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.

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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

Mae Martin @ Vogue Theatre -- June 13, 2025

You might know Mae Martin from their comedy career, the show Feel Good, the podcast Handsome, or even their appearance on Taskmaster. But earlier this year, Martin went back to a teenage love and released their first album I’m a TV, and the latest leg of the tour wrapped up with a show at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver.

Opening the night was Vancouver’s own Ashleigh Ball, out on stage with just Dallas Bud backing her on guitar. Her signature flute in hand, she opened the set with “Tried to Tell You” before a couple new songs, the smooth “3am” and “Rosemary”, introduced with a story about the inspiration behind the song — a person she met at a silent retreat who did not quite understand the ‘silent’ part.
Throughout the set, Ball told storied behind some of the songs, including they Hey Ocean! tune “To The Sea” and the wild party that inspired the gorgeous & trippy song “Lavender” that capped off the set.

Not long after, Mae Martin took the stage, backed by Jason Couse and Wes Marskell (otherwise known as The Darcys, who also produced Mae’s album). They immediately launched in to “Big Bear”, Mae shredding on guitar, focusing on the album for the first half of the set, with songs like “Garbage Strike”, about the Toronto blackout of ‘03, and the breezy “Try Me”.

Mae was quick to tell the crowd how happy they were to be on stage, and how much of a dream come true it was. Throughout the set, Mae chatted & introduced songs with their slight awkward charm, and even the couple (small) flubs through the set were easy to overlook with their sheer enthusiasm radiating through the room.

Part way through the set, Jason and Wes took a break for Mae to grab a stool centre stage and dive into a few acoustic covers; a pair of Elliott Smith songs, as well as Half Moon Run, and a Third Eye Blind deep cut — accompanied by a story of Mae being starstruck when recently meeting singer Stephan Jenkins. Jason was back out to join on vocals for “People Get Back Up” before Wes returned as well, as Mae joked they wanted a bit more ‘millennial nostalgia’ with a cover of David Gray’s Babylon, which segued into the Third Eye Blind classic “How’s It Going to Be”.

After teasing a new song out later this month and the slow burn “No Cowboy”, Martin decided they didn’t want the night to end just yet. So they threw one one more song before the finish, another new one called “Kodak Film”, double checking if Jason and Wes knew it (they did not, but picked up on it so quick that if they hadn’t had that aside, I never would have known).

And finally, they wrapped up the set with “Brought Me Round”, Mae and the boys going all out for the finish to end the night, not bothering with the whole encore schtick (which I always appreciate).

I was really not sure what to expect from the show, but Mae’s enthusiasm & stage presence, combined with their heartfelt songs, and Jason & Wes backing them up made for a very fun night, with Ashleigh Ball opening being the proverbial cherry on top.

setlist
Big Bear
Stowaway
I Love You So Much
Try Me
Quiet Street
Garbage Strike
Pitseleh [Elliott Smith cover]
Unofferable [Half Moon Run cover]
Motorcycle Drive By [Third Eye Blind cover]
Pretty Mary K [Elliott Smith cover]
People Get Back Up
Babylon [David Gray cover]
How’s It Going to Be [Third Eye Blind cover]
Recent Hit
No Cowboy
Good Dream
Kodak Film
Brought Me Round

Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Vogue Theatre -- May 10, 2025

I’m not entirely sure how it’s happened, but somehow, I have never seen Godspeed You! Black Emperor live. So I was very happy to finally change that as the band hit Vancouver for a pair of shows at the Vogue theatre in support of their latest album, “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD” (the title referring to the reported number of Palestinian deaths by Israeli strikes from October 7th, 2023 until February 13th, during the Gaza war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry).

Opening the night was Mat Ball, who I just caught the tail end of. Mat was on stage alone with a single spotlight illuminating him, as he played his experimental instrumentals, guitar feeding back as he played with loops and feedback. The songs reverberated through the room, even vibrating through the floor and up your legs, as he was a great opener to set the scene for the evening.

Then at 9pm sharp, lights dimmed and a drone hummed over the speakers, as one by one, the eight members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor took the stage. They each joined in on “Hope Drone” — the improvisational song that opens every show — as the big projection screen behind them flickered to life. 

From there, the Montreal group played for a solid two hours, barely pausing as one song transitioned into the next, the set ebbing and flowing as emotions washed over the sold out crowd. Fuzzy guitars, cacophonous drums, and beautiful strings melded together on songs like “BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD” which starts sombre then builds to a hopeful finish, the contemplative pall of “PALE SPECTATOR”, and the anxiety inducing “Cliffs Gaze” as the song frantically drives to its climax.

The stage was only lit with a single row of lights, staying dim all night to give the band a faint glow as all the attention was drawn to the screen behind them. It flashed and looped with 16mm images & short clips to matching the mood; from grainy cityscapes to rural farmland; beautiful scenery covered in snow to frantic flashes of the stock market; serene nature to raging infernos. And even shrouded in darkness, without saying a single word — the only ‘vocals’ were a couple prerecorded clips between songs — the entire room was rapt, not making a sound until a song came to a finish, then bursting with thunderous applause. 

The set came to a close with the chaotic “Mladic”, simultaneously giving me chills and causing a smile to involuntarily creep across my face. And just like they arrived, the band wordlessly left one by one, leaving reverb & flickering film reel, the crowd still silent until the final note faded. 

Halfway through the show, I happened to see the time and was shocked that only an hour had passed. Not in a bad ‘this is a slog’ way, more like the band had the ability to control time itself, slowing everything down to soak it all in. Had they wrapped up after just that hour, it would have been a good set. But they still had more to give, the crowd was happy to hear it, and the show more than lived up to the expectations I had.

setlist
Hope Drone
SUN IS A HOLE SUN IS VAPORS
BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD
RAINDROPS CAST IN LEAD
Fire at Static Valley
PALE SPECTATOR / GREY RUBBLE
Cliffs Gaze
Mladic