Holy Fuck @ The Pearl -- May 08, 2026

The last time I saw Toronto’s electronica band Holy Fuck live, I quipped that I hoped it wouldn’t be another seven years before I saw them again. The good news? It wasn’t seven. The bad news? It was nine. So when they released their new album Event Beat, I was thrilled to catch them on their return to Vancouver, at The Pearl.

Opening the night was Canterbury band Memorials, and while I only caught the last couple songs, the duo of Verity Susman & Matthew Simms had a high energy, experimental pop sound. The room was already packed with people dancing, and from what I heard they seemed like an excellent choice as opener.

After a quick (and busy) turnaround, it was time for Holy Fuck, with Matt ‘Punchy’ McQuaid & Matt Schulz on bass & drums, respectively, and Brian Borcherdt & Graham Walsh on literally everything else including (but not limited to) keys, synth, vocals, and pulling 35mm film through an old synchronizer.

The band kicked off with the intense beat of “Evie” off the new album, as they played in front of projected live footage from the show, sometimes distorted visions of them head on, and sometimes from the top-down camera’s above Brian and Graham’s gear, as if to prove they were playing live, which is the magic of the band. Everything heard in the venue is being done in the moment, as Brian and Graham especially are working their complex setups like mad scientists. At multiple points, Borcherdt grabbed a dinner knife to use on (I think) a lap steel guitar.

Their set weaved through songs old and new, with highlights being “Luxe” which grew to an intense finish and the ethereal “Elevate”, as the band let the music do the talking. They only pausing only a couple times for a quick thank you, letting the soul-thumping bass filled the room, the reverb-drenched vocals treated almost like an additional instrument instead of the focus, layering into the complex beats.

The main set drew to a close with a killer combo; one of my all time favourite songs “Lovely Allen” had a smile plastered over my face as it weaved through the soaring highs and lows of the song (and I wasn’t even the one who shouted “play it again!” before they finished). That lead to the otherworldly “Tom Tom”, with its renewed popularity thanks to it being the theme for the Flaxan army in Invincible, and then finally bringing the main set to a crashing close with the driving “Red Lights”.

There were still a few minutes before curfew though, so of course they were back for a couple more, Brian thanking everyone for showing up and dancing as hard as they were, as they played a couple more that erupted into distortion for a wild finish.

It’s always incredible to see Holy Fuck work their magic live, and I already can’t wait to see them again.

Jody Glenham @ Fox Cabaret -- April 30, 2026

Last week Vancouver’s Jody Glenham released her latest EP Still Here, and to celebrate she threw a release show, bringing along a couple local up & comers. The last few times I’ve seen Jody have been free outdoor shows, or opening at a festival, so I was happy to see her headlining the Fox Cabaret.

I got to the Fox as Runner was already on stage, their folk pop sound driven by singer Kira Cuthbertson’s twangy vocals and smooth harmonies. They had an infectious energy, especially Kira, at the end of one song even dancing right off the stage and among the growing crowd as the band ripped. It was clear they were having fun, especially when they quickly slipped in the King of the Hill theme* between songs. They finished off the set with their latest single, “Big Bite”, with the crowd’s full attention.

*fun fact: the KotH theme song is actually called “Yahoos and Triangles” and is originally by The Refreshments!

Next up was the synth rockers Wack, who kicked off the set with some new music. Their chaotic sound and effects-drenched vocals quickly had the crowd moving while they seamlessly transitioned between songs, only taking a couple quick moments through the set to thank everyone for being there. After a set that seemed to blow by way too fast, they capped off with “One More Tizime”, leading to a big jam finish.

And finally, it was time for Jody Glenham who took the stage joined by the familiar faces of Michael Slumber and Adam Fink, as well as Florence van Camerijk and Ryan Beattie. She started off with the moody “War on This World” before diving into the new EP with my favourite off it, “Love Deficiency Syndrome” — which would get stuck in my head every time I saw Jody play it live before the album was out.

She sprinkled the rest of Still Here through the set, including her catchy ode to her favourite haunts with “The Local” and the power ballad “Good Fruit”, while between those dipped back to Mood Rock, for songs like the chilled out “Friday Night Lights” and dreamy “Flowers”.

The main set came to a close as “The Sound” built to a huge finish, then was somehow topped with “Overtime”, her voice filling the room as the song grew to a climactic end. But Glenham and her band were quickly back out for a couple more, the raw emotion of “Talking Out Loud” and delving back over a decade to “Dreamer” for a lovely ending tot he set.

It’s always great to hear new music from Jody and see her play. She’s been a cornerstone of the Vancouver music scene for a long time, and not just with her own music, but it also in her support of younger bands. She mentioned on stage at one point that even though the three acts last night had they all had a similar “vibe”, and I would definitely agree with that.

setlist
War on This World
Love Deficiency Syndrome
China Shop
Friday Night Lights
Flowers
The Local
Ill Wind
Good Fruit
The Sound
Overtime
(encore)
Talking Out Loud
Dreamer

PHOTOS: Sam Roberts Band @ Commodore Ballroom - April 16, 2026

Sam Roberts Band
Commodore Ballroom
April 16, 2026

Christine McAvoy Photography

Sam Roberts Band: Chemical City 20th Anniversary Tour @ Commodore Ballroom -- April 16, 2026

Twenty years ago, Sam Roberts released his acclaimed sophomore album Chemical City and to celebrate the anniversary, Sam Roberts Band is playing a very special five city tour across Canada. Coincidentally, it was twenty years ago I first saw them live*, so I was excited that one of the stops on this tour was the Commodore Ballroom.
*A bonkers lineup of Jets Overhead, The Stills, Broken Social Scene, and Sam Roberts at Deer Lake Park!

With no opening act for the night, the stage filled with blue smoke and Sam Roberts Band took the stage, silhouetted by backlights as the iconic intro of “The Gate” filled the room as they launched into Chemical City in its entirety. From the crowd joining in on songs like “Bridge to Nowhere” and “With a Bullet”, to the soft acoustic “Uprising Down Under” and the hard hitting “The Bootleg Saint”, the band blast through with Sam only stopping briefly to talk about their history with Vancouver and recording this album in Australia. I was also happy to hear my favourites off the album, “The Resistance” which I haven’t heard live in some time, and the psychedelic 8+ minute jam “Mind Flood” (which was a little funny to hear so early in the set and not closing it out).

Sam took over the keys as the beautiful piano ballad “A Stone Would Cry Out” closed out the album, and after the band took a quick break they were back not just for an encore, but a whole other set packed with the hits.

Kicking off by getting everyone to dance to “Them Kids”, the sold out room joined in on almost every song, going all the way back to The Inhuman Condition with “Don’t Walk Away Eileen” and up to Lo-Fantasy’s “We’re All In This Together”. After the rollicking “Detroit ‘67” and the crowd loudly wondering “Where Have All the Good People Gone?”, Roberts paused once more to finish telling the story of Chemical City’s recording, including a b-side to the album with “Fall Before You Finish”.

And finally, after nearly two hours the band wrapped up the set with a couple more crowd pleasers, “Hard Road” and the biggest singalong of the night to “Brother Down”, ending with the band jamming as Roberts went up to the front row, hugging and high fiving everyone he could reach.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I always love a show where a band will play their album in full; be it a brand new one for their launch or celebrating an old favourite. And it’s especially fun when they can go on to a second set to remind you just how many bangers they’ve had over their career. I’ve seen Sam Roberts (Band) a handful of times over these last twenty years, and they always put on an incredible show full of energy as one of the best live rock bands in Canada.

setlist
(Chemical City)
The Gate
Bridge to Nowhere
With a Bullet
Mind Flood
Uprising Down Under
Mystified, Heavy
An American Draft Dodger in Thunder Bay
The Bootleg Saint
The Resistance
A Stone Would Cry Out
(The Hits)
Them Kids
Don’t Walk Away Eileen
We’re All in This Together
Detroit ‘67
Where Have All the Good People Gone?
Fall Before You Finish
Hard Road
Brother Down

Said the Whale - 20th Anniversary Show @ Hollywood Theatre -- April 11, 2026

A couple years ago Said the Whale played a special anniversary show at the Hollywood Theatre to celebrate 10 years of the album hawaiii, and had so much fun they teased making it an annual thing. Well, here we are in year three and not only are they back, but they’re also celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band with a sold out show!

Opening the night was the youngest Canadian band to ever be signed to a record label, Blue Jay Valley, comprised of five kids between grades 5 and 7. Joking that they weren’t even allowed to be in the venue, the punk rock group hit all the songs off their debut album Breakaway, including the catchy “Living in the City”, the raucous “No School”, and my favourite of the set, “Snow Day”. They also had everyone singing along when they slipped in some covers, like Gob’s “I Hear You Calling” and “Hate to Say I Told You So” by The Hives.
The crowd was all in on the band as they blast through their fun and high energy set, with lead singer Noa even doing the worm at one point!

It wasn’t long after that when Said the Whale hit the stage, starting off surprisingly with the deep-cut favourite, “Love Is Art / Sleep Through Fire” then going all the way back to Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia with “Fish and Stars II”. They celebrated their twenty years by hitting all of their ‘eras’, from the high energy joy of “Emerald Lake, AB” and “I Will Follow You” to the darker “This City’s a Mess” and “UnAmerican” and everything in between, as they also shared some quick stories (and/or teased each other for talking too long) between songs.

Partway through the set, drummer Spencer Schoening and bassist Lincoln Hotchen took leave for the ‘acoustic portion’, with Tyler Bancroft shouting out Blue Jay Valley and then dedicating “Level Best” to his own kids, Ben Worcester doing the gorgeous “Lover/Friend”, and Jaycelyn Brown taking the spotlight on keys for the absolutely beautiful “February 15” for her husband.

The rhythm section returned as “99 to the Moon” ramped up the energy, with other highlights including Ben stalking the stage, full of emotion on “Wake Up” and an older favourite of mine, the raw “My Government Heart” with Tyler spitting the lyrics through gritted teeth.

After an explosive “I Love You” they finished the main set with “Goodnight Moon”, starting soft and sweet before bursting with a joyous singalong. But they were quickly back for a couple more; first “Dandelion” and then the chilling “Curse of the Currents”, with Ben urging everyone to “sing along like you’re at a Dan Mangan show!” and the crowd happy to oblige.

When they teased making these shows an annual event, I said I’d be there in a heartbeat, and I was very happy to see them at the Hollywood for the third year in a row. 20 years later the band is still rocking, with a clear passion for being on stage and especially for everyone there with them.

Said the Whale setlist
Love Is Art / Sleep Through Fire
Fish and Stars II
The Banks of the English Bay
Emerald Lake, AB
I Will Follow You
UnAmerican
The Light Is You
B.C. Orienteering
Camilo (The Magician)
This City’s a Mess
Resolutions
Better for You
Big Sky, MT
Level Best
Lover/Friend
A Cold Night Close To The End
February 15
99 to the Moon
Wake Up
Black Day in December
My Government Heart
Honey Lungs
I Love You
Goodnight Moon
(encore)
Dandelion
Curse of the Currents

Blue Jay Valley setlist
BJV
I Hear You Calling [Gob cover]
Blitzkrieg Bop [Ramones cover]
Living In The City
Oh!
Breakaway
Hate to Say I Told You So [The Hives cover]
No School
Snow Day