Elisapie @ Vogue Theatre -- March 12, 2026

Last night, Elisapie returned to Vancouver for a (rare seated) show at the Vogue Theatre in celebration of her album Inuktitut. The 2023 collection of covers saw Inuk singer reinterpret some classic song, translating them to Inuktitut, and went on to be short-listed for the Polaris Prize and net Elisapie Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year at the JUNOs.

With no opener for the night, the lights dimmed and Jean-Sébastien Williams (guitar), Joshua Toal (bass) and Gregory Fitzgerald (drums) took the stage, followed by Elisapie herself. They started off with “Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)” and wove through her album Inuktitut giving her own take on pop hits like “Taimangalimaaq (Time After Time)”, the darker “Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven)”, and sharing her love of Leonard Cohen with “Taimaa Qimatsiniungimat (Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye)”.

Throughout the set, Elisapie told personal stories about some of the songs and why she chose to cover them. Her gorgeous rendition of “Sinnatuumait (Dreams)” was dedicated to her brother, who passed away in a fire when she was young, and “Qimatsilunga (I Want to Break Free)” was for her cousin, who tragically took his own life. The latter especially took on an entirely new meaning with her performance, bringing a tear to my eye as Elisapie danced around the stage as her cousin would have loved. Which is the special thing about this album, many of the covers take on a brand new life as Elisapie not only performs them in her own style, but also injectes them with her own experience and emotions.

As well as the covers, she slipped in some songs from her previous album, The Ballad Of The Runaway Girl, like “Wolves Don’t Live by the Rules” which brought everyone to their feet, and one of my favourites of the set, “Qanniuguma” building to an intense finish with everyone clapping along.

The main set came to an end with Elisapie and her band all gathering at the front of the stage for an acapella “Qaisimalaurittuq (Wish You Were Here)”, getting everyone to hum along as her beautiful voice filled the theatre, and then slowly leaving the stage one by one as the crowd continued on to the empty spotlight. But they were quickly back for one more song, as Elisapie was visibly thrilled and emotional to be playing the theatre, finishing off the night with “Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)”.

A couple years ago, I was able to see Elisapie perform her Uvattini show, which was one of my favourites of the year. Before last night, I was wondering how this would compare to the multimedia performance, but I shouldn’t have worried. Even without the visuals of that show, Elisapie’s masterful storytelling, incredible voice, and powerful performance created a wonderful evening.

setlist
Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)
Taimangalimaaq (Time After Time)
Call of the Moose
Californiamut (Going to California)
Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven)
Sinnatuumait (Dreams)
Wolves Don’t Live by the Rules
Qanniuguma
Arnaq
Taimaa Qimatsiniungimat (Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye)
Qimatsilunga (I Want to Break Free)
Qaisimalaurittuq (Wish You Were Here)
(encore)
Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)

Hotel Mira @ Vogue Theatre -- Dec 13, 2025

Earlier this year, Hotel Mira released their third full length album and struck out on their Pity Party Tour, with the last show landing in their hometown at the Vogue Theatre. And to celebrate the Vancouver show, they brought a couple other local acts along with them.

Opening the night was Kylie V, taking the stage with their band that consisted of Josh Eastman (keys), Nolan Fae (guitar), Keeley Leah (bass), and Jess Jones (drums). They started off the set with “On My Mind”, before hitting songs from last year’s Crash Test Plane, including the building intensity of “Lucky Streak” and the soaring title track.
Kylie told everyone to hug their best friend before heartwarming “Catherine”, their voice filling the theatre, and then closing out the set by teasing a brand new song, which had a bit more a grungier feel, and I’ll be looking forward to hearing it again.
Funny enough, the last time I saw Kylie play a proper venue was the Pearl at the beginning of last year, where right after I ran across the street to see Hotel Mira at the Commodore, so it was nice to see both under the same roof this time. Kylie’s indie rock fit the Vogue wonderfully, and I have no doubt they’ll be back on that stage soon.

Soon after, four moustachioed men hit the stage as Uncle Strut launched into their first song with a name that I felt encapsulated their sound, “Down South”, as they had a classic southern rock feel. With a high energy, they ran through songs like the funkier “Natalie” and their latest single, “August”.
They capped off the set with a cover of the standard “That's All Right, (Mama)” joined by back up bubblers (two people with bubble guns) while Jasper Matthias & Simon Tejani on (guitar & bass) went right up to the crowd in the pit while drummer Quincy Flowers held it down and singer Tyson McNamara ended up doing the worm on stage, for a big finish to a fun set.

And finally, as Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right” blared over the speakers, Hotel Mira hit the stage, singer Charlie Kerr joined by Mike Noble on bass, Clark Grieve on guitar, and drummer Cole George. The band kicked off strong with “America's Favourite Pastime”, barely taking their foot off the gas as they blasted through high energy hits like the perennial singalong “This Could Be It For Me”, the lights turning deep red for “Vampire” with its gang vocals , and “Jungle” where they snuck in the intro to Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song”. They also hit tracks off the new album, like the anthemic “Cowboy” and the hard hitting “Made for This”, as well as their latest release, “Re: Valentine's Day” from their follow-up EP, After Party.

As usual, Charlie was a ball of pure energy, barely standing still for even a moment as he danced, pantomimed, and gyrated around the stage. He also took a moment to make sure everyone on the room was on the same page when it came to marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ and immigrants, outright stating there was no room for bigotry at the Hotel Mira, and the crowd was fully on board.

After the synth-driven “Dancing in the Moonlight”, Kerr asked people to get close, reaching into the crowd to hold hands with anyone he could, before wading into the audience to sing with everyone for “Off The Record”, the final song of the main set.

But of course there was more, first Charlie back out on his own with an acoustic guitar for their version of a holiday song, “Red & Green” before inviting the band back on stage — and also two special guests for a surprise proposal! — and ending with a bang. First, the incredibly infectious “Fever Pitch” and then reaching way back to the JPNSGRLS days for “Southern Comforting” and the whole crowd yelling along at the end.

While it felt inevitable that Hotel Mira would be headlining the Vogue themselves, there was still a sense of excitement coming from the band as they knew their time was now. Add on top of that the last show of the tour at home, and it all just added to their usual live-show-energy for am incredibly fun & energetic night.

setlist
America’s Favourite Pastime
King of the World
This Could Be It for Me
Runner
Vampire
Jungle
Eventually
Right Back Where I Was
Son-in-Law
Made for This
Cowboy
Re: Valentine’s Day
Making Progress
Dancing With the Moonlight
Speaking Off the Record
(encore)
Red & Green
Fever Pitch
Southern Comforting

Neko Case @ Vogue Theatre -- November 13, 2025

Hot off her new album, Neon Grey Midnight Green, Neko Case hit the road on tour, which included a stop at Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre. The last few times I’ve seen Case live (both solo and with The New Pornographers) have been at the Vogue, and it’s an excellent venue for her soaring alt-folk.

Opening the night was John Grant, and unfortunately I only caught the last two songs, but they were wildly different from each other. “Marz” was a synth-folk tune with heavy vocal effects, while he ended with a sweet piano ballad, “Caramel”.

After a short break — and an announcement over the PA requesting no photos or videos during the show — Neko Case took the stage with her backing band that consisted of Nora O’Connor, Adam Schatz, Kyle Crane, Andrew McKeag, and of course, Paul Rigby.

She kicked off the set with a couple older songs, “Bracing For Sunday” and the ferocious “People Got a Lotta Nerve” before delving into the new album with “Louise”, immediately showing off her stunning vocals.

From there, the set spanned her career, going all the way back to Blacklisted with “Deep Red Bells” and “Lady Pilot”, up to the new album with the building tension & release of the title track “Neon Grey Midnight Green” and “Match-Lit”, dedicated to all the ghosts in the (famously haunted) Vogue Theatre. Other highlights included the tempestuous “This Tornado Loves You”, as well as “That Teenage Feeling” & “Rusty Mountain” played back to back as two excellent examples of Case’s version of a love song.

After the quirky, almost tone-poem “Tomboy Gold” and the soaring “Wreck”, Case brought the main set to a huge finish with “Star Witness”, the whole band letting loose. But of course, everyone was back a moment later for a few more older songs, the longing “I Wish I Was the Moon” and one of my all time favourites with “Hold On, Hold On”, before ending off with “At Last”.

I don’t think I’m breaking any new ground when saying Neko Case’s voice is unmatched. But I feel like every time I’ve seen her live, I’m absolutely blown away anew. Combined with her heartfelt songwriting and excellent backing band, it makes for a great live show.

setlist
Bracing for Sunday
People Got a Lotta Nerve
Louise
Deep Red Bells
This Tornado Loves You
Little Gears
Baby, I’m Not (A Werewolf)
Magpie to the Morning
I’m an Animal
Destination
Lady Pilot
Oh, Shadowless
That Teenage Feeling
Rusty Mountain
Match-Lit
Neon Grey Midnight Green
Tomboy Gold
Wreck
Star Witness
(encore)
I Wish I Was the Moon
Hold On, Hold On
At Last

Destroyer @ Vogue Theatre -- October 26, 2025

It’s been a minute since the last time I saw Destroyer and I couldn’t think of a better venue for them than the Vogue Theatre, as they brought their new album Dan’s Boogie to Vancouver, wrapping up the North American leg of their tour.

I was also excited to see the opener Jennifer Castle, as I haven’t seen her play live in even longer (I think it was back when she still played under Castlemusic). She came out on stage alone armed only with her acoustic guitar and harmonica, and instantly drew the crowd in with her gorgeous voice on “Mary Miracle” and the title track to her latest album, Camelot.
Her soft vocals lilted through the rapt theatre for songs like “How or Why” and “Poor as Him”, engaging everyone in the storytelling of each. She moved over to the piano for her final two songs, “Monarch Season” and the heartbreaking “Please Take Me, I’m Broken”, to cap off an absolutely lovely set.

After a bit of a break, some funk music blast over the speakers as Destroyer took the stage, Dan Bejar with a six person backing band, as they launched into “The Same Thing as Nothing at All” from the new album. From there, Dan’s enigmatic music and performance took over the night, from new tunes like “Sun Meet Snow” building to a chaotic finish and “Bologna” which featured Jennifer Castle returning to stage on vocals, to favourites from their vast catalogue with the smooth groove of “Kaputt” and the sprawling “Rubies”.

Not unexpectedly, Dan didn’t say much throughout the night, just thanking everyone near the end, and he would often crouch down when not singing, as if to put the spotlight on the rest of the band. At one point JP Carter had an extended trumpet solo full of looping and distortion, and Bejar just sat on the stage watching in awe, like the rest of the audience. There were also a couple times where Dan had a cheat sheet for songs with denser lyrics, but it didn’t feel like a cop out; he almost used it as a prop, gesturing wildly like an incredulous writer who just pulled a sheet of paper from their typewriter.

After my favourite titled song off the new album, “Hydroplaning Off the Edge of the World”, the set wrapped up with the haunting “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker”. But the band soon returned to get the crowd snapping along to “Travel Light” and finally finishing off with an old favourite, “European Oils”.

The only downside of the show, there were times when Dan’s vocals were a bit drowned out or low in the mix. But even with that, the Destroyer put on a fantastic show, as they always do.

setlist
The Same Thing as Nothing at All
It Just Doesn’t Happen
Times Square
Tinseltown Swimming in Blood
Bologna
Sun Meet Snow
Kaputt
Cue Synthesizer
The States
Rubies
Cataract Time
Hydroplaning Off the Edge of the World
Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
(encore)
Travel Light
June
European Oils

Dan Mangan @ Vogue Theatre -- October 03, 2025

There’s always something special about seeing an artist playing a hometown show, especially if it’s Dan Mangan, and especially if it’s at the Vogue. So I was excited to see him return to the venue in the midst of his Natural Light Tour for a sold out show.

Opening the evening was Bells Larsen, who took the stage along with an acoustic guitar, to “whisper sing” at us (his words).

He opened with “Blurring Time”, the title track to his latest album, and explained the concept; the album was recorded over the span of a few years, both before and after his transition as a trans man, effectively harmonising with himself. 
Other songs delved deeper into this, like “Might” dealing with the uncertainty of how he would sound after, and some were about those close to him, like “My Brother & Me” about their rocky relationship (he made sure to note they were close now!)

The whole crowd was rapt, near silent during the songs and then exploding into applause after, and after about half an hour he wrapped up the set with the charming “People Who Mean So Much To Me”. It was a lovely set, and I am eager to see him again with a full band. 

Not long after that, it was Dan Mangan time, as he was joined by his band, guitarist Mike O'Brien, bassist Jason Haberman and drummer Don Kerr. The stage was set to look like the cottage the album was recorded in: a fireplace, rugs & quilts strewn about, low lighting, and a recreation of the view they had each evening, as the curtains to a makeshift window were pulled pack to reveal a serene lake with the sun setting over the hills (a video, so we could watch the sun slowly go down).

Before starting, he explained how he wanted to make the hometown show special by playing the full Natural Light album front-to-back for the first half of the show, launching into “It Might Be Raining” and the crowd popping for the hometown reference. 
From there he weaved through the album, from the touching “No Such Thing As Wasted Love” to the upbeat “Melody”, and my album standout, the melancholic “For Him”.
There was a strange occurrence part way through, when Dan stopped “Soapbox” after a couple verses because someone fainted. He made sure they got help, with a very cooperative crowd making space, and then restarted... only for another person on the other side of the floor to faint as soon as he did! Dan wondered if the song was cursed and if he should even continue, but at the insistence of the crowd — in particular the person who yelled “once more, with feeling!” — he finished it with gusto.
(And, to be honest, it was a little warm and stuffy in the packed venue.)

After finishing the album with a singalong to “Hit The Wall”, the band took a break while Dan did a few solo songs. First a song that always make me tear up, especially live, “Basket” as well as one my favourite deeper cuts, “Pine for Cedars” with its charming wordplay.

Then the band was back out for the gorgeous “In Your Corner (For Scott Hutchison)”, before launching into raucous “Road Regrets”, Dan’s voice soaring through the room, and again on the (unfortunately) still extremely relevant “Post-War Blues”. They bounced from songs like the haunting “Lynchpin” to the frenetic “Troubled Mind”, before inviting Bells and his guitar back on stage for the perennial singalong “Robots”. With a handheld mic, Dan jumped off stage and into the audience to wade back and forth, getting everyone to join him for a big finish to the set.

Even after two hours(!) the crowd was still eager for more, and so a few minutes later Dan came back out, sheepishly admitting he didn't plan for an encore, but testing out a brand new anti-fascist song to wrap up the night.

I’ve said before how sometimes a band or musician will just fit a venue perfectly, and that's Dan with the Vogue. Before the show, I was talking with a friend about how many times I've seen Dan play there, specifically (nine, before last night) and Dan even mentioned it was his favourite venue to play in. I would happily see him play there as much as possible.

---

Dan Mangan setlist
It Might Be Raining
Diminishing Returns
I Hated Love Songs
Contained Free (Interlude)
No Such Thing As Wasted Love
Melody
My Dreams Are Getting Weirder
Soapbox
Cut The Brakes
For Him
Sound The Alarm
Proximity
Hit The Wall
(Dan solo)
Basket
Fool For Waiting 
Pine For Cedars
(Full band)
In Your Corner (For Scott Hutchison)
Road Regrets
Cold In The Summer
Post-War Blues
Forgetery
Just Fear
Lynchpin
Troubled Mind
Fire Escape
Robots
(encore)
[New Song]

Bell Larsen setlist
Blurring Time
514-415
Might
My Brother & Me 
Night Bus
People Who Mean So Much To Me