Concerts Photos
Elevate Music Project 2026 Semi-Finals
Elevate Music Project made its return to Vancouver with a stacked semi-finals night at the Biltmore Cabaret. Six acts, six very different sounds, and a room full of people ready to back local music on a cold January night.
The lineup moved briskly, starting with Carmine. The Victoria-based, female-fronted alt-rock band sounded tight and confident, leaning into sharp hooks and emotional swings. Their songs hit that sweet spot between grit and melody, and the crowd locked in fast. Knowing this band formed almost immediately after a breakup makes their chemistry even more impressive.
Tasavoor followed and flipped the vibe completely. The three-piece blended western textures, funk rhythms, blues grit, and eastern melodies into long, winding songs that felt loose in the best way. They shared that they refuse to play songs the same way twice, and gave their set an unpredictable edge.
The Canyon Riders brought the night back to roots-driven rock. Their sound leaned hard into blues and country rock, powered by a driving rhythm section and duelling guitars that nodded to Southern rock traditions. The band played like they’d been road-tested, and the crowd responded to that honest, no-frills energy.
Snowchild Edge was one of the night’s most magnetic performers. Blending alt-hip hop, R&B, and Afro-fusion, he owned the room with ease. Mid-set, he jumped into the crowd to hype people up, breaking any remaining barrier between stage and floor. His songs carried weight, touching on identity and connection. It was definitely a set that made you stop talking and just watch.
Then came Dani Black, who made it very clear why her name carries so much buzz. Her songwriting stood out immediately, sharp and emotional, delivered with a voice that cut straight through the room. She sang like someone who’s been through it and came back stronger. There was a calm confidence to her presence that felt effortless, the kind you expect from a pop artist with serious range. The audience listened closely, and the applause said it all. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Closing the night was Summer’s Brother, who leaned fully into art-rock theatrics. With fuzzy guitars, synths, and bold visuals, their set felt like a late-night art show wrapped in indie pop and psych-rock. They weren’t afraid to get weird, and that commitment paid off. The band’s chemistry was tight, and their genre-blurring approach gave the night a fittingly unpredictable ending.
Elevate Music Project has always been about giving Vancouver artists real opportunities, and this semi-finals night proved why the format works. If this is the level heading into the finals, the competition is wide open, and Vancouver music fans are the real winners.
The Finals will be held at the Vogue Theatre on January 22, 2026. Get your tickets here.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
CARMINE
TASAVOOR
CANYON RIDERS
SNOWCHILD EDGE
DANI BLACK
SUMMER’S BROTHER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Of Monsters and Men Bring ‘The Mouse Parade’ Tour to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver
Of Monsters and Men returned to Vancouver on June 25 with a packed show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, bringing their mix of indie folk, rock and cinematic pop to a crowd that was more than ready to welcome them back. After years away from the live stage, the Icelandic band showed no signs of rust, delivering a performance that moved easily between quiet, atmospheric moments and full-room singalongs.
The evening opened with American indie folk singer-songwriter, August Ponthier, who shared songs from their debut album Everywhere Isn’t Texas, as well as new unreleased material.
At 9p.m., the lights dropped and Of Monsters And Men emerged from the shadows, surrounded by haze and an eerie wash of light that matched the darker mood of their newer material.
The set leaned heavily on songs from their latest album, All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade, giving fans a chance to hear how the band’s sound has developed since their breakthrough. Tracks like “The Actor” and “Ordinary Creature” brought a more layered, reflective side of the group, yet they fit comfortably alongside older favourites.
Of course, the biggest reactions came when the band reached back into their catalogue. Both “King and Lionheart” and “Dirty Paws” had the audience singing along. Then came “Little Talks,” still one of the band’s biggest hits and an undeniable highlight of the night. The familiar opening instantly brought the room together, with the crowd handling a lot of the vocals.
At the centre of it all were Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, whose voices remain the band’s greatest strength. Their harmonies, paired with the group’s dynamic musicianship, made the long-awaited return feel completely worth the wait.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
OF MONSTERS AND MEN
AUGUST PONTHIER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Summer of ’99 Tour: Creed Gives Winnipeg a Night to Remember
Some nights disappear by the time you get home. This wasn’t one of them. From the first note to the final encore, Canada Life Centre never stopped singing with Creed. Beat after beat, lyric after lyric, hundreds of voices carried the night. If you weren’t there, you genuinely missed something special.
Opening the night was Mammoth. Before jumping into the set, Wolfgang Van Halen asked the crowd how many had seen the band before and how many were first-timers. The cheers landed almost perfectly down the middle.
I also found out he was Eddie Van Halen’s son, my expectations shot through the roof. That’s a heavy name to carry. Songs like “The End,” “The Spell,” “Distance,” and “I Really Wanna” showed exactly why Mammoth is building its own reputation. By the end of the set, he wasn’t just Eddie’s son, he was Wolfgang Van Halen.
Next came Big Wreck, a band that somehow gets even better live. Ian Thornley’s guitar work was effortless, floating between delicate melodies without missing a beat. “The Oaf,” “Come Again,” and “Albatross” sounded massive. Every instrument cut through cleanly, every lyric landed. Big Wreck are definitely one of Canada’s strongest live rock bands.
Then everything shifted. Long before the lights dropped, the arena had already decided who they came for.
“Creed! Creed! Creed!”
The chant rolled across the building before the band even stepped on stage. The opening blast of “Bullets” hit with fire shooting into the air, smoke pouring across the stage. They played like a band with something left to prove. Audiences were locked in just like the band.
The set moved through “Weathered,” “On My Sleeve,” “My Own Prison,” “What If,” “One,” “What’s This Life For,” and “With Arms Wide Open.” Every chorus came back twice as loud as it left the stage. Thousands of phone lights lit up the arena.
After a short pause, the encore delivered exactly what everyone had been waiting for. “One Last Breath.” The crowd barely let Stapp finish a line before taking over. Then came “My Sacrifice,” and for a few minutes, the band almost disappeared beneath the voices around them. That’s what made this show hit differently. The show was about hearing songs that still connect, still fill arenas, and still have thousands of people screaming every word like they were written yesterday.
Check our our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
CREED
BIG WRECK
MAMMOTH
All Photo Credit: Nischal Karki