” With that, Bad Religion had the room eating out of their hands. The Cali punk icons ripped straight into classics like “Punk Rock Song,” “Recipe For Hate,” and “American Jesus,” keeping the energy sky high from start to finish. Every song hit hard, every chorus was shouted back, and by the time they wrapped up, Victoria was fully primed for what was coming next.

Then, it was go time. The Offspring burst onto the stage and wasted no time, opening with “Come Out and Play.” The reaction was instant. Fans were on their feet in seconds, screaming every word and even belting out the guitar riff like it was second nature. There was no warm up period here, just straight chaos. Noodles made his presence felt without saying a word, flashing Abolish ICE on the back of his guitar, a quiet but powerful reminder of punk’s roots. Front and center, Dexter was unstoppable. Locked in, bursting with energy, and sounding every bit as sharp as he did in the 90s. Any doubts about whether he still had it were gone before the first song even ended.
The setlist was deep, stretching across 20 tracks and touching nearly every major chapter of the band’s career. Smash, Americana, Rise and Fall, and Supercharged all got their moment. Songs like “Bad Habit,” “Hammerhead,” and “Make It All Right” sent the crowd into full meltdown mode. Fans didn’t just sing along, they gave everything back, lyric for lyric, letting the band know exactly how much these songs have meant over the years. The Offspring also kept things unpredictable, tossing in covers that somehow fit perfectly into the madness. “Hey Jude,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” and even “In the Hall of the Mountain King” popped up. One of the most powerful moments of the night came when Dex sat down at the piano for “Gone Away,” pulling the entire arena into a quiet, emotional pause that hit just as hard as the chaos.

As the night raced toward its finish line, things went nuclear. The final stretch was pure fan service in the best way possible. “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” sent the place into celebration mode, and when the encore rolled around with “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” before closing it all out with “Self Esteem,” the building was shaking. During “Far Kid,” a zeppelin balloon floated across the arena flashing the iconic “Dance Fucker Dance” line and the crowd happily obeyed. Confetti erupted during the final chorus, turning the moment into total chaos in the most perfect way. Between moments like that and the relentless energy these legends brought to the stage, it’s easy to understand how they’ve stayed at the top of the genre for so long. The Offspring gave Victoria a night it won’t soon forget, and if this was just the start of the Canadian run, the rest of the country is in for a wild ride.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming The Offspring: SUPERCHARGED WORLDWIDE in ‘26 Tour Dates:
Sat Jan 24 — Vancouver, BC — Rogers Arena
Sun Jan 25 — Kelowna, BC — Prospera Place
Tue Jan 27 — Prince George, BC — CN Centre
Wed Jan 28 — Grande Prairie, AB — Bonnetts Energy Centre
Fri Jan 30 — Edmonton, AB — Rogers Place
Sun Feb 01 — Calgary, AB — Scotiabank Saddledome
Thu Feb 05 — Winnipeg, MB — Canada Life Centre
Fri Feb 06 — Fargo, ND — FARGODOME
Sat Feb 07 — Sioux City, IA — Tyson Events Center
Tue Feb 10 — Evansville, IN — Ford Center
Wed Feb 11 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
Fri Feb 13 — Hamilton, ON — TD Coliseum
Sat Feb 14 — London, ON — Canada Life Place
Tue Feb 17 — Peterborough, ON — Peterborough Memorial Centre
Thu Feb 19 — Ottawa, ON — Canadian Tire Centre
Sat Feb 21 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
Mon Feb 23 — Moncton, NB — Avenir Centre
Tue Feb 24 — Halifax, NS — Scotiabank Centre
More information at TheOffspring.com.
THE OFFSPRING






All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno
