Author Archives: Lorena Sagastizado

Come get high-er with Michael Bublé

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With the return of normalcy to most of everyone’s lives, comes the return of live music to Rogers Arena! For all you crooners and romantics out there, Vancouver’s very own, Michael Bublé, is coming to Rogers Arena to grace us with his silky voice and photogenic smile this October 1st!

I remember when I was growing up, going through my preteen and teenage years, my parents used to listen to this radio station called QM FM. It played a lot of soft rock and indie hits from the 90’s and early 2000s. I can still remember the time when Michael Bublé burst onto the music scene and earned worldwide recognition with his self titled album. My parents would always turn it up when his songs would come on the radio, including his songs, “Everything” and “Haven’t Met You Yet”.

Over time, I’ve really grown to liking Michael Bublé, especially his Christmas album that he released back in 2011.  His music is fantastic to play when you’re in the holiday spirit and you’re spending a quiet evening with your family wrapping presents as Christmas approaches. It also makes me feel calm and focused, which makes it perfect study music for when I’m in crunch time mode for doing school assignments or preparing for an exam

Whether it’s a romantic date night with your significant other or treating your parents to a bit of throw back style of music in the style of Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin, make sure to get your tickets while they’re still available through TicketMaster or any other available online resource!

Broaden your musical horizons and give our local boy a chance! I promise you won’t regret it!

Calling all Tiny Dancers and Crocodile Rockers

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Can you believe it! The rocket man himself, Elton John, is going to be at BC place Saturday, October 21 & 22 for his last ever North American tour. His “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour”, will be the most iconic and memorable concert yet…Again. Fingers crossed he sticks to his word this time. The last time Elton John announced his last farewell tour was back in 2018…and it is set to conclude in 2023.

He tells in an interview with the British publication Musicweek, “I will not be devoid of music, but as far as schlepping around the world doing shows, I don’t want to do it anymore. I’ve done it since I was 17.”

Even though he’s announced that he will be not touring anymore, he’s done an amazing job with staying relevant and with bringing us some amazing hits the past couple years. He’s had two number one hits including “Cold Heart” featuring Dua Lipa in 2021 and the most recent hit “Hold me Closer” featuring Britney Spears. Aside from those relevant hits, we can all attest to his classic sing alongs that you hear at your nearest karaoke bar or on those throwback playlists your parents always listen to.

I’m seriously considering going and taking my parents along with me. I grew up listening to Elton John and it would be such an amazing experience to be in the same room as him, singing his iconic songs that isn’t some cheap entertainment impersonator at a run-down casino. Being able to see him strut his outfits and shred those piano keys live would simply be indescribable. To all the Tiny Dancers and Crocodile Rockers, lets assemble and give this genius one last standing ovation!

I’ve Been Cheating on Mainstream Music!

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Mother Mother, Said The Whale, The Zolas …oh my! What do think all these bands have in common? They are all Vancouver based indie bands.

Did you know Vancouver has a plethora of amazing bands that release amazing music?! As I was researching and contemplating on what to write for my article, I was curious to see what the BC music scene was all about. I came across this amazing Spotify playlist named, “The Sound of Vancouver Indie”. I was surprised to see the bands that I’ve listened to and bands I’ve heard of and had no idea the artists were Vancouver based.

I’ve always listened to “Said The Whale”, and for some odd reason, I thought they were based in Toronto; I couldn’t believe it!

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never really given the Canadian indie scene a chance. I’ve always listened to more mainstream music because it’s been the more “pushed in my face genre” than any other genre of music.

I had the chance to really sit down and listen to the playlist and I realized that mainstream music isn’t as good anymore… dare I say it’s crap? It’s restrictive, recursive, and repetitive, but let’s save that conversation for another day. Now listening to indie rock and BC indie rock of all things, I’ve really taken a liking to it.

There’s a band called “Vancougar”, and I am obsessed with a song called “Philadelphia”; when I was listening to it in my headphones, it teleported me back to high school. It’s an amazing coming of age song and it was cool hearing them reference people and places that are in B.C. It honestly created a better connection for me towards the song and made me want to continue diving deeper into their discography.

Now that I basically cheated on mainstream music to be with indie rock, I hope you also take the gamble to give unrepresented music genres a chance. You never know what you’re going to find.

 

Hey Vancouver! Get Ready for “Florence and The Machine”

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Did you get your tickets yet? Florence & The Machine will be performing October 4th at Rogers Arena. Go immerse yourself and listen to this amazing English Indie band that will make you feel like you’re the main character in your own movie.

Their music is a mix of all different genres, including rock and soul, and another genre I’ve personally never heard before…soul inspired indie. Soul inspired is an understatement, their new album “Dance Fever” is euphoric.

Florence Welch is unique and free spirited. She brings a dramatic and unconventional tone to her music, along with her strong and powerful vocals that make every song stand out like no other. Her songs are mythical, gothic and with a splash of fairy tale aspects that bring imagery to her songs. My favourite songs from her new album is “Dream Girl Evil” as well as, “Free”. It’s the best thing to listen to in the morning when you’re looking for something motivational and powerful.

She’s not only an amazing artist, but she’s also recognized for her eccentric style. Before pursuing music, she dropped out of fashion school to become a rockstar. She has claimed to be a fashion icon due to her outlandish bohemian style, and jet red hair, which she has been dying since she was nine years old. She’s had collaborations with Gucci and Chanel. You can say she’s now achieved both of her dreams in becoming a fashionista and being a big music star.

Well, I hope I was able to convince you to buy tickets for the October 4th concert, or even be curious enough to go listen to Florence and the Machine’s new album. I know for a fact; I am looking forward to going to this concert and embracing the amazingness that is this band.

 

Iconic Songwriter Being Recogonized

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BC’s very own Bryan Adams and his best friend Jim Vallance were inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame this past weekend at the Iconic Massey Hall in Toronto. The two long time friends accepted their awards along side many others, including Alanis Morissette.

So, who is Jim Vallance? Ever wonder who wrote those songs you sing at the karaoke bar like “Summer of 69”? Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams met in a music store in Vancouver in 1978 and have been sharing the love of music ever since. Together, they have released three platinum -selling albums and nine singles that have dominated the music scene. Jim Vallance has written iconic singles like “Heaven” and yes, you guessed it, “Summer of 69”!

Bryan Adams isn’t the only artist that Jim Vallance has written for. He has also collaborative with the likes of Aerosmith, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Rod Stewart and many more. His song writing has been played on radios and has sold countless and countless of copies.

At the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Bryan Adams was over the moon knowing his good friend was presented the award.

“Song writing for me has always been a team effort, and the thing that makes me most happy about tonight … is seeing my great friend Jim Vallance be properly honoured.” Adams explained while accepting his honour.

when learning this, it put in perspective of how many artists that are very well-known use songwriters. When growing up, I always figured that every artist I heard on the radio wrote their own songs, but that’s not always the case. I’m happy to know that there is an award show like Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, so writers like Jim vallance get the recognition they deserve.

 

 

A Toast to Team 1040

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If there’s one thing you can’t deny Vancouver of, aside from the beautiful ocean views and the mountains, it’s that this a sports crazed market! We love our Canucks, our Lions, our Whitecaps, even Giants, and now our Baby Canucks out on Abbotsford. Whether it be listening or watching, you can bet there’s fans there screaming at the ref and chanting the team’s name!

With that loyal and thirsty fan base, came multiple sports radios. Or, at least there used to be before Bell Media pulled the plug on one of them. Saturday, May 7, marked  what should of been twenty second anniversary of Team 1040 radio.

Team 1040 radio debuted back on May 7, 2001, with then host Dan Russell gracing the air waves as the first show. There’s no secret how much of a staple sports talk radio is in this city. Team 1040 has served as the building block to a large majority of the media giants in this city from Barry MacDonald, to Don Taylor, David Pratt, Matthew Sekeres and Blake Price, to name a few.

Now, I myself am not the biggest sports fan, but even I know those names, and I’ve only really been a fair weather Canucks and Lions fan for the majority of my life! To think that the suits in Toronto had a grasp of what this market desires and needs and to think that pulling the plug on one of the most successful sports talk radio stations in favour of stand up comedy bits that no one listens to (because no one listens to stand up comedy, they watch it), is absurd.
I can say with fair certainty that my life won’t be in sports talk radio, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pay homage to the giants of the radio industry. Here’s to Team 1040 sports
radio and sports in Vancouver!!

Vancouver 2010 Repeat? Sign me up!

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Hands up if you had a blast during the 2010 Winter Olympics and would like to do it all over again? I know I’m not just putting up my hands, but both my feet also! With the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympics still without a host named, BC has officially begun the process of attempting to host again!

An Indigenous led bid is one of the four leading contenders to host these games. The other bids are from Salt Lake City in the US, Sapporo in Japan, and a joint effort from Spain, France and Andorra!

I have so many memories of experiencing the games back in 2010. It was nothing, but positive times and the city absolutely came alive. The tourist attractions and how the city never slept for those two weeks of hosting was something I’m so thankful that I got to experience. I wasn’t even legal to go into any bars at that time and I still was able to experience amazing activities! I was downtown with my friends every day for over a week straight!

A step in the positive direction of hosting these upcoming games though occurred this past week when technical expert members of the IOC took a three day trip through BC. These experts survey the lay of the land and brain storm how the region would host the event and where the venues could be in terms of being constructed or if the current ones suit the requirements. BC has a distinct advantage because we have a bunch of venues left over from back in 2010.

Being able to experience the Olympic games again, this time in my adult years, would surely be different, but something I would cherish forever. We as a city have so much to offer in not only the natural scenery around us, but the multicultural melting pot of people coming together to celebrate something amazing. Lets hope that the IOC knows how good they had it back in 2010 and decides to come to the well again and we are able to cheer on our Olympians once again.

Go Canada go!

Giants lose opening game to Blazers

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So the Vancouver Giants pull something off that’s never happened before ever in the WHL playoffs: a number eight seed knocks off a number one seed. Celebrations abound and champagne is tossed and sprayed everywhere. One problem though: it’s only the first round. Second problem: the number two seeded Kamloops Blazers awaited them in the next round. Talk about going through the gauntlet and earning it the hard way!

Game one of these second round playoffs didn’t grant The Giants with a head start like the previous round, as they fell short, 3-1, from The Sandman Centre in Kamloops. Part of the reason Vancouver was able to pull off such a big upset was because their power play was otherworldly, in the best way possible, against Everett. Their power play clipped at an efficiency rating of 37.5%

Unfortunately, The Giants went 0-3 with the man advantage last night and that’s going to have to improve for them to have any shot of continuing their cinderella run in the WHL playoffs.
Vancouver is going to continue having to heavily rely on their starting goaltender, JesperVikman, if they want to extend this series past the mandatory four games. He did play well though in game one stopping thirty five shots! The other players that Vancouver is going to have to rely on heavily is their top line of: Adam Hall )who scored the lone Giants goal), Fabian Lysell, and Zack Ostapchuk.

Game two of this series is hosted by The Kamloops Blazers back at The Sandman Centre again this evening at 7pm. The series will then switch back to The Langley Events Centre for games three and four starting Tuesday, May 11. Here’s hoping that unlike the Canucks or Baby Canucks, our Vancouver Giants can capture lightning in a bottle again and be able to extinguish The Blazers here in Kamloops and bring the series back tied to a passionate, loud fan base!
Go Giants go!