we got tickets to the jesse cook show at the centre in vancouver on 777 homer street, which feels…read morepretty new and sleek. the moment we stepped inside, that curved marble staircase caught my eye, it was elegant and dramatic, with mirrored panels that bounced reflections around in such a cool way. the venue itself is small, it seats around 1800 people across three levels, with great acoustics and comfy purple chairs. during intermission, i was surprised to see there were no long lines at the washrooms, there were plenty of stalls, the concession stand was actually a lot longer. you can bring drinks into the auditorium, but note, there are no cup holders. jesse cook's performance gave off the gypsy kings energy, upbeat, rhythmic, and full of flamenco and andalusian flair. he's not only a talented guitarist but also a natural storyteller. between songs, he shared little anecdotes about how he met one of his bandmates or what inspired a particular piece of music. he was accompanied on stage with four other band members. there was lots of hand clapping along with the rhythm, and toward the end, he invited everyone to get up and samba. it gave the night this warm, easygoing energy.

First time watching Bini, and it was at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts. The venue is…read moresmall, and my seat was on the 3rd floor, making it hard to see the performers. I could've used a telescope! This was Bini's first big sold-out performance, and when I booked my ticket, I didn't realize how confusing the seating would be. Although I had a wonderful night, the height of the second and third floors wasn't ideal for those who want to be closer to the stage. By the time I bought my ticket, most of the seats were already gone, even though I booked as soon as they went on sale. Still, it was worth it!

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.

Vogue is an older theatre with some renovations. It seems the seats were most recently updated and…read morefor the worst. They reduced the size of the seats and the space between the rows of seating. I'm 5'6" and it is uncomfortable to sit through a 1 hour 30 min standup. If you're not sitting at the end you are likely going to bruise your shins walking through. Good luck trying to let someone pass without leaving the row. People have fallen flat on their faces trying to get out. It seems like a safety issue. As it's an older theatre, the floor is pretty flat. Not tiered like newer movie theatres. Recently went to a show where they posted no photos of the show were allowed. The security guards paced through the middle aisle throughout the show. It was pretty distracting. During concerts they remove about half the rows for standing room. Oftentimes though the balcony is closed off. Washrooms are on the second floor. Only 3 stalls in the women's washroom as one is forever out of order.

We had a wonderful time at the Vogue Theatre watching Maoli in concert. We stood in line for…read moregeneral admission, we got thru the metal detectors wands and got front row! Bathrooms were good, and always lines at concerts. We had drinks there and enjoyed ourselves.

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.

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.

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.

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 ended up dancing the night away like a slut here on Saturday. I had a really great time, but…read morethere were a few things about this venue that weren't my favourite. First complaint - the bathrooms. This is not a change room, so why the heck is there a CURTAIN instead of a door to the two stalls in the ladies room? I'm sorry but whether you're hovering over the seat to pee, or hugging the porcelain goddess cuz you drank too much, you deserve some privacy while leaking those bodily fluids. At least if there's a door, you can knock, to see if anyone is in there, with a curtain, you're gonna tug on that shit and probably scar yourself for life when you see what's behind it. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." After you use those facilities, you're gonna love the sink even more. Its so tiny in the ladies room that if you are washing your hands, people can't even get in to the bathroom behind you. I know I got a fat ass and all, but this was kind of ridiculous. And lawd knows us ladies like to primp ourselves in the bathroom mirror, so try and bring a pocket mirror (they aren't just for railz bitches) if you plan on doin' any primpin'. Second complaint - the heat. There is zero air conditioning in here. As in none, nada, null and void. The promoters of the night actually brought in their own fans (lawd bless them) and it did help, but it was just recirculating warm air. For a venue this nice (minus the bathrooms) you'd think they could step it up a bit and have some A/C. Which brings me to the things I liked about the venue.... Cheap drinks! $8 for a double highball, call me SOLD! The space was really cool, I liked the different levels and dark corners to hide in, and the visuals looked great. I liked that the location was somewhat off the beaten club path, thus there were no creepers. The people who knew about this space and party were there for exactly that and there were no random granville street douchebags lingering nearby to buy you a drink. "GHB drinks on me!" All in all, I would totes go back to this place, but dress appropriately so I don't sweat my balls off. Oh wait, I don't have balls, I guess I already sweated them off, if anyone finds my balls let me know.

I went to an event here last weekend. I really liked the space but they need to work on a few…read morethings. 1) It was REALLY REALLY hot! Luckily I was not wearing very much - yay summer! I don't know how people who were fully dressed up survived. 2) They could not handle the demand at the bar. They need a beer/water station for big events like the one I attended 3) The bottled water was warm. This was pointed out to me by a friend. I used my cocktail cup and refilled at the sink with nice cold water from the tap. 4) Their beer selection is extremely limited. They should at least have cans of one local craft beer like Red Racer available.