This is one of the few times that I'm glad that I arrived early to catch an opening act. Often…read moretimes I am underwhelmed by the opening band of most shows, however, Nonpoint just blew me away. I came in without prior knowledge of the band but came out feeling as though I've known their music for years. I've grown up with that specific metal sound of crunchy bass and guitars, the sound that became synonymous with 90's metal. Amongst the growls there was still a sense of melody without disconnecting themselves from the genre. The band were very addicting to watch, extremely energetic. Musically they were very tight and displayed good chemistry. The entire band were swinging their dreads and long hair as if they were weapons of mass distraction. The lead singer Elias was a very commanding front man. The majority of the audience had never seen Nonpoint before, however, by the end they had them by the fingers of their devil horns. The way the audience was responding you would've thought that they were veteran hard core fans, however, like myself they were blown away and just caved to the feeling. This is just a testament of how strong the metal community is in Vancouver. I would definitely see these guys again if they came back to do their own solo show. The shoulder to shoulder maze of metal fans in their best black shirts and girls dressed like Harley Quinn was a cultural sceptical. Many familiar faces but enough new ones to make friends with. Floor real estate was claimed early and virtually scarce 10 minutes before the band hit the stage, however, regardless of where you were situated everyone was fully into the show. The minute Disturbed hit the stage they took no prisoners and offered no forgiveness anywhere in their set. You were immediately locked and ready to go. I had a heart and chest condition, therefore, my physical agony limited my body from expressing itself. My heart which feeds off the joy of music made up for the short comings of my physical health. David sounded in prime shape. He hit all the notes with no struggle. The band were all business playing one hit after the other. It was a dream set list. The beautiful sentimental moment was during their short aggression break with a few gentle songs consisting of a great cover of Simon and Garfunkle's Sound of Silence and Inside The Fire. The band were extremely tight. The sound mix was one of the best for a metal show at the Commodore. It was easy to tell each instrument apart. The click tracking of the drums slightly bothered me. There was way too many pre recorded backing tracks that was one step away from being a pop production. This was very noticeable during The Light. The keyboard synth strings bothered me a bit. It made these songs sound too much like a Disney soundtrack. Curveball moment in the night was the pop melody of: Nine Inch Nails, U2, The Who and Rage Against The Machine. They weren't the best covers but they were fun. Everyone's inner Karaoke came out. The sold out sea of unison fist pumps and clapping like a metal army put a smirk on my face. An image I often miss since I am usually in thick roughness of the pit. The machine gun sound of the drum and bass felt as though I was being hit with bullets of musical metal love. The vibration of the low guitar riffs emulated a harmonizing earthquake. My body felt the entire message therapy which temporarily cured the down with the sickness. By the end of the show the entire audience smelt like a dirty gym sock.

I was really into the band's performance at Coachella a few weekends ago, therefore, there was…read moreenough motivation to take the 3 hour round trip bus ride all the way down to UBC to see their 25 minute opening set. They were one of the few bands worth watching at Coachella during the day. Even in the blazing dessert heat their performance was killer. They made it work with what they had, therefore, It didn't surprise me that they killed the Vancouver show even though they had to deal with the shitty acoustics of the UBC sports Arena. What initially intrigued me about the North London band was that for a collection of childhood friends playing together for less than a decade they're miles ahead of most indie bands in terms of sound and stage presence. Their album was one of my top 10 in 2015. I've waited a year for their only western Canadian appearance since the best debut album of last year. They did in 25 minutes what must bands struggle to do in a full set. They gave more energy than what was required of them in effort to convert the crowd that was given to them as a favour by the headlining act. Ellie's stage presence was addicting to watch. The rest of the band were tight and had musical chemistry. The songs resembled something written out of the page from the 90's with a bit of flare. It was organic, not flashy but there was enough of a pop element to make the songs memorable.

The Sheepdogs have been on my bucket list for a while now, however, was never interested in the…read moreprice tag. It was free tonight and since I had a season pass, therefore, it paid for itself. The band lived up to the hype from everyone. They have a very nostalgic 60's rock vibe to them pulling the genre off really well. It was a respectable line between imitation and homage. Amazing musicians and very solid and clean. Not much in the stage banter department. They were more concerned about pulling off a solid perfect show.

I am not a fan of either the Coliseum and or The Forum and rarely do I make the unfriendly transit…read moretrek to either or venues unless it's an act that's been on my bucket list. The sound at the Forum has always been awful (horrible echo) due to the concrete structure but with Macklemore I knew that I would be reasonably safe from the architectural noise pollution. Most of the music was set to pre-recorded backing tracks at a reasonable performance volume, therefore, he didn't fall victim to one of Vancouver's most embarrassing and outdated venues. The show actually sounded decent. It was a hot box in the Forum: Sweat, weed and tight to capacity. Sight lines were compromised, therefore, I had to crawl on my hands and knees to make it to the front. I was prepared wearing shorts and a tank top. Touching sticky beer on the concrete floor was more of a passage than an inconvenience. I was dirty before the show began. I looked like someone out of The Walking Dead. I don't think The Forum has been cleaned since 1999. It was then that I realized that the only one who has any business wearing a tank top at rap show was Macklemore. Usually when I am in a tight crowd there's a mosh pit. It was a nice change to be surrounded by bouncers. The energy was consistent from beginning to end for the entire 90 minute set. The enthusiasm is justified considering that he hasn't played a proper headlining show in almost 4 years aside from festivals around BC. Macklemore was more talk than song, however, it was what he said that counted the most. No new opinions to offer but sentiments that have been on everyone's mind lately. Being in Canada allowed him to have a few more inches of political freedom. He had the audience in the palm of their hands. It was difficult to look away at a person who was giving more than 100%. The audience really didn't care that the music wasn't live, however, Macklemore's rapping was. His style is a combination of rhythmic flows at a 4/4 pace that is more storytelling based with a beginning, middle and an end. He actually wants you to hear his opinions against the beats. I appreciate that Macklemore doesn't resort to peer slamming and has positive messages in his music. The show was more about a feeling than it was technical. Even though there was some minor production we all felt as though we were seeing a club show. There was a humble charm. The audience in attendance were mostly families with young kids, some indie music fans and only a small range of rap fans. Very broad age spectrum in attendance. Being a rap show they had way more security than needed but it was a gentle well behaved crowd. Police were relaxed at this one and a few got into the show. Very few toss outs and it was a very self policed crowd. The set list was a greatest hits as well as stand out tracks from the last two albums. The Forum was over packed to capacity all the way to the entrance. I had to crawl back out during the encore on my hands and knees. Along my travels I found an A&W gift card. I was able to satisfy the munchies when I got home due to second hand smoke.

I didn't get into Lord Huron right away simply 'cause whenever I read the band's name in trade…read morepapers they seemed like an EDM band. I heard a few songs here and there on Much Music and CFOX. I did miss them at this year's Coachella. I was unable to watch their set due to a performance conflict on another stage. I don't regret missing the performance, however, I did take home an appreciation. For a band that just came back from Coachella, played Vancouver (and some other small dates) only to return back to Coachella for weekend 2 this weekend, they were energetic and gave it 100%. It was refreshing to see a new band that were concerned about entertaining compared to some of the new toegazer bands. Their music is folk alternative. A lot of the songs remind me of Vampire Weekend mixed with Two Door Cinema Club. One can also argue that there's a Mumford and Sons feel...just more livelier on the performance delivery. Ben was very addicting to watch live. His vocals have a bit of a twang that works with the music. The sound was great which often can be very hit and miss at The Vogue. The entire new album comes packed with a soundtrack mode. It feels as though you're in an hour long Vince Gilligan TV episode. The music is very well crafted. What got me initially hooked and sunk was the structure of the lyrics that were both loose and autobiographical. Each song has a distinctive mood. It's easy to tell one song from another, all of which are catchy and linger minutes on end after the last note drops. My favorite song is Meet Me In The Woods which has a Springsteen feel to it. I listened to this album 4 times in a row from beginning to end. The songs sounded better live than on the album which has only occurred a small handful of times in my concerting hobby/career. It also helped that the emotions conveyed on the record were emulated honestly in the live performance instead of most bands who just punch in the time clock. They came with their own production in the form of textured fabrics that gave a sophisticated element when the lights bounced off it. They had a huge illuminated sign with the name of their latest album, Strange Trails, changed color in synch with the stage lights. Simple yet effective. The set list was a cross between their last two albums, a full healthy 90 minutes that went by way too fast for me. I was pig in shit when I heard my favorite song, Meet Me In The Woods which has a Springsteen feel to it. During the entire show my body and soul was going through all sorts of moods. I mentally escaped for the better during a lot of the intention moments. The audience was extremely diverse. Most were very into the band. I actually brought a souvenir which rarely happens. The band have marketed themselves well. I bought a Strange Tails comic book and a pack of trail mix nuts in the Strange Trails packaging. Well deserved shout out to my buddy Scott for talking me into coming to the show tonight.

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.

This is now my 13th time seeing Metric and although the setting was less than favorable for them…read morethere were still some moments worth noting. They've done the arena thing before with Paramore, however, their efforts only gained them a small portion of fans. They did try and play Rogers a few years ago. They had some cool lighting but nothing beyond theatre worthy. I kinda wish they'd drop the arena dream that isn't happening for them (all members will cross 40 when this tour is done) and play double nights in theaters with varied setlists that actually has songs from their first 3 albums that have barely been played in the past decade or so. Only a tiny number of groups have a 7 album run (counting Knives) as strong as Metric and she's probably the best frontman in about 15 years and it feels wasted in their third time they've done a 45 minute arena opening set across The States (Dragons/Muse/Paramore). The short 40 minute set list had some hits but the majority of the show was a decent portion of new material. I was a little skeptical at first hearing the new material since the live clips that leaked did little or nothing for me even though the studio versions were cool. Translated live in person I learned to appreciate they new material. Of course the band were still trying to experiment with mixes. It was easy for me to observe in these early stages as to how the new songs will positively hold against their other material when they headline their own tour. Some of the hits had weird mixes which may have had to do with their equipment being programed for their new material. In the case of Help I'm Alive it actually added a semi industrial feel whether intentional or not. Emily was sober and in good spirits. The band were really into the performance. Even though the audience was giving them little love they didn't allow this to spoil their mood. The production was cool, but I'm left wondering if I'm seeing basically the same show with a different light production and Emily costume change(s). Emily's shoes as always were fabulous. Another solid set worth the 75 cents per Metric minute it cost us.

The good thing about walking in 10 minutes before show time is avoiding people I went to high…read moreschool with who made fun of me for listening to White Lies. They're now pretending to be the coolest people in the room. The irony made my eyes roll but it also gave me a few moments to divert my attention and shoot the shit with some music fans. Anything to distract me from acknowledging that I'm seeing a great band in a shithole of a club. Like my high school memories, great music in the most undesirable of circumstances. The minute the band hit the stage opening with Don't Hold Back I felt like the emo kid in my bedroom writing my zine. The way everyone sang the chorus to Lose My Life, "Let's grow old together and die at the same time" felt as though we were making an indirect promise to each other while we turned and sang to the random stranger next to us. I have a small obsession with Joy Division, therefore, I appreciate the band's blue print in sound, music after my own dark heart. There were moments in which I ran my fingers through my hair as a subconscious movement in attempt to absorb more of the addicting sound and vocals of Harry McVeigh. It was a natural high. The band played selected cuts from their new album which flowed seamlessly in quality against the fan favourites (which was the body of the set list). The new material was well received. It's been a while since Gary Numan that an act actually sounded decent in that venue. It was heartwarming that the mix didn't allow the music to go in vein. The band were very energetic and tight in their sound. The songs were delivered as remembered and expected from the studio albums. Vocally Harry was very strong. The 90 minutes went by way too fast for me. I walked out of the show with the euphoric feeling that music is supposed to do.