MUSICAL ROYALTY — AND MUCH MORE — IS COMING TO TOWN
There was a time when fall was when the touring cycle slowed right down, and if you were a music fan you tended to spend your time in small clubs watching smallername acts. This is no longer true. Playing live is the only way to make a living, so artists do it. A lot.
After the big warm-weather festival gigs are over, many stadiumlevel artists just get right back on the road and hit the arenas in all the high-traffic areas. Luckily for Vancouver, we are one of those zones. CHILDISH GAMBINO: THIS IS AMERICA TOUR When: Sept. 30, 8 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena Tickets and info: From $111, ticketmaster.ca
Since This Is America debuted, rapper Childish Gambino (a.k.a. Grammy, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning artist Donald Glover) has been generating near continuous buzz, which is probably why he’s retiring his character after this tour in support of his as-yet-untitled new album. In the meantime, Glover has stoked the social-media fire with calculated videos and killer hooks, from Feels Like Summer’s controversial hug between animated characters of Kanye West and Michelle Obama, to shooting fans who bought tour tickets two new tracks — Algorhythm and All Night, which are incomplete mixes he wants fans to identify with. The way Glover has curated his art so brilliantly will be a textbook study for others trying to build their careers. Also, his music is spectacularly good. Going through the motions is most certainly not in his playbook. The super fun Rae Srummurd opens.
BEYONCE AND JAY-Z
When: Oct.2,6p.m. Where: B.C. Place Tickets and info: from $99,
ticketmaster.ca
Unquestionably the most powerful couple in music today, the duo released their debut under the name The Carters in June. Titled Everything Is Love, the album premiered with the song Apeshit, a fair description of the public’s reaction. It completes the trilogy of albums about their marriage that includes Lemonade and 4:44. From the opener Summer with its slow dance groove, to the colleague-saluting Friends and status quo-challenging Boss, the album is a showcase for Beyonce’s rap skills. Given that the other half of the group can hold his own on the mic too, the show should be a big deal.
DRAKE
When: Nov. 3 and 4, at 7 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena Tickets and info: From $81, ticketmaster.ca
Is there a backlash building against Canada’s biggest rapper? Pusha-T’s nasty diss on The Story of Adidon suggested Drake kept his son Adonis’ existence quiet until he could tie in announcing him with the marketing plan for his new line of Adidas clothing. That’s pretty cold. Scorpion, Drake’s fifth proper full-length album, is a sprawling 25-track answer to this and other challenges facing the global superstar. Check Emotionless: “I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world, I was hidin’ the world from my kid,” and others for the MC’s concerns around parenting, around paying child support and more. It adds up to an album that is deliciously full sounding, if frequently lyrically unsettling. His past tours have showcased an artist who can’t seem to stay focused, but really connects with fans. What’s he going to do now?
CONTACT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: Dec. 28, 29
Where: B.C. Place
Tickets and info: From $159.50 at contact-festival.com
Typically clubs and the party vibe are getting pretty frigid by the time Christmas rolls around. But the Contact Winter Music Festival has become something for fans of top-brand EDM acts to excitedly anticipate. Like the best gift under the strobe-and-laser lit tree, the two-day, full-on rager at the giant arena gives dance fans ample opportunity to sweat off lots of weight before holiday feasting arrives. This year’s lineup includes headliners Skrillex, Grammy awardwinners The Chainsmokers, Juelz, MXYNY and many more. This one will sell out.