I'm sort of shocked at how bad the reviews for this place are. I'm not saying those experiences…read morearen't valid since they sound legitimate, but I've had good experiences so far at this location and have always had people who were willing to take time to patiently explain to me, a lay person, what I needed to know even when I'm doing things that don't generate a commission (like trying to set up something I ordered and paid for at a different store and had shipped here). I wish I made a note of who helped me so I could give them a shout out. My experience is with what I guess they call "Pro Audio & Recording" gear, maybe different departments are different or maybe I've just been lucky so far.

Be careful when you bring them something in for repair. I once bought a rare new Rickenbacker…read moreDakota solidbody guitar from them and one pickup stopped working so I brought it in for repair. When I inquired about it they said they sent it back, never to be seen again. Rickenbacker replacement pickups can be ordered. Another time I bought a new Firebird and it had fret sprout and they said they would fix that. It seemed to take forever and when I finally got it there was a ding in the back that wasn't there before. I brought in a keyboard for repair and they lost the case for the soundboard that was installed in the keyboard. When you bring something in for repair, bring it in bare bones, no strap, strings accessories in the case or they might lose them.

I made the evening an event and took advantage of the 5 pm door opening. Even though for 4 hours…read morenothing was actually going on prior to the band hitting the stage it was all about soaking in the sun and mingling with other Cure fans. It was a very festival feeling. Deer Lake is a venue that is severely underused which is a shame considering the trees and lake provide a great atmosphere for pre show celebrations. The forestry makes me less jaded about Vancouver. I spent a good hour doing a deep meditation and yoga session with Peter before the show. We were also early enough for sound check and got to hear some rare Cure songs that are never played to a live audience but are in heavy demand by fans. Two of which were sound checked in full. We scored an extra few songs. Robert Smith frequently reads his message boards and purposely plays the rarities for those who come super early. We packed a pic nic containing our childhood Emo favourites including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When I was 6 I used to sit under a tree with my Walkman and listen to The Cure while eating a stack of 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I would sing to every spider I saw on that tree, "The spider man is having me for dinner tonight." I did sit under a tree but I was not visited by spiders but rather old high school associates that I hadn't seen in years. While we recited the Cole notes of our lives to each other it was then that I realized that I haven't changed but everyone else around me did but for the brief few hours I felt 15 again. The show started early at 7 pm with ample daylight to see the different generations of Cure fans sing along with me. I loved looking at everyone's hair, most appropriately tributing the 80's. It was also good to see the goths get their annual intake of vitamin D. In the middle of the show I took off my shoes and ran around. I allowed the sensation of the cool damp grass tingle my soles while the music tingled the other soul. The set list was 3 hours of deep cuts, expected singles and fan favourite album tracks. Robert was being very careful with his energy to ensure the 3 hour performance consistency. Most songs were cake walked but fans didn't care as they were living in their own past memories, myself included. All things considering Robert's vocals were in good shape. He is well aware of his limitations. Most songs are sung and performed in the key of D which makes it manageable to perform years down the road with very minimal alterations along the way. The sound mix was good. The outdoors helped the mix a lot. I could tell that the audience was getting a little restless near the end. It's a bit of a marathon challenge to get through 3 hours, especially when most of their songs are more ambient based. The audience was way more into it than at the Rogers Arena show back in 2008. A good portion came up from Seattle as this was the only proper West Coast show. A lot of people I haven't seen before but wish that I had known in my life time. It it wasn't for the travelled crowd than it would've been another evening with a lack luster Vancouver crowd. There are too many memories attached to most Cure songs: Breakups, kissed, fucks, friendships, comfort songs and beautiful boyfriends. Almost every guy I've ever dated was in the field. It was both awkward and comforting when I looked into their eyes during their assigned songs. Some of us are on good terms and most not so much. The good news is that some of the songs performed tonight rewrote certain memories as I made new ones with Peter and Sharon.

Their string trio (violin, cello, and harp) played beautifully at our church wedding ceremony…read more Leading up to the wedding, V&G was responsive, helpful, and willing to accept special requests. Overall, a wonderful experience working with them!

I worked with Stephen Bulat to engage the musicians my granddaughter envisioned for her wedding at…read moreSkamania Lodge. Stephen was so easy to work with throughout the process and the musicians he selected could not have been more perfect. They were friendly, punctual and gladly played the music she selected amongst other pieces they played. All were seasoned professionals. The price was excellent value. The harpist, Matthew Tutsky plays and looks like an angel carved by Michelangelo. This was the loveliest private concert I could imagine. Jamie Chimchurian and Jae Choi on violin and cello played the most beautiful music during dinner forming the perfect elegant backdrop for the guests' enjoyment. Jacob Daniel then played keyboard and sang just amazingly well. His repertoire was so broad and tailored perfectly for this occasion. I'm looking to buy albums from each and every one of them. I was the wedding coordinator and wedding day coordinator myself and have been involved in upscale events for many years. Believe me when I tell you these are the finest musicians and management I have ever worked with.

I got lost in the dark park, however, the minute the intro music of the Gorillaz played I followed…read morethe sweet sound of Damon Albarn's voice. The band have been accused of being the most lack luster live band, the poster children for shoe gazer bands. The band I saw tonight were the exact opposite. They weren't overly energetic but not a band that warranted the performance accusation by Pitchfork. Then again it's not hard to be moved by your own beat. The audience were into it but their energy was compromised by a herbal substance which is a shame since the band had a lot to offer musically. There were selected moments in which the audience surrendered to their emotions. It was cool to see the crowd gently bobbing their heads like a tame sea with a glow reflected by the purple and blue lighting hues bouncing off the stage. There was no shortage of stage banter. It came across as bitter hostile rants similar to Morrissey but without the charm. He reminded me of half the people I can't stand who come into the record store. The actual music was really sharp and refined. Lots of horns. The band had very good musical performance chemistry even though they acted like strangers meeting for the first time. Set list was balanced between the slow and rock songs. Of course the hits were saved for the encore. Simple standard stage lighting. What I did gain from the show was hearing a few of my favourite underrated album tracks performed live. I also gained a different appreciation for their catalog. Modest Mouse have all the ingredients, more than most bands these days, however, after every Modest Mouse show I still feel empty. It always feels as though nothing was ale to stick after the euphoric feeling during the show. Modest Mouse have made permanent residence on my iPod as hipster lullabies. I felt drowsy out of relaxation. My mind escaped into my dreamy safe spot for a good 90 minutes. When I came to I almost forgot where I was.

On the way to the show I was humming The Bare Naked Ladies song about Brian Wilson. Aside from the…read moresong being as catchy as Brian Wilson's own material, it summed up everything about Brian in just a single sentence of a catchy chorus. Over the years I've been aware of Brian's questionable mental state, some of which was depicted in last year's bio pic Love & Mercy. Even if Brian himself was unaware of where he was during the show I still felt that I should at least be in the same room as the song writing legend, who has had more hits than McCartney, before he permanently lays in bed. The show started 10 minutes earlier than scheduled in true Brian Wilson fashion. He just walked on stage with the house lights still on and started playing piano without the band. The band rushed the stage a few bars in as people were frantically filing in. The lobby of the theatre was repeatedly and urgently warning people that the show had begun. He opened up with California Girls. I wondered during the show if this was Brian's way of quilting the audience for not filing in fast enough even though he took everyone off guard, including his own technical staff. He even semi scolded the audience by saying, "You can take your seats now anytime." It's hard for me to tell if he was joking or was having one of his signature senior moments. Either way it provided some unintentional entertainment. It wasn't the first of the evening. The 2.5 hours was divided into 3 segments: A few early hits, Pet Sounds in full (which this tour was celebrating) and a few other hits. Everyone came and got what they wanted to hear and more. The whole time I was actually tapping my feet like a metronome. It was also the first time in months that I watched an entire show without checking my phone. The bulk of the enjoyment of the show was more for the band than Brian. Most of the band members have touring history with the original and different incarnations of the Beach Boys including founding member Al Jardin who, along with the rest of the band, did all the heavy lifting. Brian sang 40% of the time, most of which was during the Pet Sounds portion. Brian was just an honorary ornament with an extraordinary band. The band played tight and made certain songs sound better than the original recordings. One of the best live touring bands that I've seen in decades with a long resume of who's who in music (that went under appreciated with most of the audience). One moment that put a smirk on my face was when Brian suddenly stopped playing the piano during Sail On, Sailor. He waddled off stage and went to the bathroom leaving his band behind in confusion. There was a forced extended guitar solo until the band were able to figure out what was going on. The intermission before the Pet Sounds portion was supposed to be 25 minutes, however, Brian wandered on stage 9 minutes into the intermission with no band, no lights and a sound delay as some of his technical crew were still in the bathroom. The band were ear shot away so they were able to get their shit together two bars in. Half the audience were still in the lobby getting drinks. Pretty much most of us missed the first two songs of Pet Sounds. Another memorable Brian Wilson moment. The majority of the audience were under 25 to whom Pet Sounds actually matters to, therefore, missing the first two songs was more of annoyance for them than the older crowd. At the time of the initial release Pet Sounds did very poorly and the label wanted to shelve it completely. Hard core Beach Boys fans still dismiss it all together. There's something charmingly ambitious about the album. It was fun audience watching to see how the material got lost on the older fans and embraced, in admiration for Brian, by the young hipster kids. Pet Sounds has sold more copies in the past 10 years by people under 30 than it did 50 years ago that it had to have two 180g vinyl re-issues. The album has influenced a lot of new bands like The Shins, Zola, The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala. If you're one of those music fans that shits on new music you can blame Brian Wilson for being ahead of his time influencing what is being played on iTunes today. During the Pet Sounds portion of the show I had to listen with my eyes closed to appreciate and understand some of the mathematical calculations and awkward time signatures. For the rest of the show it was beneficial that I had a balcony seat with a birds eye view so that I could see what the band were actually playing. I wanted to understand the technicalities of what made the blue print of his material. The sound mix was beyond amazing, the members played well that it proved that you really don't need backing tracks at any show if the band has their shit together. They did a technical band introduction to the audience which you rarely see bands acknowledge by name. It was well appreciated and earned. During the greatest hits portion everyone was on their feet. The crowning moment wa