Category: Concert Reviews

Life Is Beautiful Review: Sin City’s favourite fest continues Vegas’ live performance legacy

Downtown Las Vegas may be the less-polished sibling to the glitz and glamour of The Strip only a few kilometres away, but for one weekend a year, it transforms into a fabulous festival playground.
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A Perfect Circle Executes Solid Kickoff to Tour at the Pearl

A Perfect Circle April 6, The Pearl Pay close attention to the men behind the curtain. Just don’t whip out your phone—signs everywhere at The Pearl expressly forbid it, likely at the band’s request. Without that distraction, the artistry and haunting melodies of A Perfect Circle were more intently absorbed—and sounding at peak perfection—for their…
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The Five Least Romantic Moments From Marilyn Manson’s Valentine’s Day Show

If you’re anti-Valentine’s Day, then spending the Hallmark holiday with the Antichrist Superstar seems an appropriate protest against all things romantic and cuddly. Fortunately—and with what appeared to be the aid of copious amounts of booze—Marilyn Manson put out for fans at the House of Blues on February 14 for the Vegas stop of the…
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Concert Review: Chevelle, The Joint at the Hard Rock, July 12

In an audioscape infiltrated by electronic music and Auto-tune, it’s rare to hear a band that delivers the quality of its albums during a live show. But the trio of Chevelle more than delivered. Brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler along with Dean Bernardini commanded the stage, sounding just as pristine and onpoint as any record…
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Concert Review: Kraftwerk, The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, June 28

The German quartet of electronic music pioneers took fans on a low-fi 3-D journey through retro technology. The show was a history lesson of sorts, complete with a few nods to Las Vegas. Imagery included throwback computers during “Computer Love” and “The Man-Machine,” vintage transportation footage in “Tour de France” and low-tech graphics (think the…
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Concert Review: Lana Del Rey, The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, April 11

Remember when critics slammed Lana Del Rey for her lackluster Saturday Night Live performance? I do, and I gave her a pass because I really dig her music (aside from Cedric Gervais’ overplayed remix of “Summertime Sadness”). And I was stoked to see the siren on her first tour stop. But it turns out she’s…
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Concert Review: Payola Presley, OBA Lounge at the House of Blues, March 27

The rock ’n’ roll and electronic music scenes became one with the debut ofPayola Presley, a http://theessaymag.com/canada/ local duo comprised of Mac Purdy and Zach Saucier (formerly of Slow to Surface). Slamming guitar melded with grinding beats and an industrial edge. Familiar faces from the good ol’ days in the scene abounded, as did nightlifers.…
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Concert Review: Pulley, Backstage Bar & Billiards, Jan. 11

You know it’s not a real punk show until you slip in someone’s puke. The event put on at Backstage Bar & Billiards by Suckerpunch Records and Nevermore Productions perfectly tapped into the right corner of the music market and got fans to pack the bar with PBR’s held high. The predominately local crowd was…
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Concert Review: Nine Inch Nails, The Joint, Nov. 15

The thing about a Nine Inch Nails show is you know it’s gonna be good. Judging by the two nights of sold-out shows at The Joint, the fans must have thought so, too. I was almost more excited to see openers Explosions in the Sky, but merely because I had yet to see them. They…
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Concert Review: Ani DiFranco, Hard Rock Live, Oct. 18

Before the queen bee of the modern folk genre played, the sweet voice of opener Toshi Reagon filled the room, just as powerful as the first time I saw her open for Ani DiFranco in L.A. on an acoustic tour some 10 years ago. Her almost too-short set was a delight. It was even better…
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