Concerts Photos
The Band Camino + Almost Monday Bring the Never Always Tour to the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles
Last Thursday night at the Hollywood Palladium, rising artist ALINA, along with Almost Monday, helped kick off the evening as co-openers for The Band Camino on their North American Never Always 2025 tour.
Between each song, ALINA interacted with the crowd, sharing real-life stories behind each track. Her bubbly personality eased the tension between the artist and the audience, making it feel like you were on FaceTime with your best friend.The young artist kicked off her set with singles like “Look Bad,” “Get A Grip,” and “Second
Guessing,” along with many other amazing songs. After eight fantastic concerts from the east to the west coast, ALINA wrapped up her set, thanking the crowd for a great night filled with love and energy.
Back in August, the Almost Monday crew —Dawson, Luke, and Cole —sat down with Zach Sang for an interview to discuss their songwriting process. The bassist, Luke Fabry, stated, “To songwriting, there’s a magic and there’s a science. You can get good at the science, but the magic just has to come.” He goes on to compare songwriting to the skills required for surfing, saying, “you can’t really control the conditions, but you can control where you sit [on the board] and where you go, but at the end of the day, [the perfect wave] it has to come to you.” As a fan of Almost Monday, I’ve gone from seeing them for the first time in 2024, when they co-opened for Beach Weather, to taking photos of them in February as headliners for their 2025 The Dive tour, and now as they tour with The Band Camino. Their future looks incredibly bright. The energy Dawson and his crew bring to the stage is simply unmatched. I remember leaving their show in 2024 with several of their songs downloaded to my playlist. Moving from smaller venues like The Teragram Ballroom and EchoPlex to larger ones like The Hollywood Palladium, their hit song “Can’t Slow Down” perfectly captures Almost Monday‘s momentum.
As Almost Monday finished their set, the stage crew began to set up for The Band Camino. The Never Always tour includes 19 shows across North America and six across Europe. Camino started their set with “Daphne Blue,” “Infinity,” and Hush Hush.” The inspiration for their new album, Never Always, signifies the space between extremes such as “never” and “always,” representing the in-between moments of life, especially after a breakup. It highlights the contradictions in relationships, oscillating between holding on and letting go, and seeking a balance between intense emotions and life’s messy reality. Never Always is an album dedicated to finding steadiness while dealing with emotions that exist within the gray areas. The album explores themes of vulnerability, self-sabotage, overthinking, and life’s cyclical patterns, ultimately fostering a sense of growth and authenticity. Although solutions exist for dealing with the black-and-white issues, the gray areas remain the most confusing. The Band Camino’s songs and lyrics resonate with you in unexpected ways. Their music expresses emotions that are hard to put into words. There was a sense of community amongst the crowd as each fan connected individually to the lyrics. Raw emotion was palpable throughout the venue.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE BAND CAMINO
ALMOST MONDAY
ALINA
All Photo Credit: Taylor Blazer
Concerts Photos
Buffalo Traffic Jam at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto
There is something magical about voices matching the season. The excitement of walking up to the Danforth Music Hall on the perfect autumn night, only to be engulfed in raw, emotive rasp.
Lydia Maes really pulled me in. There’s such an emotional quality to her voice. The way she incorporates the saxophone and the way she hypnotizes the crowd. She played a beautiful set and then later came out with her fiddle, to join Buffalo Traffic Jam.
Colin Lynch completely caught me off guard, with a voice that sounds like he sells out stadiums. He’s young, but that soulful, raspy, depth speaks to every age.
Then came the one and only Buffalo Traffic Jam. Gritty, earthy harmonies took over the Danforth and the crowd was electrified. There’s something about their sound that feels both stripped down and warm at the same time, and the moment they started, we were all at their mercy.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
BUFFALO TRAFFIC JAM
COLIN LYNCH
LYDIA MAES
All Photo Credit: Bailey Morgan
Concerts Photos
Sabaton Bring Fire and Fury to Vancouver on North American Tour Finale
After many many years away from Vancouver, Sabaton returned to the PNE Forum on October 8 for a fiery night of heavy metal, military-themed theatrics and massive sing-alongs. The Swedish metal band chose the city to close out its North American tour, and it went out with a bang.
Opening the night was Pop Evil, whose modern hard rock offered a different sound from the headliner’s power metal. Tracks like “Trenches” brought plenty of energy, giving the crowd a reason to get moving before the main event. Their heavier riffs and commanding stage presence made for a solid start to the evening despite the low lighting.
Sabaton wasted little time making its return count. Kicking off with “Ghost Division,” the band delivered a wall of sound backed by pounding drums, sharp guitar riffs and bursts of fire that lit up the Forum. The stage, complete with military-inspired hardware, gave the performance the feel of a full-scale production rather than a standard metal concert.
Frontman Joakim Brodén led the charge with his unmistakable voice and natural sense of showmanship. Songs like “The Last Stand,” “Stormtroopers” and “Night Witches” showcased the band’s knack for turning historical stories into anthems built for thousands of voices. The crowd happily did its part, singing along throughout the night.
The spectacle never distracted from the music. Flames punctuated the band’s heaviest moments, adding extra intensity to “Bismarck,” “Fields of Verdun” and “The Attack of the Dead Men.” For the latter, the band leaned into the song’s subject matter with gas masks, adding another theatrical touch to an already explosive set.
The closing stretch was pure Sabaton. “Swedish Pagans” brought another huge audience sing-along before “Primo Victoria” and “To Hell and Back” sent the Forum into the night at full volume.
After seven years, Sabaton gave Vancouver plenty of reasons to welcome them back. Closing the North American tour with a performance this tight, loud and entertaining was a fitting end to the run. With commanding vocals, memorable choruses and enough pyro to warm the entire Forum, the band left little doubt that its next visit cannot come soon enough.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SABATON
POP EVIL
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer