Author Archives: Quinn Taylor

Rock legends return to Vancouver in what could be their final tour

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AC/DC is a band that transcends the generations. I’m only 19 years old, and still would consider AC/DC in my top 5 of musical performers, just as my Dad and older family members would too. So If you’re like me and have spent countless hours on Youtube watching some of the bands most iconic concerts, and jealous of the people in attendance. Then you better clear your calendar for August 13th, and join 50,000 other people at BC Place for the return of AC/DC to Vancouver.

ACDC

The legends themselves, AC/DC, are returning to Vancouver for their “Power Up” tour, only a year after their last appearance in Vancouver. For a band that has been at it for over 50 years, the fact that they can still sell out BC Place in minutes proves that real rock and roll is not noise pollution, rather something that unites people.

I think what makes this show so special is that it might be the last time we get to see the band and Angus Young do his signature schoolboy outfit strut across a stage this big. There’s something respectably old school about it. Unlike current music acts, the band doesn’t need backing tracks or AI holograms, it’s just five guys, a massive wall of Marshall amps, and enough electricity to power the entire Downtown Core. Not to mention the thousands of fans jumping up and down like it’s Moscow 1991.

Plus, the bands choice to open with The Pretty Reckless is a genius move. It gives the night a modern edge and proves that the “Power Up” tour isn’t just a nostalgia trip it’s a celebration of where rock is going.

The standard seats are usually around $270 for the concert, a steep price, but honestly it’s hard to say it isn’t worth it. For a band this iconic, can you really put a price on seeing “Highway to Hell” live? Not to mention the boys are getting old. Who knows if this will be the last chance we have to see them live.

If you’re planning on going, my advice is to get your earplugs ready now. BC Place is basically a giant concrete echo chamber, and when AC/DC hits that first chord, you’re going to feel it in your teeth. This is the show your parents told you about, and now it’s our turn to experience it.



The almost forgotten history of Jimi Hendrix and Vancouver

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If I told you to think of Jimi Hendrix, you’d likely think of Seattle, Woodstock, or even the “27 club”. 

What I bet you wouldn’t think of is Vancouver.

Long before downtown turned into the busy city that it is today, Vancouver had Hogan’s Alley. And in that neighbourhood, the Hendrix name already meant something.

Hogan’s Alley was once the cultural heart of Vancouver’s Black community. Located near Strathcona, the neighbourhood became known for its restaurants, nightlife, church community, and sense of identity during a time when discrimination made it difficult for many Black residents to live any where else in the city. 

Among those residents was Nora Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother.

She wasn’t just someone who happened to live there. Nora Hendrix was an active community figure who helped found Fountain Chapel, Vancouver’s first Black church, and worked at the iconic Vie’s Chicken and Steak House. 

That means one of the most influential musicians in modern history had real family roots in Vancouver. 

Jimi Hendrix lived in Seattle, but reports note that he visited Vancouver often to see family and experience Vancouver’s once notorious night life scene. The story the Hendrix family leaves Vancouver shows us that music history doesn’t always live where people assume it does. Sometimes it’s hiding in plain sight, a few blocks from places you’ve probably driven past without thinking twice. 

I know I’ve driven by Hogan’s ally dozens of times, never knowing the history.

We’re used to hearing stories about major artists coming from Los Angeles, New York, or London. But what Hogan’s Alley does is remind us British Columbians that we have always had a strong connection to the musical world. 

Much of Hogan’s Alley was demolished during the construction of the Georgia Viaduct. A neighbourhood with deep history was erased in the name of development. 

Now a days, you can find a Jimi Hendrix shrine located on Union and Main.

Jimi Hendrix Shine

Which is even further proof of the history and cultural impact that Jimi and the Hendrix family left in Vancouver.



Green Auto Body, the East Van garage becoming a staple of BC indie scene

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If you’ve spent any time complaining that Vancouver’s music scene is “dying” because of rent prices and venue closures, you clearly haven’t been to 1822 Pandora Street.

Tucked away in an industrial pocket of East Van is Green Auto. From the outside, the name is very fitting because it looks exactly like what the name suggests, an old auto body shop. But once you step inside, you realize it’s actually one of the most impressive DIY spaces in the city right now.

In a city where a night out can easily cost you $100 before the headliner even hits the stage, Green Auto feels like a pipe dream. They often run on a “Pay What You Can” model, and their tagline “Built by artists, for artists” isn’t just marketing fluff. You can actually feel it in the room.

My sister is a big underground music fan, and when she suggested taking me to this place I had my skepticism. But immediately after I walked through the garage doors, I not only heard the music that was playing but felt it. 

I loved the vibe because it’s totally unpretentious. It’s not like other music venues where you’ll see a fancy building to compensate for the music. It’s just raw sound that matches the venues vibe. Just this past March, The Georgia Straight was raving about how magical the space is for “spontaneous” moments that you just can’t get at a larger, more sterile venue. Whether it’s a slow alternative show or a loud punk set, the audience is actually there for the music, not just to post on Instagram.

I’ve talked to people who say Green Auto is a “must” for a reason. It’s one of the few places left where up and coming BC artists can actually afford to play and where fans can afford to watch them.

If you’re looking for the new Vancouver sound, don’t look at the posters on Granville Street. Head over to Pandora, look for the garage door, and bring a few bucks for the jar. This is what a real music scene looks like in 2026.



Mac DeMarco sings like the BC city he was born in

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Mellow, isolated, and dreamy. Words that would not only be a proper description of Duncan BC, but also one of Duncan BC’s most successful musical artists, Mac Demarco. 

I consider myself an old soul. I enjoy old time stories, movies, and music. As a result I commonly am turned off from the state of the current music industry. Everything has a sense of being overly manufactured. Not just in the music, but in the personalities and outfits that music stars of today wear. I can’t say it’s a distinct sound or look, yet I know when it’s there. So, when an artist maintains their authentic self and sound through fame and success it catches my eye. And that’s exactly how over 20 million of Mac DeMarcos monthly Spotify listeners feel as well.

DeMarco was born in Duncan BC but spent the majority of his childhood in Edmonton before moving to Vancouver in 2008, to further his musical aspirations. During his time in Vancouver he would form a band known as Makeout Video. And although the band never had any hit songs, it would be there where music admirers would acknowledge DeMarcos musical capability as well as his unique on stage presence that he himself would later label as “Slacker”. A “Slacker” is a person who avoids work, effort, and does enough to get by. 

The thing is, there’s a lot of people who would consider themselves “slackers” and naturally DeMarco’s fan base grew larger with mostly young adults/teenagers who resonated with the lyrics to his music. 

DeMarco didn’t only walk the walk but he talked the talk. A part of the reason why DeMarcos music has such a unique unmanufactured sound is in part to the fact that he never records in an expensive recording studio yet his basement while wearing nothing but his underwear, free from the stresses of the music industry. 

“I’ve recorded at home since I was a teenager, and I’m able to sit here in my underwear and keep trying different things until something works. I think if I did that in a studio the engineer would be like, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

It was in 2012 when DeMarco would fill his debut album “2” with songs that matched his persona and sound. Although 2 wasn’t a hit overnight it slowly became an indie music anthem as music listeners were just becoming aware of who Mac DeMarco was. It had 1.8 billion streams on Spotify since its release, as well as DeMarcos first appearance on the Billboard 100 list, where it would rank as high as 14 on the charts. 

 

Since, DeMarcos music has continued to evolve while still maintaining its unique indy sound. He’s released 9 solo albums, with each one having a different theme yet all successful. 

You could see that as his music has progressed he has been no stranger to experimenting with his music. In 2023 he would move to Los Angeles to record his album One Wayne G contained 199 songs all of which were unnamed, and instead numbered. Throughout the album a clear theme of experimentation, with songs showing shades of his past mellow self, to musical arrangements that would leave many of his listeners confused, yet impressed. 

When DeMarco speaks about his western Canadian heritage he acknowledges how his roots have played an influence in his music, and the person he is today. In 2025 he moved back to Vancouver island, and continues to live a very quiet life. There hasn’t been any news surrounding potential new music, but if history were to repeat himself, I’m willing to bet he has something in the works.

 



Why Nardwuar is Officially the King of BC and Canada.

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 If you’ve spent time on the internet you’ve probably seen clips of your favourite artist being interviewed by a man in a plaid hat and yellow jacket, with deeply personal questions. If you hadn’t already known, that man’s name is Nardwuar, and he is a BC native that attends UBC.

In a move that probably caught a few politicians off guard in Ottawa, Nardwuar the “Human Serviette” was recently appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada. It’s the country’s highest civilian honour, and seeing that Nardwuar did his famous “hip flip” with Prime Minister Mark Carney a year before the honour, it was not much of a surprise.

https://x.com/nardwuar/status/2006353059598004584

Unlike a lot of other social media and radio phonemes, Nardwuar remained in Vancouver throughout his success. He started right here at UBC, working the 90 second slots at CiTR 101.9 FM back in the late ’80s. He was just a history major who loved local punk bands, yet he ended up becoming the only person on earth who could make Snoop Dogg or Drake look genuinely starstruck.

When Nardwuar accepted the honour, he dedicated it to his late mother, Olga Ruskin. She was a local historian and journalist who taught him the value of deep research. He famously noted that his tireless research isn’t a gimmick, rather a way of showing respect to the artists. Pharrell Williams famously told him,

“Your research is second-to-none.”

You’re not able to find that kind of dedication easily in this industry that usually focuses on fluff and 15-second sound bites.

But the coolest part for me? He still signs off every single video with “Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.” In an industry where interviewers are not meant to be the star, Nardwuar’s authentic personality and unique questions always directs the viewer’s eyes towards him. He proved that a kid from West Vancouver could change global music journalism just by being the most prepared person in the building.

The Order of Canada is usually reserved for scientists and doctors, but giving it to the guy who refuses to call a “serviette” a “napkin” is exactly the kind of energy we need.

And you and I both know there’s only one way to end this article… “Doot doola doot doo…”