PHOTOS: Arkells @ Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre - July 1, 2022

July 05, 2022 by Christine McAvoy in live shows, Live Music Photography, Weekly Photo Roundup

Arkells
Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre
July 1, 2022

Christine McAvoy Photography

Neko Case @ Vogue Theatre -- June 15, 2022

June 16, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

Hot off the heels of releasing Wild Creatures, a career spanning retrospective, Neko Case returned to the Vogue Theatre (where I had seen her about six months prior alongside The New Pornographers).

To kick off her set, Neko Case (and her signature skeleton pants) took the stage with only a couple band members for the stripped down "A Widow's Toast" before being joined by the rest of the band, which consisted of some familiar faces and long-time collaborators, including Paul Rigby, Carl Newman, Joe Seiders, and Nora O'Connell, who all provided some incredible harmonies throughout the night.

Case joked around and interjected a few times between songs -- expressing how much she loves playing in Canada -- but for the most part let the music speak for itself as she played a night that spanned her career, with songs about love, animals, loving animals -- and animals maybe not quite loving us, judging by the vicious "People Got A Lotta Nerve".

Classics like the soaring "Hold On, Hold On" and "Margaret vs Pauline" joined newer favourites like the haunting "Last Lion of Albion", and other highlights including a rollicking version of "Man", the tempestuous "This Tornado Loves You", and "The Pharaohs", which Case joked was about her first boyfriend... who never knew he was her boyfriend (and, to this day, somehow still doesn't).

After just over an hour, she capped off the main set beautifully with "Maybe Sparrow", before only Case and Rigby returned, for what was maybe the night's best highlight of Neko's incredible voice, "Vengeance is Sleeping". After another "Hex", she finished everything off with "Halls of Sarah", a the heartbreaking song that’s one of my favourites off her most recent album, Hell-On.

The last time I saw Case perform live (aside from the aforementioned New Pornos shows) was back in 2018 at the Vancouver Folk Fest, so I was happy to see her to return, especially to a venue like the Vogue. Her voice is still unparalleled — especially live — and she always puts on a great show.

setlist
A Widow's Toast
People Got a Lotta Nerve
This Tornado Loves You
Hell-On
Man
I'm an Animal
Last Lion of Albion
Hold On, Hold On
Calling Cards
Margaret vs Pauline
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
The Devil's Eye [The Go‐Betweens cover]
Lady Pilot
Favorite
Oracle of the Maritimes
Outro With Bees
The Pharaohs
Oh, Shadowless
Maybe Sparrow
(encore)
Vengeance is Sleeping
Hex
Halls of Sarah

Royal Canoe @ Fox Cabaret -- June 07, 2022

June 08, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

This is a show that was supposed to happen back in April, but, well, sometimes global pandemics have other plans. Luckily, I was able to still make the rescheduled show, and see one of my favourite live acts, Royal Canoe at the Fox Cabaret.

I caught the tail end of Vancouver's Parlour Panther opening the evening. Their dark pop featured harmonies from the duo of Lee Newman and Steph Hodgins, who were also backed by Jen Foster on drums. From what I heard, they were a good pick to open the show, complimenting Royal Canoe's sound nicely.

With large, flowery light fixtures around the stage -- that was absolutely packed with instruments and other gear -- the Winnipeg quintet Royal Canoe launched into the jaunty "Surrender" off their latest studio album Sidelining.

The set spanned not just their albums, but also their range of sound, from the funky groove of "Button Fumbla", to the simmering intensity of "Summer Stay", to the mellow and contemplative "Exodus of the Year". The band's intricate and complex sound coming together perfectly on stage, as each member played off each other — and even the crowd, at times.

Other highlights included "Butterfalls" with its soaring chorus telling us "it's time to watch it burn"'; "April Time" a quirky b-side from their recent collection Vault; and the perennial favourite "Bathtubs", the explosive number getting the crowd singing and clapping along.

After just over an hour, the band closed out the main set with "Living a Lie", building to a swirling, chaotic ending. But they were only gone for a moment before returning for one last song, the dark and creepy "Nightcrawlin'" to finish off the night.

I feel like I say something this every time I see the band live, but I've always been in awe of the effortless way they seamlessly blends their influences for a unique sounds, and each time I see them perform, they just seem to be getting better and better.

setlist
Surrender
Walk out on the Water
Button Fumbla
Butterfalls
Peep This
Hal
Bathtubs
What's Left in the River
Get It
Exodus of the Year
Summer Stay
April Time
Living a Lie
(encore)
Nightcrawlin'

Stars @ Hollywood Theatre -- June 04, 2022

June 05, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

In the dark times, when there was not a whole lot of live music happening, I had this dream — or maybe ‘fantasy’ — that the first band I would see live when things started coming back would be Stars. And while that’s wasn’t quite the case (they weren’t even the first band I saw this month) I was still very happy when they announced their Vancouver show, which would kick off the west coast leg of their tour, mere weeks after releasing their latest album, From Capelton Hill.

First up was Nicholas Krgovich, hand-picked by the band to open the show. Despite being a Vancouver mainstay, I hadn’t managed to catch live in some time, so I was happy to arrive just before he took the stage alone, armed only with his keyboard and notebooks. His fragile voice crept over the (mostly) attentive crowd for a set of soft pop, full of tunes written by himself, his friends, and even a few covers. He joked with the crowd with a charm that bled into the songs, with clever lyrics about dogs, paradise, and more.
He capped off his set with a cover of “Nightingales” by a band that’s a favourite of Stars’ member Torquil Campbell, made evident when shouted from side stage — where he was standing for most of the set — for everyone to “shup up, he’s playing Prefab Sprout!”
It was a delightful set, and I need to make it a priority to not wait as long before seeing him play again.

Not long after, the members of Stars took the stage, launching right into the title track from the new album “Capelton Hill” and playing a nearly two hour set of new songs, old favourites, and deep cuts. From the bouncy “Pretenders” off the new record to perennial favourite “Elevator Love Letter” from their early release Heart and everything between, the crowd was hanging on every note.

With it being the first show of their current tour — and a hometown show for Campbell — the band was full of energy. Torq spat out raw emotion on “Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It” and Amy Millan’s beautiful voice rang out on songs like “Ageless Beauty”, and their vocals blended together wonderfully on “Patterns” and “Fluorescent Light”.

Other highlights included “A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife”, which is a personal favourite deep cut that saw Torquil’s voice just soaring over the crowd and filling the room; the entire audience singing along to “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”; and one of my faves off the new album, the Cure-inspired “Hoping”.

They finished off the main set with the intense “In Our Bedroom After The War” but were right back for a few more, playing right up until curfew. First the bitter back & forth of “One More Night” and the dancey “No One Is Lost” — Stars being one of the only bands that can sing lyrics like “Put your hands up if you know you're gonna lose” and have the entire crowd throw their arms in the air. And finally, they ended the night with the final songs off From Capelton Hill, the soft and tender “Snowy Owl”.

There’s something almost cathartic about seeing Stars perform, and that may be part of the reason I wanted to see them so soon as shows were coming back. I think a big thing that makes their shows so special is the energy and the love that radiates off the stage. The band makes it clear how much they love each other, love playing, and are grateful that they can still do so in front of a sold-out room. And that bleeds into the crowd who, in turn, love the songs, the band, and watching them perform.

setlist
Capelton Hill
Reunion
Pretenders
The Passenger
Patterns
Fluorescent Light
Build a Fire
Elevator Love Letter
Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It
Look Away
Dead Hearts
Palmistry
This Is the Last Time
A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife
Back To The End
Ageless Beauty
Hoping
Your Ex-Lover is Dead
Trap Door
I Need The Light
In Our Bedroom After The War
(encore)
One More Night
No One is Lost
Snowy Owl