Concerts Photos
Jinjer Brings Duél Tour to the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver
Jinjer brought an evening of relentless metal to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on July 8, turning the historic venue into a sea of circle pits and crowd surfers during a stop on the band’s Duél Tour.
Before the Ukrainian quartet took the stage, Crystal Lake and Entheos did more than warm up the crowd. Japan’s Crystal Lake delivered a blistering set packed with crushing riffs and nonstop energy, wasting no time between songs as they tore through tracks from The Weight of Sound. Their performance had the first pits of the night spinning well before the headliner arrived.
Entheos raised the intensity another level. Frontwoman Chaney Crabb was impossible to look away from, effortlessly shifting between soaring clean vocals and ferocious growls while commanding every inch of the stage. The band’s technical precision never came at the expense of raw energy. By the end of their set, the Commodore crowd was fully locked in.
When the lights dimmed and the Jinjer logo appeared on the big screen, the room erupted. Opening with “Duél” before rolling into “Green Serpent” and “Fast Draw.” The band clearly showing to everyone why they’ve become one of modern metal’s most respected live acts.
Tatiana Shmayluk remains one of the genre’s most captivating performers. Her seamless transitions between haunting clean vocals and thunderous growls continue to feel almost unreal in a live setting. Behind her, guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov, bassist Eugene Abdukhanov, and drummer Vladislav Ulasevich played with remarkable precision, locking together through the band’s complex arrangements without missing a beat.
The set balanced material from Duél with fan favourites like “Teacher, Teacher!,” “I Speak Astronomy,” “Perennial,” and the always powerful “Pisces.” Throughout the night, the crowd responded with nonstop moshing, headbanging, and crowd surfing, matching the band’s intensity from start to finish.
Closing with an encore of “Sit Stay Roll Over,” Jinjer left the Commodore exhausted but wanting more.
One thing worth mentioning from the media pit: readers will notice there are no close-up photos of Shmayluk’s face accompanying this article. During the opening songs, she repeatedly shielded her face from photographers with her hand or by turning away whenever cameras were pointed in her direction. As a photographer, that created an uncomfortable situation. While our outlet had been approved to photograph the show, I wasn’t comfortable continuing to shoot someone who appeared to be signaling that they didn’t want to be photographed. I left the photo pit after the second song instead of staying for the usual three-song limit. It’s difficult to know what prompted the change, especially since photographers at earlier dates on the tour and during previous Jinjer tours didn’t appear to encounter the same situation. Her stage presence seemed to relax as the set went on, but the opening moments left an awkward impression that stood in contrast to an otherwise outstanding performance.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
JINJER
ETHEOS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Wave To Earth Bring ‘the pieces tour’ to Vancouver
By the time Wave to Earth took the stage at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena on September 4, Vancouver was already buzzing. A lineup stretched around the block as fans waited to see the South Korean indie-rock trio kick off the first date of their the pieces tour in the city.
The band’s stage setup immediately set the tone, arranged to look like a cozy living room, complete with windows that opened onto a constantly changing view of the world outside. The clever screens showed footage filmed just outside the arena, creating the illusion that the stage was looking out onto the neighbourhood. Periodically, TransLink buses could be seen passing by, an unexpectedly Vancouver specific detail that made the arena feel intimate.
That sense of intimacy carried into the band’s entrance, with lead singer Daniel Kim stepping onto the stage wearing a UBC Arts cap, a small but memorable nod to the city and its university community.
From the opening notes, Wave to Earth leaned into the warm, laid-back atmosphere that has made their music resonate with fans around the world. The contrast between the arena’s size and the deliberately homey stage design made the show feel like being invited into the band’s living room.
As the opening night of the pieces tour, the Vancouver show set the tone for what promises to be a visually thoughtful and atmospheric run of dates.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
WAVE TO EARTH
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell
Concerts Photos
Goose Brings their ‘Summer Tour’ to the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver
Goose brought their 2026 Summer Tour to Vancouver on Tuesday night, turning the Commodore Ballroom into a sweaty, late-night dance party that stretched well past 11 p.m.
The Connecticut-based quartet — Rick Mitarotonda, Peter Anspach, Trevor Weekz and drummer Cotter Ellis — has built a reputation for letting songs breathe onstage, and Vancouver got the full treatment. The band played two sets and an encore, giving the crowd plenty of room to settle into the grooves and watch the songs take unexpected turns.
The first set opened with “Yeti” before moving through “All I Need,” “Turbulence & The Night Rays” and “Time to Flee.” “Everything Must Go” kept things moving before “Hungersite” closed the set with one of the night’s bigger stretches of improvisation.
After a break, Goose returned and launched into “Electric Avenue,” a crowd-pleasing choice that had the Commodore singing along.
There was little interest in rushing through the evening. Goose gave each section space, moving from tight grooves to loose instrumental passages without making the show feel like a collection of extended solos.
For a band coming off a European run and heading into some of its biggest U.S. shows, Vancouver felt like another strong stop on the way. The Commodore may be a much smaller room than Madison Square Garden or SPAC, but Goose seemed perfectly happy to stretch out inside it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOOSE
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer