Concerts Reviews
Waka Waka en Baltimore: A Review of Shakira at CFG Bank Arena

The CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, has stood the test of time. From The Beatles playing sold-out shows in the 60s to Van Halen in the 80s and Prince in the 2010s, the arena has played host to the biggest names in music, sports, and history for over 60 years. Millions of fans have filled the seats built over the site where the Continental Congress once met. On Monday night, another historic name was added to the roster of CFG Bank Arena alumni. Playing to a nearly sold-out crowd, Shakira shook her hips and dazzled for hours of non-stop Latin pop fun.
The Colombian-born singer, with four Grammys, has wooed stages across the world for decades, and this latest stop along the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour was no different. Shakira has come a long way since her 1991 debut album, Magia. With dozens of awards, a Super Bowl Halftime show performance, and now the highest-grossing Latin tour ever, her fame has risen to previously unattainable levels for a Latin singer.
This tour, in support of her newest album, which shares the same name as the tour and was released in 2024, has brought Shakira to every corner of the globe. Her first tour in nearly seven years kicked off in Brazil early last year and is quickly coming to a close, with just seven US dates remaining before a 12-show residency in Spain to end the monumental run. But the tour could not finish up without Shakira’s first ever appearance in Baltimore.
The show unfortunately started almost an hour late, though that did give a chance for the energy and anticipation to reach a fever pitch. Hundreds of fans stood on their chairs hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as she walked to the stage. Almost every person in the room had their phones out hoping to capture a moment they would never forget.

Shakira took the stage in a glittering gold jacket and sunglasses that she slowly took off while smirking. One lucky fan ended up with an eternal memento as she threw the glasses into the crowd. As the music began to play behind her, Shakira belted out the first notes of “La Fuerte.” Thousands of voices joined in unison for the rest of the night. The only people that were silent were too mesmerized by her beauty to form complete sentences.
The setlist for the night led fans on a tour of Latin pop history. Many fans’ parents weren’t even born yet when the first Shakira album was released, but everyone, old or young, enjoyed the night the same. The first half of the night included hits like “Girl Like Me” from her collab with the Black Eyed Peas, “Te Felicito,” “TQD,” “Copa Vacia,” and “La Tortura.” The vibes were absolutely immaculate through the first 12 songs, with hips shaking, bodies moving, and heads bobbing.
The energy went through the roof though as the intro to “Hips Don’t Lie” rang out. Arguably one of her most famous songs, the beat had everyone rocking. I have never seen fans embody the groove so quickly as when each song played on Monday night. It was quite impressive seeing the crowd transitioning from swaying emotionally with the soft songs to nearly jumping as high as the ceiling during the harder-hitting songs.
The back half of the setlist was filled with even more hits than the first half. One of the best moments of the night was a barn full of zoo animals joining Shakira on stage for her hit Zootopia 2 song “Zoo.” Continuing, “Ojos Asi” and “Underneath Your Clothes” were played and extremely well received! There was not a song on the set that didn’t receive screams from thousands of rabid fans.

As the night wrapped up, Shakira walked off the stage to “Waka Waka,” but that was not the finale. The night could not end without “She Wolf.” But when the night was over, it was extremely hard to clear the building as it seemed like everyone wanted a second encore and kept chanting Shakira’s name. Unfortunately, there would not be a second encore, but I think everyone got their money’s worth.
This was overall just an amazing show. Everyone knows what they are going to get at a Shakira concert and she did not let them down! The dancing was superb, Shakira’s voice sounded amazing, and the visuals were spectacular. I highly recommend seeing Shakira before the tour ends, because she does not come around often.
The tour will continue on in Boston and New York later this week, so if the Baltimore fans want a round two, it is only a short Amtrak ride to the next Shakira spectacle.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SHAKIRA IN BALTIMORE







All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: LP Brings ‘All Is Not Lost’ Tour to Vancouver
On September 5, multi platinum singer-songwriter LP brought the All Is Not Lost Tour to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre, delivering a performance that moved effortlessly between vulnerability, power, and pure rock-and-roll energy. The night also carried a special significance: the tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of Lost on You, the record that helped transform LP from a respected songwriter into a global phenomenon.
Known professionally as LP, Laura Pergolizzi has spent years carving out a space that is uniquely their own. Before becoming internationally recognized as a recording artist, LP established themselves as a songwriter for major artists including Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Celine Dion. Their own breakthrough came with “Lost on You,” which went to No. 1 in 18 countries and eventually surpassed one billion Spotify streams.
Inside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, LP’s music felt much more immediate. Their unmistakable voice moved from restrained and intimate to explosive within moments, giving songs such as “Muddy Waters,” “The One That You Love,” and “Lost on You” a sense of urgency that is difficult to recreate outside of a live setting.
The evening’s setlist reflected both sides of LP’s career. The first part moved through newer material and familiar favourites, including “Shelly,” “Tokyo Sunrise,” “Love Is All I Have,” and “Chasing & Waiting.” Later, the performance shifted toward the Lost on You celebration, bringing some of LP’s most recognizable songs into the spotlight.
It was the kind of moment that makes a concert feel bigger than the room. The song that introduced LP’s voice to millions became a shared experience between artist and audience, with the theatre singing along to every familiar line. After nearly a decade of the song living its own life around the world, hearing it performed in a packed Vancouver theatre gave it a renewed sense of intimacy.
From behind the camera, there was another layer to the experience. Photographing LP meant constantly watching for the moments between the obvious ones. The dramatic poses and powerful vocals naturally create striking frames, but some of the strongest images came from the quieter details, the concentration before a verse, a hand wrapped around the microphone, a fleeting expression beneath the stage lights.
LP is an artist who gives a photographer plenty to work with. Their movement across the stage feels instinctive rather than choreographed, and their performance style carries the same unpredictability as their voice. One moment can feel completely still; the next can explode into movement.
That contrast became one of the defining visual elements of the Vancouver show. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre also suited the performance. Rather than feeling distant or oversized, the venue allowed the audience to remain close to the emotional centre of the show. LP could command the room without having to overwhelm it.
There was also a sense of celebration throughout the night. Ten years after Lost on You, LP is still performing the songs that changed the trajectory of their career while continuing to introduce audiences to what’s next. The tour combines material from the upcoming album with a special presentation of Lost on You in its entirety, making the show feel like both a look backward and a step forward.
That balance is what made the Vancouver performance so compelling. LP isn’t simply revisiting an old record. They are showing how those songs have evolved with them and how they continue to resonate with an audience that has grown alongside their music.
By the final moments of the night, the feeling in the theatre was less like watching an artist celebrate an anniversary and more like witnessing a career still in motion.
For me, photographing LP in Vancouver was an opportunity to capture that evolution in real time: the voice, the movement, the vulnerability, and the electricity that has made LP such a distinctive live performer.
Ten years after Lost on You, the LP still has something to say and judging by the way Vancouver listened, people are still more than willing to hear it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LP










All Photo Credit: Raphael Arthur
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Icons Deep Purple & Kansas Bring A Legendary Celebratory Night of Surprises To Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum
I don’t say this lightly, but both Deep Purple and Kansas absolutely put on a hell of a show. Since 1968, Deep Purple have basically been the godfathers of live rock performance. Don’t believe me? Go look up their Guinness World Record for “loudest concert,” which they snagged back in 1972. That same energy, that same wall of sound, made the trip across five decades and landed right here for the band’s headlining North American tour stop in Abbotsford. Original drummer Ian Paice is still holding it down, now joined by guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Roger Glover, keyboardist Don Airey, and vocalist Ian Gillan. Sure, only one original member remains, but somehow the whole group still nails the spirit of what made Deep Purple, well, Deep Purple.
They tore through 16 tracks that night. “Smoke on the Water” got the loudest reaction of the evening, no surprise there. “Diablo” and “Perfect Strangers” also landed big, and “Highway Star” kicked the whole thing off on an absolute high. And when I say the crowd was into it, I mean it. Fans who’ve followed this band for almost fifty years were pressed right up against the barrier trying to get as close as possible. That closeness paid off too, with an incredible light show and Simon McBride ripping through solo after solo. Honestly, McBride was the highlight more than once, stepping up so Gillan could catch his breath between songs. Given how much those vocals demand, that rest was more than earned.
Like I said, “Smoke on the Water” was the main event for Abbotsford. It’s one thing to describe it, but actually watching the buildup, seeing the bandmates grinning at each other because they knew exactly what was coming, that was priceless. Then those notes kicked in. You know the ones. Every Guitar Center employee’s nightmare. The whole arena became one voice, singing along to a guitar riff like it was a chorus. It was the moment of the night, the kind of thing every rock fan dreams about experiencing live. That wave of energy carried all the way through to the final song, “Hush.” If you were a millennial who spent way too much time on Guitar Hero 2, hearing this one live gave you full goosebumps. This was the band’s first big hit back in 1968, and in 2026 it still hits just as hard. The crowd treated it like more than an encore. It felt like everyone in that room knew they might not get another chance to see Deep Purple live, and they soaked in every second of it. When the house lights finally came up, Abbotsford just stood there in awe. Deep Purple‘s legendary status was on full display, and nobody in that crowd wanted the night to end.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
DEEP PURPLE








KANSAS





All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno
