PHOTOS: Dear Rouge with Gay Nineties @ Commodore Ballroom - April 10 2025
Dear Rouge with Gay Nineties
Commodore Ballroom
April 10 2025
Dear Rouge with The Gay Nineties @ Commodore Ballroom -- April 10, 2025
Last year Dear Rouge released their fourth studio album, Lonesome High, and have finally returned to the Commodore Ballroom for a packed Vancouver show. And not only that, they brought some old friends along with them!
Opening the evening was the return of The Gay Nineties. The Vancouver band has been on hiatus for just a few years, but Parker Bossley, Bruce Ledingham, and Malcolm Holt were joined by Pascal Le Vasseur as they kicked off with a brand new song. And while they hit a couple older ones early, like the explosive “Hold Your Fire”, the bulk of the set was new material. Including an early standout for me, “Tidal Wave”, and a fun one called (and about) “Internet, Sex, and Drugs” which Parker teased might be their next single. They wrapped up with another old favourite, “Letterman”, which had everyone in the crowd that was ‘in the know’ singing along, proving they haven’t missed a beat. Their hook-filled indie rock was as sharp as ever*, and I’m very excited to hear more from them.
(*or as Christine put it: “The Nineties are back and they’re Gayer than ever!”)
After a break, the stage lights dimmed and a single figure stood on stage, as the rest of Dear Rouge joined Danielle McTaggart and launched into “Cutting Teeth”. Early on they addressed the recent passing of Drew McTaggart’s mother, asking everyone to remember someone that couldn’t be in the room, and dedicating “Stolen Days” to her.
The set had a great ebb and flow, building up the energy with the dark & moody “Black to Gold” and the raucous “Modern Shakedown” before exploding into “Meet Me at the Rio”, and then taking it back down with the acoustic “Live Through the Night” — which Drew introduced at the only song they’ve played at every single one of their shows. Danielle made a quick change into a sparkling, fringed jacked (with tambourine to match) and — after a false start to make sure someone in the crowd was safe — “Wicked Thing” started building back up, to the frenetic energy of “Tongues” and Danielle making a toast before showing off her moves with “Not Afraid to Dance”, segueing into a cover of the No Doubt classic “Hella Good”.
But it wasn’t just for that song; the whole night Danielle barely stood still. When she didn’t have a guitar in hand or behind the keys, she was strutting around the stage, and even into the audience. As “I Heard I Had” started, she grabbed a flashing light and jumped into the crowd, making her way from one side of the Ballroom to the other, singing to, at, & with everyone around her.
The band closed out the set with “Too Close to the Heat”, but were soon back for the encore. First Danielle returned alone, on the keys and behind a single light for the haunting “Lonesome High”. The rest of the band returned as they dedicated “Garbage” to anyone going through it, and capped off the night with their latest hit “Goon”.
Dear Rouge consistently puts on incredibly fun live shows, full of energy & spirit, and this night was no different. Add on the return of The Gay Nineties, and you have a fantastic night of Vancouver music.
Dear Rouge setlist
Cutting Teeth
Blow My Heart Up
Fake Fame
Stolen Days
Black to Gold
Wallpaper
Modern Shakedown
Meet Me at the Rio
Live Through the Night
Wicked Thing
The Show
Tongues
Not Afraid to Dance [ft Hella Good by No Doubt cover]
Selfish Love
I Heard I Had
Too Close to the Heat
(encore)
Lonesome High
Garbage
Goon
The Gay Nineties setlist
Treat Me Bad
Hold Your Fire
Turn Me On
Tidal Wave
Outside Looking In
Out of Touch
Okinawa
Empty Mansions
Internet, Sex, and Drugs
Letterman
Franz Ferdinand @ Commodore Ballroom -- March 26, 2025
Aside from a festival appearance in 2022, it’s been over a decade since I last saw Glaswegian rockers Franz Ferdinand in a proper venue. So I was very excited to see a pair of shows pop up in Vancouver at the legendary Commodore Ballroom, in support of their brand new album, The Human Fear.
Thanks to some trivia commitments, I got to the venue after the opening band, Telescreens, making my way through the packed room a few minutes before the theme song from The Naked Gun blared over the speakers and Franz Ferdinand hit the stage.
Frontman Alex Kapranos was joined by Bob Hardy on bass, Dino Bardot on guitar, Julian Corrie on keys, and Audrey Tait on drums, as they launched into “Bar Lonely” from their new album, playing an hour and a half set that spanned their entire career. From their self titled debut for the cheeky “Dark of the Matinee” to the appropriately sinister “Evil Eye”, up to “Black Eyelashes” which saw Alex bust out a bouzouki for the rembetiko-influenced song.
Other highlights included the raucous dance number “Michael”, the entire crowd softly singing along with “Walk Away”, “Audacious” with its slick riff, and of course, their smash hit “Take Me Out”. As soon as the familiar intro started, the crowd lost it & were singing along to every word; I can't remember the last time I saw an audience so in sync with the song being played, and I got chills as the entire room bounced.
They parleyed that energy into the synth banger “Hooked” -- my early fave off the new album -- before closing the set with the winding twists & turns of “Outsiders”.
But of course, they were soon back out for the encore, first fielding a request for “Jacqueline” as Alex stood alone in a single spotlight before everyone else kicked in. As the show came to a close, Kapranos introduced each member of the band, as one-by-one they started their part in the “This Fire”. The stage lights turned red and everyone cut loose, crowd included, as Alex lead one last singalong, and even got the dance floor to crouch down low before springing up as the song erupted into its finish (elder millennial knees be damned).
I've seen Franz Ferdinand about a half dozen times over the years, and each & every time they amaze me with how great they are, how much energy the whole band puts forth, and how Alex has the entire crowd in the palm of his hand for the whole show. I already can’t wait to see them play again.
setlist
Bar Lonely
Dark of the Matinee
Night or Day
Walk Away
Evil Eye
Do You Want To
Audacious
No You Girls
Build It Up
Right Action
Black Eyelashes
Michael
Love Illumination
Take Me Out
Hooked
Outsiders
(encore)
Jacqueline
The Doctor
Evil and a Heathen
This Fire
PHOTOS: Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club @ Commodore Ballroom - September 14, 2024
Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club
Commodore Ballroom
September 14, 2024
Photos by Christine McAvoy
Tokyo Police Club @ Commodore Ballroom -- September 14, 2024
I’m not gonna lie, I would probably call myself a ‘casual’ fan of Tokyo Police Club. I’ve always liked their singles, seen them live a few times, but never really done a deep dive on the band, y’know? But even with that said, I was still bummed out when the Newmarket foursome announced after nearly twenty years, they were calling it a day. And so with one last tour, I knew had to see them one final time.
Opening the night was long-time friends of the band, Born Ruffians (how long? they joked they were in each other’s MySpace Top 8). Starting off with “Foxes Mate for Life”, Luke Lalonde’s distinctive voice rang through the ballroom. Throughout the set, all four members were bubbling over with energy, even when not playing their instrument -- especially if they weren’t playing their instrument, in the case of Maddy Wilde on keys, who I don't think stood still for more than two seconds in a row throughout the show! Highlights included the frenetic “Hummingbird” and “Needle”, as they capped it off appropriately enough with “Fade To Black”.
After a quick break, the lights dimmed and David Monks, Graham Wright, Josh Hook, and Greg Alsop took the stage starting as Tokyo Police Club started hot with “Favourite Colour”, the crowd instantly singing along.
From there, the band reminded the sold out room how many hits they had, spanning their whole career, from “Nature of the Experiment” off their debut EP A Lesson in Crime to the chaotic “Bambi” and the anthemic “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” off Champ, up to “Simple Dude” off what turned out to be their final album, TPC. They didn’t say much throughout the set, letting the music speak for itself, but a few times David thanked the crowd, and even assigned “New Blues” the designated sad song, for everyone to mourn.
After about an hour, the band took a quick break for Monks to do a couple acoustic songs; crowd favourite “Tessellate” as well as “Ready to Win”, before the rest returned for a few more songs, capping off the main set with “Hot Tonight”.
But of course, they weren’t done as the crowd clamoured for more, and the band returned first with the winding “Argentina (Parts I, II, III)”, then doing another quick encore fakeout, and coming back with another version of “Tessellate” — full band this time — and ending off the night with another huge singalong to “Your English Is Good”.
My only disappointment in the set was the absence of “Cheer It On”, which just goes to show how many bangers the band has. But even with that, it was still a very fun show. As sad as it is to see someone like Tokyo Police Club end, I always appreciate it when a band actually has some sort of farewell, instead of just dissipating into the ether (leaving you to wonder…?), and this night was a perfect way to celebrate their career.
TPC setlist
Favourite Colour
Box
Not My Girl
Nature of the Experiment
Citizens of Tomorrow
Shoulders and Arms
Be Good
New Blues
Simple Dude
Tunnel Vision
Hands Reversed
End of a Spark
Bambi
Frankenstein
Wait Up (Boots of Danger)
Tessellate (acoustic)
Ready to Win (acoustic)
Favourite Food
Graves
Way Back When
In a Cave
Hot Tonight
(encore)
Argentina (Parts I, II, III)
(second encore)
Tessellate (band)
Your English Is Good
BR setlist
Foxes Mate for Life
Breathe
Dedication
Hummingbird
Little Garçon
Forget Me
Ocean’s Deep
Needle
Miss You
We Made It
Fade To Black