Concerts Photos
The Cat Empire at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver
Last night, The Cat Empire turned the Commodore Ballroom into a global block party for the first of two nights in the city. Touring behind Bird in Paradise, their newest album and second release with their refreshed lineup, the long-running Australian collective showed exactly why their reputation as a live band remains untouchable.
Bermuda Search Party opened the night with a solid, brass-heavy groove set that got the early crowd moving, but it wasn’t until The Cat Empire made their entrance, kicking off with “Blood On The Stage,” that the party truly kicked off. Frontman Felix Riebl and keyboardist Ollie McGill, the two remaining original members, led a stage full of seasoned musicians who each took turns stealing the spotlight.
The setlist jumped from old favourites like “The Chariot” ( with Bermuda Search party joining the band on stage for this track) to newer songs like “Bird In Paradise” and “Going To Live,” mixing ska, jazz, Afrobeat, and Latin rhythms into something uniquely their own. It’s hard to overstate how tight the band sounded. Every breakdown, horn solo, and tempo change hit clean.
The emotional centre of the night came with “Be With You Again,” a tribute to Riebl’s late brother Max. The room softened for a few minutes, before erupting again in joy as the band pushed into a dancey encore medley and ended with “All Night Loud.”
The Cat Empire is still evolving, and still throwing some of the best live shows you’ll ever see!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Jun 15, 2025 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Jun 17, 2025 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
Jun 18, 2025 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club
Jun 19, 2025 – Stanley, ID – Sawtooth Valley Gathering
Jun 20, 2025 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
Jun 21, 2025 – Bellvue, CO – The Mishawaka
Jun 23, 2025 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
Jun 24, 2025 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
Jun 26, 2025 – Oshkosh, WI – Leach Amphitheater (Waterfest at Riverside Park)
Jun 27, 2025 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
Jun 28, 2025 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
Jun 29, 2025 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe (Bell’s Beer Garden Concert Series)
Jun 30, 2025 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
Jul 2, 2025 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS (Montréal Jazz Festival)
Jul 4, 2025 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Stampede
Jul 5, 2025 – Quebec City, QC – Festival d’été de Québec
Jul 6, 2025 – Alma, QC – Festirame
Jul 8, 2025 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
Jul 9, 2025 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Jul 10, 2025 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest
Jul 12, 2025 – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival
More information on their website.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE CAT EMPIRE
BERMUDA SEARCH PARTY
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Joost Klein Brings World Tour With Chaos and Heart in Vancouver
Fresh off two sets at Coachella 2026 — a historic milestone as the first Dutch-language artist to ever grace that stage — Joost Klein brought his world tour to Vancouver’s Harbour Event & Convention Centre on Monday night. If the Southern California desert crowds were a warm-up, Vancouver got the real thing.
From the opening notes of Ome Robert to a euphoric, arms-in-the-air Europapa, Klein delivered nearly 30 songs worth of controlled chaos. The Frisian artist operates in a genuinely singular space, somewhere between Dutch hardcore, punk fury, and emotionally devastating party music. And the packed room at Harbour centre felt every single frequency. Sweat was basically precipitation by the midpoint of the set.
The mosh pits were, predictably, unhinged. Klein summons that energy. Circle pits tore open during Gabberland and BOOM BOOM!!!!!, and the crowd obliged every invitation. Yet between the mayhem, there were quieter moments. A gorgeous Zonder Jou hushed the room before Klein rebuilt the roof again.
Highlights were abundant: a wild TRAFIK! (his take on Käärijä’s banger), and an abridged Friesenjung that turned into a full remix by the encore.
This is a guy who started as a teenage Dutch YouTuber, got disqualified from Eurovision 2024 for comments that some judged controversial, and somehow ended up headlining a world tour on five continents. Nobody saw it coming, Klein included. The rest of the world better be ready for this tour.
Joost Klein will be on tour in North America, Europe and Australia until December 2026. Head to his website for all the information.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
JOOST
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Wheatus Play their Debut Album in Full at The Pearl in Vancouver
On April 13, Wheatus rolled into Vancouver and made a strong case that they’ve outgrown rooms like The Pearl. The show was sold out, shoulder-to-shoulder, and honestly felt like it could’ve filled the Commodore Ballroom across the street without breaking a sweat.
Opening support from Chief State and Brain Bent set the tone early, but once Brendan B. Brown and company hit the stage, the night turned into a loose, fan-driven ride. True to form, the band leaned into spontaneity, pulling from a deep catalogue with help from the crowd, before the show even started. “Leroy,” “Truffles,” and “Wannabe Gangstar” landed fast, while “Hump’Em N’ Dump’Em” slipped in a cheeky nod to Madonna.
Covers were a big part of the night. Their take on Erasure’s “A Little Respect” turned into a full-room singalong, complete with a “My Girl” tag, and “Basket Case” by Green Day brought a jolt of energy mid-set. A Canadian highlight came with “My Music at Work,” a respectful nod to The Tragically Hip that hit especially well with the local crowd, followed later by a heartfelt “Time Stand Still” from Rush.
The deeper cuts, “Lemonade,” “Fourteen,” and “I’d Never Write a Song About You, ”showed the band’s range, balancing humour with real vulnerability. Then came “Teenage Dirtbag.” No surprise, it turned into mass karaoke, with every fan in the room locked in from the first line.
Instead of ending big, they closed small. Brown returned alone for an off-mic acoustic “Desperate Songs,” quiet enough that you could hear the room breathe. It was a simple finish that summed up the night: warm and completely in sync with the crowd.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
WHEATUS
CHIEF STATE
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer