Great Lake Swimmers & Elliott BROOD @ Biltmore Cabaret -- October 23, 2025

Two Canadian folk rock powerhouses joined forced earlier this month on a jaunt through western Canada for The Ballads and Badlands Tour. And since Elliott BROOD is always a fun, raucous show, and the last time I saw Great Lake Swimmers was more than ten years ago when they played a secret show at the Vancouver Aquarium in front of the beluga tank (no, really!), I wasn’t going to miss it when they hit the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver.

I got to the venue just before Elliott BROOD was supposed to go on, and to my shock a Vancouver show was running early. But luckily it was still their first song, “Need to Know”, as the band joked they were getting a slow song out of the way first. And the trio of Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet, and Stephen Pitkin stuck to that promise, ramping up the energy with “Dig A Little Hole” and hardly looking back.

They hit songs off their recent dual EP project, Town & Country, like “Blueberry Wine” and a rollicking ode to Windsor, Ontario with “Rose City”. As well as digging back to some fan favourites, with people singing (or yelling) along with the breezy “Northern Air”, the soaring “The Valley Town”, and of course, the cacophonous “Write it All Down for You”.

The band whipping the crowd into a frenzy as they wrapped up their set with “Wind and Snow” once more getting everyone clapping along, a dedicated few in the crowd going for the entire song!

After a quick turnaround, Great Lake Swimmers took the stage, singer & guitarist Tony Dekker joined by Ryan Granville-Martin on drums & bass and Colleen Brown on just about everything, both chiming in on backup vocals as well. (I forgot Brown was with the band at the moment, so that was a nice surprise!)

The trio kicked off the set with the first three songs off the newly released Caught Light, starting with the gorgeous harmonies of “One More Dance Around The Sun”, and weaved through most of the album throughout the set; Tony’s soft voice filling the room on the title track and stellar “A Distant Star” being standouts. They also delved into the band’s two-decade history, with “Your Rocky Spine” which recently (finally) went gold, “Still” off the Lost Channels album, and even all the way back to the first release, with Tony playing “Moving Pictures, Silent Films” on his own.

The main set ended off with the classic “Pulling on a Line” and the crowd softly joining in on the chorus. At that point, I’m not sure if there was a miscommunication, but moments after they left the house lights went up… only for Tony to jump back on stage to say they had one more treat for the audience. That being both bands teaming up for a fun cover of “End of the Line” by Traveling Wilburys, which ended the night with one last giant singalong.

Seeing either one of those sets on their own would have been a good night. But putting both bands together, especially with them joining up at the end*, was quite the treat!

*and you know I consider ‘both bands jam together for a cover song’ one of the only acceptable versions of an encore!

Elliott BROOD setlist
Need to Know
Dig A Little Hole
Bird Dog
Owen Sound
Northern Air
Without Again
French Exit
Bluebird Wine
Rose City
C'Mon Let's Go
Stay Out
The Valley Town
The Banjo Song
Write it All Down for You
Wind and Snow

Great Lake Swimmers setlist
One More Dance Around The Sun
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
For You To Come Around
Changing Colours
Everything Is Moving So Fast
Caught Light
Your Rocky Spine
Moving Pictures, Silent Films
Youth Not Wasted
Endless Detours
Still
A Distant Star
Pulling on a Line
(encore; both bands)
End of the Line [Traveling Wilburys cover]

Amy Millan @ Fox Cabaret -- October 20, 2025

It’s been a long time since Stars singer Amy Millan released a solo album — sixteen years between Masters Of The Burial and the new I Went To Find You — and just as long since I last saw her play a solo show! So I was very excited for her to bring the beautiful new record to the Fox Cabaret in Vancouver.

Especially with the opening act of Zoon. I hadn't seen the project of Daniel Monkman live before, so I was eager to catch them as they took the stage alone with an acoustic guitar, backed with some drum loops. They announced that for reasons, they would be platying all new material, going into a set full of shoegaze vibes (or ‘moccasin gaze’ as they once dubbed it) and dreamy vocals.

Early on they broke out a Casio digital guitar, joking that this may be the first time in history someone has paired one with a harmonica, and kept a loose energy for the set, chatting about the new songs before each, giving the backstory behind “Government Food Rations” and the final song of the set, “Fend For Yourself Friday”. It seemed like their set flew by & ended all too quickly, and I would definitely like to catch them again.

Not long after, the sultry tones of Emily Haines came over the speakers as the entrance music for Amy Millan, backed by Chris McCarron & Stefan Schneider. She kicked off with Borderline off the new album, for a set that wove through her three solo albums and more.

Early on, Amy (good naturedly) chastised the crowd to let us know this was not a “talking show” and thankfully everyone complied. The only one allowed to chat was Amy, as she effortlessly joked, told anecdotes, and bounced off the crowd to give the show a warm, intimate feel. Her unrivaled vocals drove the set, with highlights including “Kiss That Summer”, oddly fitting for a rainy fall Monday, the lilting “Baby I”, and shortly after a quick rant about embracing mistakes to oppose the emotionless of AI, she had a false start to the ethereal “Untethered”, proving her point perfectly.

Part way through, the band took a quick break for Amy to sing her Stars song “Ageless Beauty” with the crowd joining in, followed by her bandmate Torquil Campbell joining in for one of my favourite Stars tunes, “I Died So I Could Haunt You”, pouring their all as it was the first time they had performed it in over a decade.  

Before launching into “Don Valley”, Amy announced it would be their last song, with a big wink, and outright said she would be forgoing the encore ritual (thankfully!) before ending the set with the gorgeous classic “Skinny Boy”.

I Went To Find You has been one of my favourite albums so far this year, and this show was such a fun, lively evening. I can only hope it’s not another sixteen years until Amy Millan’s next solo show!

setlist
Borderline
Bury This
Kiss That Summer
Wire Walks
Baby I
Overpass
Untethered
Murmurations
Ageless Beauty
I Died So I Could Haunt You
Make Way for Waves
Old Perfume
Don Valley
Skinny Boy

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

Dust Cwaine @ Fox Cabaret -- October 02, 2025

Last week, Vancouver drag performer-slash-musician Dust Cwaine released their sophomore album, Twin Lakes, and last night, they celebrated with a release show at the Fox Cabaret. Before the show, Dust promised a night of music and drag — with a meticulous schedule posted before hand, which I very much appreciated!

At 8p sharp, the evening’s host Acacia took the stage to introduce the festivities (and roast Dust) as she set the stage for a drag performance from Nora Vision and a couple songs from pop singer Connor Nelson, who was joined by Dust for the second.

After Acacia did their own drag performance, it was time for Dust Cwaine. Clad in their signature makeup & poofy dress, they were joined by Dana Oikawa (Guitar), Banafshe (Synth), Iris Yakamyshyn (Drums), and Nora Vision (Bass) whose last show it was with the band.

With a screen behind the band featuring a slideshow of images from Cwaine’s present and past, they kicked off with the title track to the album, “Twin Lakes”, named for the small town Dust grew up, setting the tone of incredibly catchy indie pop-rock songs written about childhood trauma.

The album as a whole was informed by difficult memories and emotions from Dust’s past, though they were able to switch effortlessly from joking between songs and then delving into deep subject matter, like “Tiger Lily,” which Dust described as an imagined letter written from their own mother. Other highlights of the set including the infectious chorus of “Burn After Reading”, the frenetic energy of “The Acolyte”, and the joyous T4T love song “Little Plans”.

The album wrapped up with a pair of absolutely heart wrenching songs, “Jupiter” and “Take My Stories” which finished with a text message shown on screen behind them — Dust explaining it was the final text their father sent before passing away — as they were emotionally drained, sharing a big hug with the band to cap off the first half of the night.

That alone would have made for an great night, but after an intermission Dust was back on stage to put the “party” in Album Release Party. They dubbed the second half a jam session, inviting up a stream of guests — including Steph Wall, Stanza Lune, Meredith Louise, and more — to join on some older songs like the nostalgia dripping “90’s Darling” and the soaring “Aliens in LA”, before wrapping it up with a huge singalong of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero”.

I hasn’t had a chance to see Dust Cwaine perform before last night, and this show felt like the perfect introduction!

setlist
[album]
Twin Lakes
Burn After Reading
Violent Heart
Brooklyn
The Acolyte
Interlude
Tiger Lily
Starman
Little Plans
Jupiter
Take My Stories
[jam session]
Arcana
Shot in the Dark [John Mayer cover]
90’s Darling
Aliens in LA
Hearts in Atlantis
Hero [Enrique Iglesias cover]

Yawn @ Green Auto -- June 21. 2025

It’s funny how timing works out sometimes. A few months ago, I was randomly thinking about Julia & Her Piano and wondering what Julia McDougall was up to, music-wise. Then mere days later, I came across the latest single from Yawn, her new project! With a new album titled wish i could’ve released last week, Yawn is on a quick jaunt through BC, including the album release party at Green Auto in Vancouver.

Opening the night was a drag performance from Mikki Wikki, before Yawn took the stage. The room was decorated with big flowers and the band was all clad entirely in white, including flowers in their hair, for real Midsommar vibes (there was even a ‘white & flowers’ dress code for the crowd).

With a full band that included a three piece string section, they started off with the first song off the album, “help myself”, going through dreamy synth-pop like the bouncy and frenetic “coloured light” and the title track “wish i could’ve” a hazy song full of regrets.

Early on Julia mentioned how grateful she was for everyone to be there celebrating the album, but quickly going into some goofy jokes between songs; taking impromptu polls, trying to play matchmaker to all the single people in the crowd, and even blessing songs. Everything gave real intimate vibes for the show, like a group of friends just hanging out.

They played the first half of the album mostly in order, but after jumping ahead to the chaotic “world is burning”, there was a quick break before the band come back out with the absolutely heartbreaking, “i deserve better”, my favourite off the album.

As the set was coming to a close, they were re-joined by a harpist for the ethereal “take your time” to end the main set, but not before Julia gave a sly wink that they’d be back. And of course they were, giving a tease of a brand new song, “twenty minutes in heaven”, an upbeat bop to finish off the night.

It’s been a long time since I saw Julia play live. The main things I remembered was her sense of humour combined with catchy tunes, and both were well on display with Yawn for the album release last night.

setlist
help myself
broken baby
coloured light
wish i could’ve
let it all go
world is burning
(intermission)
i deserve better
back in my head
wasting time
take your time
(encore)
twenty minues in heaven