Even though half the crowd were too distracted by reunited friendships to appreciate Robyn HItchock…read morethere was a good handful that opened their minds and became immediate fans. His song writing has always intimidated and inspired me. It's quirky with a melody that is carried by his voice. His sense humour is on the dark side which is a character after my own heart. Robyn strode quietly on stag without announcing his presence. He strapped on his guitar and proceeded to grace the stage light revealing the features of his former self. The music is timeless, a unique brand of folk singing that I haven't heard successfully replicated. Those who have tried have failed miserably. Robyn played for 40 minutes that went by way too fast for me. Normally I get annoyed when people talk in the background of an acoustic show, however, I was so captivated and lost in the weird poetry that it just felt as though it was only him and I in the room. Robyn was so nervous even though the room hadn't filled up that he invited his friend from Seattle on stage to help with the songs. Robyn also took of his glasses so that he didn't have to look at his audience. I've met Robyn twice now, both times he's refused a selfie. I wanted something digital to remember the moments of meeting my icon. The conversations both times are still etched in my memory. He met fans at the merch booth between sets, however, seemed a bit stressed since he was selling his own merch to a large demand of fans. The Psychedelic Furs have been one of those underrated 80's bands that has had real estate inside my heavily rented musical heart. This was 4th time seeing the Furs. Every show has been consistent in terms of energy, presentation and enjoyment. For Richard's age he's a very animated front man without subscribing to the front man ego disease. He was jumping, posing and getting into the crowd as if his physical age didn't matter. As much as the audience was trapped in the 80's for 75 minutes so were the band. The times I've seen Psychedelic Furs I've never once got the impression that it was a cash nostalgia tour. They genuinely loved playing their material, including their soundtrack hits that gave them a minor push into the mainstream. They weren't pretending which was very appreciated considering that legendary bands have been stopping by the city singing their hits as if they're punching in the time clock. The audience was very into the set. There was a very positive energy on the floor that started before the band hit the stage. The songs were executed as I have remembered them all these years. The club played 80's alternative hits that got everyone dancing. Hits from Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Bowie, The Cure and New Order just to name a few. It felt like everyone was dancing to my regular iPod playlist. It was a good emotional warm up to a night with two strong acts. The Psychedelic Furs have always been a band that has thought outside the box when it comes to team up tours. Richard is a fan of good musicians regardless of genre and likes to expose their talent to a potentially new audience. Richard's voice was still traditionally raspy but not in a negative way. He was never a great singer, however, his signature style has worked with songs. It's this combination that has made the music timeless for decades and unpretentious/attainable to the common emo 80's youth. His voice has maintained the same character raspiness without any noticeable shortcomings. This was the first proper Vancouver show (non casino) show in 16 years, therefore, the excitement on both sides have been marinating in the slow cooker for a long time.

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 last time the Monkees played Vancouver billed as the Monkees was in 1968, therefore, I was…read moreseeing this show for the first time with everyone else. They were supposed to play the casino years ago when Davy Jones was alive, however, he had a completely different management than the rest of the guys and things went sour and the show never happened. They played a few times in Tacoma but that was a pain in the ass to get to. The show was everyone minus Mike Nessith and Davy Jones. Ratio wise it was still a closer reunion compared to Guns N' Roses. To entertain the audience they showed episodes of The Monkees in high def restoration from the new Blu Ray collection. For the first 3 songs it was cool to have some of the old Monkees clips shown on the screen as the band was playing, however, it got annoying real quick as I would've appreciated watching what was actually happening live. It was more likely implemented to distract the audience from noticing that there was no chemistry between remaining members on stage. Because of the clips on the screen the entire show was click tracked. They did manage to perform all their hits and some current singles in the 90 minutes. The personal highlight for me was The Porpoise song off Head, a song that the majority of early fans would prefer to dismiss all together. It was fun watching the divide by fans after the song based on the applause. It wasn't the best rendition of the song but they did the best with the little they had. Second highlight was dancing with Peter and singing at the top of my lungs the lyrics to I'm Not Your Stepping Stone. Overall even though the majority of the songs were phoned in I actually had a good time.

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

DJ Mary Mac is in a league of her own. I've hired her exclusively since meeting her on a trip to…read moreMexico, and she never fails to deliver. With decades of experience, she's a professional who knows music inside and out. She reads the room perfectly and keeps the floor going all night long. She's simply the best in the business

We hired Mary for our wedding in April 2020. Due to covid19 our event had to be cancelled (not our…read morechoice obviously!) All our vendors refunded us except DJ MAry Mac. She refused to give us back our deposit of $970 stating it was non refundable and only offered a credit if we re-booked within 3 months and IF she was available. Not a viable option considering the circumstances. Mary has done zero work to prepare for our wedding and has robbed us of our money. She might be a good DJ but she is not a good person. Stay away from this one brides!!

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.

DJ veronica runs her business like a true professional. She was always quick to respond to any…read morequestions we had and made the whole process very easy. On top of that she picked DJ Wilson Hart from her team to DJ our wedding and he crushed it! First he perfectly executed all our songs during the ceremony and then when it came to the reception and dancing he was on his game. Our guests were extremely impressed with his skills as he had the dance floor packed all night. We even have had a few friends already inquiring about him/DJ Veronica to DJ their upcoming weddings. Thank you so much Wilson and Amy (DJ Veronica) for helping making our wedding day so special!!

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.