To be honest this was a last minute decision to come out to the show. It's been 12 years since the…read morelast Weezer show and I didn't feel that I missed them after all of these years. They were just a band in the back of my head with 5 songs that I really liked and only 2 of that I can say I connected with. They're not a band band. It was just hard for me to appreciate their very Americana lyrics. Their last 3 albums did nothing for me. Their earlier songs are great pop alternative songs but nothing with memories attached to them. It was a sunny day and a good excuse to go to Deer Lake Park. I did a hike before the show. It was also fun to watch the sun set behind the stage. There was a sense of romantic youth watching the sky change over gradually through various shades of blue. Getting in was an unorganized chaotic mess. They pushed the start time by an hour to ensure that at least a third of the people got in before Panic at The Disco. I didn't have patience for the line and honestly wanted some nachos with fake plastic cheese in my tummy ASAP. I'm not a fan of Panic at The Disco's music, however, their live show was amazing. I was blown away. The entire band gave more than 100%. Their set was high energy which was consistent from beginning to end. I was in the thick of the pit and burned 400 calories (had my fitness watch on). They all enjoyed being on stage which made the audience, myself included, invested in their set even if the music wasn't there for me. I've gained a serious respect for the band. They had a full brass section which is something you don't see often with alternative bands that aren't in the ska genre. Vocally it was hit and miss. The high notes were hit properly but the rest sounded semi horse. It was equal billing, therefore, they got a full 75 minutes. The mood was killed by a horrible cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. It was embarrassing. Not even my internal Wayne's World moment was able to save it. Panic had a full production and lights which you don't often see with opening bands. Brenden Urie was a very charismatic front man. He managed to pull off the shirtless with leather skinny pants look without looking like a total douche like the guy from The 1975. He treated the image with a sense of respect. I would actually see Panic Again. I cashed in the calories I burned at Panic at The Disco and bought a jumbo hot dog....wait for it.....topped with Pork and Beans. Weezer came out with a semi dramatic entrance with a projection of their trademark "W" front on a curtain.

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.

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.

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.

Truthfully I came here to see Metric but stayed due to credibility guilt. Everyone I told seemed…read moreupset that I was leaving after Metric, therefore, I stayed for 5 songs just to see what the hype was all about. I appreciate that they know how to get a crowd going and feel good, however, I was struggling to actually connect with the material. I did review their new album as part of "New Shit I Listened To" segment of my web zine. I blessed the album with 3 out of 5 stars. I was hoping to get something out of the new material live but it did little to convince me that I was listening to the best album of the year. I will give them production points. They used a really cool 3D stage configuration but did little of note with it. I knew that after 5 songs that they were just a one trick pony with the stage production. The band themselves, although charismatic, looked lost with the stage layout. Imagine Dragons are another one of those bands whose music works better in a club or small theatre setting. Fortunately they've grown in popularity that Rogers Arena was the logical booking. Maybe next time they should do 2 nights at the QE with the same production? Lady Gaga was successfully able to do this a few years back. There was a magic that seemed lost in translation in such a big venue. I got a better understanding of how they ended up in arenas, though I think the singer could do with more onstage charisma and the drummer could up his game more. The advantage of our seats was that we were able to spot some technical sound tricks otherwise missed by the general concert goer. Most of the drums were click tracked, the guitar notes were too clean that they sounded pre-recorded (even The Edge makes mistakes and we all notice) and the lead singer was only singing live 30% of the time (we were that close that we noticed synch issues). In retrospect it wasn't a bad show, it just wasn't the show for me musically.

This is how cool David Letterman is. He booked Future Islands last year, a band that barely anyone…read moreat the time cared about outside Pitchfork. The minute that the band performed Seasons I instantly fell in love with them. It took 8 years and 4 albums later for the band to get any recognition, however, their Letterman debut escalated the buzz and made them Youtube sensations. In fact David Letterman was such a huge fan of this band that he had them come back during his last few weeks of his show. Letterman gave one of the best introductions for a band that I've seen to date. He was just that taken away by Future Islands. Who wouldn't be. They're a band that is addicting to watch and listen to. In all fairness my best friend Peter did tell me about Future Islands not 'cause he was into them but 'cause he knew that it would be something up my ally. I got on the bandwagon and stayed there with everyone else. Their brand of synth pop, semi cookie cutter beats and themes aren't for everyone. It's like a fun car crash you just can't turn away from which is the partial appeal about this band. I am no stranger to their performance as they were one of the highlights for me during Primavera 2014. There was a manic intensity to the shows brought on by lead singer Samuel who danced like a crazy man. Think Elaine Benes times 4. Some people mock his dancing, however, everyone in the crowd celebrated and cheered. The best way to describe his dancing is like a human dreidel: Unsteady, spinning and all over the place. His dancing has become legendary at this point. It's something to be seen rather than described, therefore, I heavily encourage everyone reading this to check out some live performance clips on Youtube. His dancing made for some awesome circulated GIF'S. He made the audience comfortable to express their bad dancing. I dance like Elaine Benes. It was one of the few times in which I felt comfortable in my own skin for being a bad dancer. I just went for it. Kudos to the guy next to me who was mirroring every single move of Samuel's without a second thought. The rest of the band were toe gazers, however, they're allowed to take a vacation considering the heavy lifting that Samuel was doing to entertain. Samuel was very into the show with all smiles. It took him 2 songs to really get into the grove as he wanted to test the waters a bit. Once the audience gave him a positive reception he let loose. His shirt was soaked by the 4th song like Springsteen working the stage. My jaws hurt from smiling the whole time. The energy and the dancing was very contagious. Even those who were initially trying their hardest to be passive and adamant about not caving in eventually did. By the time the 4th song rolled around the band had the entire field dancing, some more than others. We were helpless by the music and submitted ourselves to the beat. The music itself resembles something out of out the 80's with a little bit of a modern dance flare. There is a lot of New Order influence in the music. The audience around me was very into the show. It was packed inside Malkin for an opening act which rarely happens. Even those who were sitting on the hill unfamiliar with the band were instantly sold. It's very rare that I've seen people chant for the opening band to play one more song. Sadly they only played for 45 minutes opening for Spoon even though they have enough in their catalogue to play a full 90 minute show. The performance did leave the audience hungry for more. Hopefully the positive reception will be encourage the band to come back and headline a club show. Most left after Future Islands myself included. I like Spoon, they're decent but not worthy for me to spend the rest of my evening for. I was already a fan to begin with walking in, however, came out of the show having madly fall in love with every aspect of the band. I didn't think that this was possible but with music anything is.

I came early to check out The Chain Gang of 1974, a band that's been on my radar for a few years…read more It was really awesome to finally get to see them. Due to the first openers Souvenir, who were unable to make it across the border, The Chain Gang of 1974 started a bit early which caused me to miss two songs. Kamtin had charisma and was the scene stealer. The rest of the guys were just as fantastic. Musically they were very tight. The music and the performance was exactly how I had pictured it to be. The set was so energetic that the random bits of confetti (from a different show) from the scaffolding loosened up and showered the audience. The sound mix was well balanced. It was easy to hear each instrument separated making it easier for first timers to get into their set. Of course there's always that guy who has to ruin it for everyone. Some asshole during the second to last song decided to throw a cup filled with water at Kamtin. Naturally he went from channeling his inner Trent Reznor to upset and annoyed. As he was singing I could tell that he was hunting the instigator as was the rest of the audience. Even when he called out the perpetrator the cowered didn't even have the balls to show himself. It just encouraged the audience to cheer stronger to show that we did in fact appreciate The Chain Gang of 1974. They debuted a new song which was just as addicting as the rest of their catalogue. I'm looking forward to this release later in the year. Between bands the audience was soothed by the sounds of Radiohead. I hope that the dude who threw the cup also had a chance to chill out to Radiohead. I made my mingling rounds and was disappointed at the low turn out considering that the last time AFI they sold out the Commodore. The positive side is that I got to be very up close with minimal physical violation. The audience that did show up compacted together. Their energy filled the room. It was a friendly mosh pit of with a lot of apologies after shoves but overall we were in it together. We all helped each other celebrate. No shortage of smiles. The opening music before AFI hit the stage was Duran Duran. Of course in total nerd fashion I danced like I was Hungry Like A Wolf in my New Kids On The Block shirt. I believe that I won up the goths. The band opened with their huge hit Girls Got Grey to get the crowd worked up from the gate. Not that it was needed as we were all excited to see AFI. The rest of their catalogue is just as strong and the show just got better with each passing minute. The sound mix was a little muddy and off, however, everything settle two songs in. The magic moments for me were the songs off Sing The Sorrow. Davey was super energetic and the band were tight. He danced around the stage as if it was his own personal playground. Vocally Davey was strong and held it together on 90% of the songs. The few moments in which he was short of breath was disguised well. The icing on the cupcake was when they performed Silver and Gold, a song that holds some personal sentiment. Head banging with everyone as the audience echoed the chorus was a moment that summed up the whole show in less than 3 minutes. I walked out of the venue with the other metal goths clutching my neck with the urgency to leave a message with my chiropractor before I got home. A sign that the show was enjoyed.

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.