Gigs of the Week: November 24 - 30, 2023

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Every Friday, 3am Revelations gives you our picks for some of the fantastic live shows happening in and around our city of Vancouver.
What are you seeing this week? Let us know in the comments below.

Kirk's Pick

Who? Wide Mouth Mason
Where? The Roxy
When? Thursday, Nov 30
Why? Get down to The Roxy to watch the blues rockers celebrate their latest album, Late Night Walking
 

Christine's Pick

Who? Much Music Documentary
Where? Vancouver Playhouse
When? Tonight! Friday Nov 24th
Why? It’s the British Columbia Premiere of the documentary "299 Queen Street West" about Much Music! The film is followed by an Intimate & Interactive with a few iconic MuchMusic VJs!

BONUS Pick

Who? Tim Baker
Where? St James Community Square
When? Friday, November 24 (tonight!)
Why? Good news: if you missed Tim Baker last night, there’s a second show tonight! Bad news: it’s been sold out forever…

BONUS Pick

Who? Woo Hoo! Classic Simpsons Trivia
Where? The ANZA Club
When? Tuesday November 28
Why? SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT! We (Kirk & Christine) are hosting our monthly classic Simpsons Trivia night again.

Shows of October

As the fall rolls along, the shows just keep coming. October looks to be another packed month, and here are the five(ish) shows I'm looking forward to most.
And I'm posting this a few days early to make sure enough people know about....

October 1st: Dirty Three at the Biltmore
You may know them from their work with Nick Cave, but Australian trio are back for their first album in seven years. The instrumental Towards The Low Sun is dense and chaotic and brilliant, and I can't wait to see how it translates live. 

 October 19th: Big Sugar w/ Wide Mouth Mason at the Commodore
Reprising their Big & Wide tour from last year, the two iconic Canadian blues rock bands team up once again to storm the Commodore. They've also got Ontario's The Balconies in tow, who I've heard about for a while now and am looking forward to checking out.
It's their first of two shows, which is good because the second night conflicts with...

 October 20th: Royal Wood at the Rio Theatre
I haven't had the chance too see Royal Wood live before, always missing the shows, and I can't think of a better venue for him than the Rio Theatre. 

 October 24th: Matt Mays at the Commodore
It's been a few years since Mays has been through Vancouver, but I was lucky enough to catch him during NXNE in June, and he was better than ever. Now that his new album, Coyote, is out 
Of course, it's a tough call when on the same night is...
October 24th: Bahamas & Jason Collett at the Rio Theatre
This one is going to be hard to miss. Last time I saw the two together was during the Bonfire Ball with Zeus, which is still one of my favourite shows. I may yet try and figure out a way to at least see Jason, then run over and see Mays at the Commodore...

October 27th: Aidan Knight at the Rio Theatre
Much like Royal Wood, the Rio just seems like it will be the perfect venue for Mr. Knight. The show is just in time for his new album, Small Reveal, which is one of my most anticipated albums of the rest of the year. 

 And of course, the Peak Performance Project is still running at the Red Room through the month. With three showcases left, we'll still hear from Maurice, Dominique Fricot, Portage & Main and many more. The first two showcases have been pretty swell, so don't miss them. 

Best of 2011: Albums: Haiku Edition

Okay, so I definitely fell behind this year when it came to album posts and reviews. But that's not going to stop me from subjecting you to yet another Best of 2011 list, which will be my favourite albums of 2011, in -- what else? -- haiku form. It's actually going to be less of a "best of" and more of a "personal favourite". I completely acknowledge that there may have been, technically, better albums this year; but some of those "better" ones I just couldn't get into for some reason *cough*Feist*cough*
So here it is. While the list is not numbered, it is in a vague order of "least-best" to "best", and I've included EPs as well as LPs because why not, that's why.

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Back down to basics
Strong songwriting from Meloy
As you would expect

Diaper Island by Chad VanGaalen
Refined and focused
Soaring vocals, instruments
On top of his game

Days Into Years by Elliott BROOD
Suitably toned down
War memorial inspired
Brilliant songwriting

Portage & Main by Portage & Main
A solid debut
Strong folk rock, heartfelt lyrics
Great blend of voices

Eureka by Mother Mother
Infectious and fun
But not without some darkness
Stellar shared vocals

Orchard by Jess Hill
Incredible voice
Beautiful and haunting songs
Mesmerizing folk

Michigan Left by Arkells
A bit more polished
But still more fun rock and roll
A strong follow-up

The Whole Love by Wilco
More adventurous
Bookended with two great songs
Their best in a while

Let's All March Back Into The Sea by The Liptonians
Cacophonous sound
A whole host of instruments
And clever lyrics

Summer of Lust by Library Voices
Energetic songs
Sharp, intelligent lyrics
Pop at its finest

No Bad Days by Wide Mouth Mason
Six years since their last
New bassist Gordie Johnson
Haven't missed a step

We're All Friends & Lovers Until It Falls Apart EP by Redbird
Strong, lovely voice
Coupled with great songwriting
Wonderful debut

Seeds by Hey Rosetta!
Heartbreaking lyrics
Symphonic and grandiose
Complex yet catchy

We're All Dying To Live by Rich Aucoin
Highly ambitious
Perfect, cinematic flow
Brilliantly unique

Apocalyptic Radio Cynic by Sidney York
Insanely catchy
Clever, sexy, sometimes dark
Power-pop with depth

Temporary Resident by Imaginary Cities
Take one stellar voice
One stupendeous musician
For near perfect pop

Kaputt by Destroyer
Rich, dense, and jazz-y
Lyrically ambiguous
Very beautiful

Oh Fortune by Dan Mangan
Darker and more dense
Rich music, poignant lyrics
Exponential growth

Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky
Crashing crescendos
Breathtaking rises and falls
Far beyond "epic"

High School EP by We Are The City
More going on here
Than most have in a full length
Nearly perfection

Degeneration Street by The Dears
All-star Dears line-up
From the brink of destruction
Better than ever

Lights of Endangered Species by Matthew Good
Full of emotion
Amazingly orchestral
A career highlight