Ok, it’s time we discuss something that I complain about probably every other day as an avid concertgoer and someone who loves both the entertainment and music industry. My absolute biggest pet peeve ever is when one of my favourite artists announces a tour, then I’ll get all excited only to find out that their “North American Tour” includes like 50 US dates and 1 Canadian date. And it’s always Toronto!
Now I know Vancouver gets its fair share of concerts, and compared to other Canadian cities we do get a reasonable amount of artists who do decide to tour here, however, it just seems like Toronto and Montreal get absolutely everything.
I can think of countless occasions where I have been all excited about an artist announcing a tour, only to find out that the closest option to see them is in Seattle. Now don’t get me wrong I love a little road trip moment, but sometimes I just want the convenience of a quick 30-minute drive to Rogers Arena. An example of this happening to me recently is my sister and I deciding we wanted to go see Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s iconic SWEAT tour, but someone tell me why they aren’t coming to Vancouver. You could call us brats, but personally finding that information out sent us into the sulks. ☹
Of course, we still decided to get tickets for their Seattle show, but would it have killed them to make a quick little stop in Vancouver for one night? I’m just kidding I love them both and am beyond excited to see this concert. It is also perfect timing as the Seattle show happens to be the closing night of the tour and it falls only a few days after my 20th birthday, so a great addition to my now extended birthday weekend.
Earlier this year I surprised my dad with tickets to see his all-time favourite artist, Dwight Yoakam and his favourite band The Mavericks. The “Guitars & Cadillacs” country singer-songwriter, and the “What a Crying Shame” Miami-based band were going on a joint tour, so I thought tickets to their show would be the perfect birthday present for him. I bet you can’t guess where this concert was… hint, not Vancouver! That’s right, the closest city they were touring in was Everett. I’m sorry but of all places Everett? In my mind, Everett is an irrelevant city not far from Alderwood, a mall all Canadians cross the border to go to when they don’t feel like driving down to Seattle. I could not name anything else important or relevant in Everett, no offence.
Of course, I do love Vancouver and all it offers entertainment and music wise. I feel like I can’t even complain too much, I mean I was the one who decided to move back from Toronto two years ago. As much as I do wish we didn’t miss out on some of the exciting tours and concerts, BC’s music scene does have a lot to offer and as someone who has worked in the event industry for over a year now, I have learned about so many new incredible artists who I didn’t even know existed before. I have my job and co-workers to thank for that 😀. If you are looking for something fun coming up, here is a list of some of the exciting concerts and live music events coming to Vancouver in the upcoming months. You will definitely not want to miss them!