MUSIC MUST-SEES
Lavine, McGraw and Timberlake among big acts set to hit town
It's a cold, hard fact that Taylor Swift will not appear in concert in Vancouver until this year is almost over.
The world's most bankable solo entertainment industry plays in December, so there is time to take in some other performers before then. The list of announced shows seems to just keep growing as every artist on the planet hits the road to recoup some of those big COVID losses.
All the better for music fans with deep pockets.
Nineties and naughties nostalgia and huge-hat country star tours are the dominant trends this year. There is also no shortage of buzzworthy U.K. postpunk pop units heading across the water to remind everyone that nothing is better for British music than hard times, ugly politics and the social unrest they breed.
Here are five top picks from now until the summer sunlight shines down on festival season.
TIM MCGRAW STANDING ROOM ONLY TOUR 2024
When: March 27, 6:30 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena
Tickets/info: From $94.80 at ticketmaster.ca
Standing Room Only came out on Big Machine Records and McGraw Music in August 2023. The title track entered the country radio top 20, marking the 92nd career chart entry for Tim McGraw. With so many hits to his credit, the hardest thing for the 56-year-old Louisiana singer might very well be trying to figure out his set list. Expect a night of high-energy twang from this megastar and A-list opening act Carly Pearce.
THE LAST DINNER PARTY
When: April 10, 8 p.m.
Where: Vogue Theatre Tickets/info: From $27.50 at livenation.com
Winners of the Brit rising star award, London's the Last Dinner Party arrives with a deafening buzz behind its orchestral baroque pop singles such as Nothing Matters. The lyrics to this Sparks-meets-Elastica ditty have a way of changing depending on whether the performance is on U.K. or U.S. television, but either version never fails to entertain, as does almost all of the band's debut album Prelude to Ecstasy. This gig was originally scheduled for the Hollywood Theatre, but has relocated to the Vogue. Next time, expect them to be playing an arena.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE: THE FORGET TOMORROW WORLD TOUR
When: April 29, 7:30 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena Tickets/info: From $131 at livenation.com
Having taken a diversion into wearing plaid and getting a bit down home-y on his previous Man of the Woods album and tour, it looks like Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back with the new Everything I Thought It Was. The lead single Selfish is right in sync with the dominant electro-tinged R&B balladry that has built the JT legacy and recent live footage sees him backed by a large ensemble and leading audiences in big-hearted singalongs.
AVRIL LAVIGNE: THE GREATEST HITS TOUR
When: May 22, 7 p.m.
Where: Rogers Arena Tickets/info: From $186 at ticketmaster.ca
The music of the early 2000s is now the domain of legacy acts and Avril Lavigne is perfectly positioned to deliver the hits to 40-somethings who grew up with her distinct brand of upbeat pop-punk. With a catalogue that includes such radio staples as Complicated and Girlfriend, Lavigne is playing the hits on this latest tour, which some have called a comeback. The truth is, this Sk8er girl never left.
YARD ACT: WHERE'S MY UTOPIA?
When: June 7, 7 p.m.
Where: Rickshaw Theatre Tickets/info: $25 at rickshawtheatre.com
Leeds quartet Yard Act exploded onto the scene with 2022's snotty debut The Overload. Songs such as the title track and Rich painted a clear picture of contemporary England. With the band's second album, titled Where's My Utopia?, preceded by such killer disco rockers as Dream Job and Petroleum, it's fairly certain that this is going to be a shaker of a show.