Concerts Photos
Cymande at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver
Cymande’s July 27 stop at the Commodore Ballroom felt like a celebration of history, rhythm, and rare groove royalty finally getting their due. The British funk legends, whose early-‘70s catalog became essential crate-digger gold and a backbone for countless hip-hop tracks, delivered a performance that was both deeply nostalgic and fiercely alive for their first time in Vancouver.
Original members Patrick Patterson (guitar) and Steve Scipio (bass) led the nine-piece band with the kind of calm authority that comes from five decades of doing this. No flashy entrance, just straight into the music. Judging by the crowd, which ranged from older vinyl heads to younger fans lured in by samples and documentaries, a lot of people enjoyed getting right into it.
The set pulled heavily from their 1972 debut, including “Dove,” “Bra,” and “The Message,” each groove unfolding slowly, backed by a tight rhythm section and horn lines that punched through the haze. Newer tracks from their 2025 album Renascence held their own, especially “Sweden” and “Chasing an Empty Dream,” which slotted in perfectly next to the classics.
Between solos, smiles, and soul, the band made a strong case for Cymande not just as a “revival act,” but as living legends still evolving. It was mellow. It was funky. And it was a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the message really is the music.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Ruel Brings His ‘Kicking My Feet’ Tour to Los Angeles
Ruel brought his Kicking My Feet tour to a close in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 8th at the Hollywood Palladium. The tour covered 30 cities over the past two months.
Singer-songwriter Chelsea Jordan opened up the night with a high-energy set, performing some of her own songs to warm up the crowd for the rest of the evening.
Mercer Henderson took the stage next. She sang a handful of her songs that had a folk-pop feel to them as she jumped around the stage.
A little after 9:30, the venue went dark and cheers erupted from the audience. A spotlight flicked on, pouring light through a red door raised in the center of the stage. As the cheers grew louder, Ruel made his grand entrance, emerging through the door in a cloud of smoke while singing “Only Ever,” the first track on his latest album. Kicking My Feet is Ruel’s second studio album, released two years after his debut album back in 2023.
Throughout the night, Ruel took the crowd back to the beginning days of his music, playing some fan favorites such as “Dazed & Confused,” “Younger,” and “Painkiller.” The British-born Australian singer hyped up the audience even more by playing an unreleased song from his upcoming album, Kicking My Feet & Screaming, which is a continuation and second part of Kicking My Feet. The new album is set to release in June.
Openers Chelsea Jordan and Mercer Henderson were brought back out on stage to sing a song with Ruel in a heartwarming tribute to the past eight shows they had done together. A bit later, Ruel surprised the crowd by bringing out Arthur Hill, who had previously joined Ruel as a supporting artist for the first half of the shows on this tour leg.
The night was a lively blur of laughter and dancing, a testament to Ruel’s incredible stage presence and vocals. It was the perfect closing night to the Kicking My Feet tour, no doubt leaving fans with memories that will last a lifetime.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
RUEL
MERCER HENDERSON
CHELSEA JORDAN
All Photo Credit: Mallory Snyder
Concerts Photos
Jacob Collier Brings It Back to the Room at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre
Jacob Collier traded spectacle for stillness on April 10 at Orpheum Theatre, and the result felt quietly powerful.
The Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist has built a reputation on big, layered productions and dense harmonic worlds. This tour, The Light For Days Tour: A Series Of Solo Performances In Intimate Spaces, flips that idea. Alone onstage with a five-string guitar, piano, and his signature harmonizer, Collier leaned into restraint.
The set drew heavily from his latest album The Light For Days, a project written in just four days using a single instrument. That limitation carried into the live show. Songs felt more focused, more direct. There was still plenty of harmonic colour, but it never tipped into excess. Instead, it landed with warmth.
Collier’s real instrument, though, might be the crowd. True to form, he conducted the audience like a choir, splitting the room into harmonies that echoed through the Orpheum’s ornate interior. It turned a seated theatre into something communal, almost playful.
Opener Marie Dresselhuis set the tone early with a soft, intimate set that matched the evening’s mood, under the strong cheers of the crowd.
For longtime fans who came up on the sprawling Djesse era, this show was more like a reset. For everyone else, it was a reminder that Collier’s core strength is connection.
Head to Collier‘s website for more information on his upcoming tour dates.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
JACOB COLLIER
MARIE DRESSELHUIS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer