Michael Bublé arrived on Festival d'été de Québec's main stage Sunday night (July 12) backed by a production with some serious money behind it: a full big band complete with conductor, an ensemble of backing vocalists, dramatic lighting, enough artificial smoke to fill the Plains of Abraham, and towering projections on all sides.
The audience was locked-in and buzzing when the Canadian superstar finally appeared following a delayed entrance. Unfortunately, the performance never found the famous rhythm and charm that he's usually known for.
Opening the FEQ set with his signature, dramatically sensual rendition of "Feeling Good," the jazz pop juggernaut wisely leaned into the night with one of his sexiest tracks. The staging stayed slick and extravagant, but performance couldn't maintain pace, and the musicians surrounding Bublé carried more of the evening's momentum than they should have.
The singer spent much of the set attempting to keep up. Lyrics escaped him. Stretches of banter drifted, unfocused, occasionally confusing. There were still flashes of the charismatic performer audiences adore, but they arrived inconsistently at best, leaving the set uneven and a bit lost. The crowd remained forgiving and supportive, though the initial excitement quickly softened as the show pushed forward.
The evening found its lift when Quebecois singer-songwriter Roxane Bruneau joined Bublé for "Home," his enduring anthem about the comforts of returning to Canada. Bruneau's killer vocals and obvious star power brought up the energy instantly, pulling the surprised audience to its feet for the night's most electric moment. Bruneau is a hometown hero in Quebec, and the massive crowd made it known.
This wasn't one of Bublé's strongest performances, but his connection with the crowd held, and they met him whenever he reached their way. The production was polished, the staging grand and the scope worthy of FEQ's main stage; still, the set felt strangely off for an artist whose greatest skill has always been making major venues feel easy and intimate through his boyish magnetism and powerhouse vocals. But even the very best of us have our off days.
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Melody Gardot may hail from New Jersey, but the experienced jazz singer brought an elegant and distinctly Parisian air of practiced musicianship, confidence and silky vocals to Festival d'été de Québec's main stage yesterday (July 12). Performing at sunset on the Plains of Abraham, Gardot relaxed the enormous crowd with a set that was controlled yet assertive.
Gardot's refreshingly minimal stage theatrics helped highlight the traditional delivery of her old-school jazz vocal set. Her band added to the elegance, matching her quiet and giving the performance a fresh coat of polish. While I might have been a little out of my league in terms of genre, the vocalist kept my attention and made sure to never let it wander.
It's worth noting that her personal style also played an interesting role in grounding her stage presence. Dressed in a simple but real expensive-looking black suit, with chic oversized sunglasses at dusk, the artist looked every inch the seasoned international jazz star she is. Gardot's signature mane of hair added to the effect, giving her a striking pop star silhouette without anything flashy. The look, chic and mysterious, left me wanting to know more about who she is, where she's been.
Most importantly, her vocal delivery in front of 100,000 audience members was always tight, carrying an effortlessness out into the evening air like a single plume of cigarette smoke. It was giving French as hell, and I loved how she never seemed interested in competing with the scale of the venue or the sometimes-chattering crowd. Instead, she drew those of us interested closer with a vocal love spell.
The artist also sounded a bit like Keren Ann, a Dutch-Parisian vocalist I've been following since discovering her on Bravo, back before it housed the Housewives and would occasionally air arthouse music videos in the early evening. The vibe of Gardot's set was on the very same level: a little dated, but completely in charge… sometimes, a great suit, a strong band and true poise are all you need to make a little magic happen.
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In the wake of defending her refusal to break character while performing her latest record West End Girl front to back, Lily Allen has now offered an update on the upcoming North American leg of the tour — and sad news for Montreal.
In a statement posted to social media, the singer-songwriter informed fans of some rescheduling of the dates, including her Vancouver show is being moved from September 19 at Rogers Arena to to September 28 at the Orpheum Theatre, Allen shared that she has cancelled her scheduled Bell Centre performance on September 8: "Montreal, I am so sad to say we tired our hardest but will not be able to make it to you this time," she wrote.
Vancouver ticketholders will apparently be refunded in five to seven business days and automatically entered into a presale, which will go live on July 22 at 10 a.m. local time before tickets for the new dates go on general sale on July 24. See the updated itinerary below, with the affected dates in bold.
Lily Allen 2026 Tour Dates:
09/03 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden Arena
09/04 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
09/06 Philadelphia, PA - Xfinity Mobile Arena09/08 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
09/10 Toronto, ON - RBC Amphitheatre
09/12 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
09/13 Chicago, IL - United Center
09/16 Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
09/18 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/21 Los Angeles, CA - The Kia Forum
09/22 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
09/24 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
09/28 Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
RHCP bass slapper Flea has been showing another side of his musical character this year with the album Honora and the ensuing tour. Now, he's brought his band to NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.
The clip finds Flea playing trumpet and electric bass while backed by his usual crew of Anna Butterss (electric and upright bass), Josh Johnson (keyboards and saxophone), Deantoni Parks (drums) and Tortoise's Jeff Parker (guitar).
They jam their way through a few cuts from Honora: a Thom Yorke-less take on the slithering "Traffic Lights" and the jittery "Morning Cry" before Flea gets on the mic for the slam poetry freakout of "A Plea." While introducing the ensemble, Flea — famously one of the best rock bassists of his generation — describes Butterss as "much better than me" at bass.
Watch the Tiny Desk set below.
After announcing their forthcoming new album Gotta Get Out (due August 28 via Reprise / Warner Records) and sharing the Hayley Williams-featuring single "Closer" on Friday (July 10), everyone's favourite rebukers of racist, sexist boys, the Linda Lindas, have now announced a headlining North American tour. They'll make a pair of Canadian stops in Montreal and Toronto this fall.
The stint on the road kicks off on September 16 in Sacramento, CA. After traversing the US for the remainder of the month and the beginning of October, the Linda Lindas will cross the border into Canada to play Montreal's Fairmount Theatre (October 10) and Toronto's Danforth Music Hall (October 12) with support from Adan Diaz. From there, the band will complete the trek stateside, wrapping up on November 5 in Tucson, AZ.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (July 17) at 10 a.m. local time, with various presales beginning tomorrow (July 14). Find the full itinerary — and hear "Closer" — below, and visit Concert Central for more upcoming Canadian shows.
The Linda Lindas 2026 Tour Dates:
09/16 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades *
09/22 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall ^
09/23 Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall ^
09/25 Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre ^
09/27 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre ^
09/29 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom ^
09/30 Chicago, IL - House of Blues ^
10/02 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre #
10/03 Columbia, MD - Power to the People
10/04 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts #
10/06 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club #
10/07 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place #
10/08 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel #
10/10 Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre @
10/12 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall @
10/13 Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation @
10/14 Cleveland, OH - Brachland Ballroom & Tavern @
10/16 Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom +
10/17 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre +
10/19 Nashville, TN - The Basement East +
10/20 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West +
10/22 Gainesville, FL - Fest 24 Kick Off
10/25 Tampa, FL - The Orpheum *
10/27 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room *
10/28 Orlando, FL - The Social *
10/29 Pensacola, FL - HalloZine Fest at Handlebar
10/31 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater *
11/01 Austin, TX - Mohawk *
11/03 El Paso, TX - The Lowbrow Palace *
11/04 Roswell, NM - The Liberty *
11/05 Tucson, AZ - La Rosa *
* with the Rat Utopia Experiment
^ with Vial
# with Deux Visages
@ with Adan Diaz
+ with Grace Bowers
As we continue to melt into the atmospheric soup of this heatwave, we need to be reminded that the late-autumn/early-winter season is just around the corner. Enter: M for Montreal.
It's once again that time of year where the festival organizers have shared the first names for its latest edition — the 2026 iteration taking place from November 18 to 21 — in the form of the Official Selection lineup.
Yoo Doo Right, Lisa LeBlanc, Béton Armé, Population II, Edwin Raphael, Les Shirley, Le Ren, Hélène Barbier, HAWA B, Geoffroy, Bye Parula, Dominique Way, Lysandre, Lou Val, FAZE, Afrotronix, zouz, Babyteeth, Mulch, Gabriella Olivo and Cherrykim lead this year's festivities with a home-court advantage. Meanwhile, Hillsboro, Virgo Rising, cherry pick, dead ex girlfriends, Lucette, Sea of Lettuce and blind commentary are representing the rest of the country.
Check out the poster below, and stay tuned for further M for Montreal lineup details — including those pertaining to the citywide Marathon portion of the fest.
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A GoFundMe has been launched for L7 bassist Jennifer Finch, who has had to drop out of the band's touring plans after being diagnosed with what's been described as "aggressive" brain cancer.
According to a press release, doctors initially believed the cancer could be treated through radiation. It progressed rapidly, however, resulting in multiple surgeries causing "significant physical limitations." She now needs ongoing medical care and professional in-home help.
The announcement adds that L7's final outing, the Last Hurrah Tour, was planned when all four members of the group were healthy and planning to participate.
"We are all devastated by the news and are surrounding her with love, protecting her privacy and dignity, while helping raise the resources she urgently needs for the care ahead," L7's Donita Sparks said in a statement. "Jennifer is family, and we want her to feel the full strength of the community that has loved and supported her for so many years."
The GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise $150,000 USD. As of this writing, it's at a little over $4,000. The top donor is currently RHCP bassist Flea, who has contributed $1,000.
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Vancouver's Shame Fest is returning for another weekend of live music, vendors and visual art this summer, and organizers have detailed the lineup for the upcoming 2026 edition.
Running from July 31 to August 2 across three venues, the festival will kick off with a visual art show featuring work from qiyǝp-nǝ:t, Julia Wong, T.J. Felix, Jesse Blanchard, Roadside Sage and Scraamblez on July 31 at Vines Den.
On August 1, Babies R Stupid, Bathroom, Bleached Heat, Hot Snack, Fretgau, Girlwife, Noisy Virgin, and the Heterosexuals will play Red Gate following an afternoon vendor market, and AKAsublime, ANTI-NOTHING, Citadel, Obreezy Beats, Prado Monroe, RESONATE.JPEG and Speed.FM will hit the stage at the Cobalt on August 2.
Weekend passes are available to buy here, and single-day tickets can be purchased at the door for $20 or PWYC. You can find out more information on the festival's official website.
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There was something beautifully understated about Paul Langlois's Sunday (July 12) set at Rockin' Thunder. In a weekend filled with towering amplifiers, huge sing-along choruses and high-energy performances, the longtime guitarist of Canadian legends the Tragically Hip offered something different: a warm, intimate reminder that great songwriting doesn't need pomp and flair to leave an impression.
Backed by an incredibly tight and talented band, Langlois leaned into his roots as a songwriter, delivering a set that felt personal and conversational. Between songs, he shared reflections and one-liners that drew plenty of laughs, whoops and hollers from the crowd. Those moments of storytelling gave the performance the feeling of sitting around a campfire with an old friend — one who just happens to have spent decades on some of Canada's biggest stages.
Of course, there was an undeniable sense of nostalgia hanging in the air. For many in attendance, seeing a member of the Tragically Hip perform carried an emotional weight that went beyond the music itself. It's impossible to separate the band's legacy from the memory of Gord Downie, whose words and presence were an integral part of a generation of Canadian music fans' lives.
Even years after his passing, Downie's spirit still seems to follow every member of the band; not as a shadow, but as a reminder of the extraordinary connection the Hip built with audiences across the country. Despite playing their final show almost 10 years ago, the familiar songs have long been woven into the fabric of Canadian life. While this wasn't a full-blown trip down memory lane, there were plenty of moments that reminded the audience why Langlois remains such a nationally beloved figure.
The sincerity of this particular performance stood out from the rest. There was no rush, and no need to prove anything. Every song was delivered with the intention. Langlois and his band seemed genuinely happy to be there, and that sense of gratitude and joy was contagious audience. This set became one of those unexpectedly memorable festival performances — not because it was the loudest or the most extravagant, but because it felt real.
By the time Langlois waved goodbye and left the stage, the crowd responded with warm applause and appreciative cheers. In a festival built on big rock moments, he delivered something quieter but equally meaningful: a celebration of storytelling, friendship and the enduring legacy of his time with the Tragically Hip. Through the haze of mosquitoes and humidity, it felt as though Downie's spirit — and the songs that helped shape Canadian culture — were alive and well once again in front of an Edmonton crowd.
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ICEMAN wasn't exactly a return to golden-era Drake, but it did perform very well commercially — and now the Canadian rapper seems to be teasing a sequel to his 2017 mixtape More Life.
Over the weekend, Drizzy attended the birthday party of Canadian basketball superstar Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, where he performed a patois-inflected freestyle as a birthday toast.
Drake shared the clip on social media, captioning it "MORE LIFE 2." See the freestyle below.
The implication seems to be that a sequel to the 2016 mixtape is on the way. That collection featured Drake's speech from the 2016 American Music Awards as a mantra of sorts, with several songs containing a sample of him saying, "And more chune for your headtop so watch how you speak on my name, you know?" Perhaps More Life 2 will feature something from this freestyle with similar prominence?
Drake only just released three albums, since ICEMAN arrived concurrently with MAID OF HONOUR and HABIBTI back in May. In other words, it seems way too soon for Drake to be teasing something else, prolific as he is.
That being said, teasing a sequel to More Life is sure to be exciting news for some fans, since that mixtape arguably stands as the final release of peak-era Drake. (How 2016's Views and 2018's Scorpion fit in is debatable, but it's officially over by 2021's Certified Lover Boy.)
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Some bands headline a festival because they're popular; others headline because their songs have become part of an entire generation's soundtrack. On Sunday night (July 12) at Rockin' Thunder, Creed proved they belong firmly in the latter category.
Despite their Edmonton tour stop in 2024, Creed fans came out in healthy numbers to get another taste. For many, the band's music plays alongside first cars, high school heartbreaks, late-night drives, and the countless late-'90s/early-2000s memories that come with growing up. Their blend of soaring melodies, heavy riffs and Scott Stapp's unmistakable vocals helped define the post-grunge era, and cemented the band as one of rock's biggest acts.
They wasted little time reminding everyone why their music still resonates. Opening with the kind of confidence that only comes from decades of experience, Creed immediately had the crowd singing along. Those iconic songs like "Higher," "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath" transformed the Exhibition Lands Racetrack into one giant choir, thousands of voices carrying every word back to the stage — with an overwhelming swell as the chorus to "With Arms Wide Open" rang through the monitors.
After years apart and an uncertain future, Creed's recent resurgence has been one of the genre's most surprising and heartwarming comeback stories. A new generation has discovered their catalogue through social media and streaming platforms, while longtime fans have embraced the opportunity to reconnect with songs they never truly stopped loving. The enthusiasm surrounding the the band's return has proven that their music never disappeared, it simply waited for the rest of the world to catch back up.
And they sounded fantastic live. Mark Tremonti's guitar work was as sharp and powerful as ever, delivering the iconic riffs that helped define so many of the band's biggest songs, while Stapp's commanding stage presence anchored the entire performance. But beyond the musicianship and nostalgia, what stood out most was the emotional connection between the band and the audience.
Creed's songs have always been about perseverance, hope and finding light in difficult moments. On a hot Edmonton evening in July, those themes felt more relevant than ever. Watching thousands of fans sing every lyric back wasn't just a celebration of a band, it was a celebration of the memories each person had attached to those songs.
As the final notes rang out and the lights came up, it was clear that Creed hadn't simply closed out Rockin' Thunder: they delivered a reminder of why their music has endured. Decades after defining an era, the band are once again enjoying their moment in the spotlight — and judging by Sunday's (July 12) performance, they're making the most of every second.
Alice Cooper has announced a new leg to his Alice's Attic tour, which will take him to cities throughout the US and Canada this fall.
The trek will include both headlining shows and festival dates, and will officially kick off at Louisville, KY's Louder Than Life Festival on September 17. A few days later, he'll head north to Canada for a set at Ottawa's CityFolk Festival on September 20 and a headlining gig at Niagara Falls' Fallsview Casino on September 22.
Heading into November, Cooper will play one more Canadian date at Windsor's Colosseum on November 6 before continuing the rest of the tour stateside.
Festival passes and tickets for Cooper's Niagara Falls show are currently on sale, and presales for other headlining dates will begin tomorrow (July 14) at 10 a.m. local time. General sales will follow this Friday (July 17).
Check out the schedule below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements.
Alice Cooper 2026 Tour Dates:
09/17 Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life
09/19 West Springfield, MA - The Big E Fair*
09/20 Ottawa, ON - CityFolk Festival
09/22 Niagara Falls, ON - OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
10/27 Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
10/30 Richmond, VA - Altria Theater
10/31 Atlantic City, NJ - Tropicana Casino & Resort
11/01 Bethlehem, PA - Wind Creek Bethlehem
11/04 Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre
11/06 Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor - The Colosseum
11/07 Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center
11/08 Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre
11/10 St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre
11/11 Park City, KS - Hartman Arena
11/14 Indio, CA - Fantasy Springs Casino
11/15 Prescott Valley, AZ - Findlay Toyota Center
11/17 San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
11/18 San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic
11/20 Wheatland, CA - Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Hotel + Casino
11/21 Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort + Casino
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor who came to prominence through his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park film franchise, has died. He was 78.
The actor died today at St. Vincent's Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, surrounded by family, according to a statement shared on his social media channels.
Neill's loss was described as "sudden and unexpected," with the statement citing that he "remained cancer free" following a 2023 diagnosis with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. A cause of death has not been reported.
Born Nigel John Dermot Neill in Northern Ireland, Neill's family settled in the Christchurch suburb of Cashmere when he was a child. Later, while studying at the University of Canterbury, he appeared in several theatre productions and then joined Downstage as a professional actor.
After appearing in regional films and television in New Zealand and Australia — including Sleeping Dogs (1977), which was his first Kiwi film to be screened widely overseas — Neill won his first big international role in The Final Conflict (1981), and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his starring turn in the 1983 mini-series Reilly, Ace of Spies.
The actor really hit the big time a decade later when he originated the role of Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park film franchise in 1993 — the same year he played Holly Hunter's husband in the critically-acclaimed New Zealand movie The Piano.
But, of course, Jurassic Park is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, and Neill reprised his role in both Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). He also appeared in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders (2013–2014) and Taika Waititi's cult favourite Kiwi film Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), as well as Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Neill was the recipient of numerous acting accolades in his home country and Australia. In the US, he was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. The actor is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
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Having already announced a tour and released a single, Mastodon have now detailed their first album since the departure and death of former singer-guitarist Brent Hinds. The band will release Marrow Deep on August 28 via Loma Vista Recordings. The single "Snakes for Dinner," featuring Josh Homme, is out now.
Marrow Deep is their first album to feature guitarist Nick Johnston, alongside contributions from keyboardist João Nogueira. A press release promises "a staggering roster of guests to be revealed soon," with Mastodon handling co-production alongside Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou, with mixing from Andrew Scheps.
Check out the video for "Snakes for Dinner" below.
"Bill [Kelliher], Brann [Dailor], and myself are thrilled that we still have the opportunity to do this, and we've got other members who are just over the moon to be in the band with us," bassist Troy Sanders said in a statement. "That's a magical feeling that makes us keep wanting to go to band practice. It's reminiscent of the very beginning of our band, where all members are hungry, we're united, and excited to get to work. And we're thrilled to have the opportunity to do this record."
Marrow Deep is available to pre-order here. The band's previously announced tour with Deafheaven and Alcest will come to Montreal and Toronto this fall.
Born Arist Delgado in Nicaragua, American turntablist Craze is a certified legend — even to casual listeners who look no further into his Wikipedia entry than his legendary three-peat run as the winner of the DMC World DJ Championships from 1998–2000.
If he wanted to ease into the vibe at Bass Coast, he didn't have much of a choice following Visages. He launched right into a world tour of drum and bass (DnB), taking us from Brazil to London, to Jamaica to Miami, and basically teaching a mini-course on the history of electronic dance music along the way.
Bringing together the entire diaspora into jungle through the crucible of scratch, this set had elements of almost every major moment in the development of modern raving. Craze dipped into "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics, "Ready or Not" by the Fugees, "Sound of da Police" by KRS-One and "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" by Roy Ayers, among others, but these were not mere popular snippets thoughtlessly employed: these were specific references to some of the most important samples in electronic music history.
In one of his groovier moments, dropping the tempo down into some booty-shaking bass, just as he was about to launch into a take on "Closer" by Ne-Yo, the entire crowd seemed to cheer and explode at once, so naturally he reverse-scratched it back to the beginning. We weren't ready for it yet, obviously. Or we were too ready for it. Either way, Craze insisted the house lights come down low as he let it build all the way back up the drop again, and indeed, as the song said, we just couldn't stop. It felt like the first time all over again.
Dude was absolutely clowning up there on the decks, hitting the wooden icicles hanging from the rafters, going behind the back as he messed with loops. Was that a Super Mario coin sound effect? I do believe so. Fun on a bun.
I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to be able to move after Visages, but Craze made me gravitate to the very front of the dance floor, where my big ass never likes to flail, and I stayed for the duration. What a mentalist.
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Similar to Georgia drum and bass (DnB) trio Evol Intent, Visages are a collective whose parts add up more as a whole, incorporating all of their influences and idiosyncrasies into their combined their love of lower frequencies.
I have no idea which one of the four dudes was at Bass Coast — whether it was Etienne Bacqué, Kévin Riguetti, Thomas Descamps or Valentin Mart — but whoever it was, they gave me the vapours something fierce. Boy howdy, that was as cathartic as a bona fide exorcism.
I have never danced with my entire body like this before. Every fibre of my being was moving, from fingertip to toenail. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to move normally again.
This was the sickest DnB I've seen since Photek at Tribal Gathering 2004 in Manchester, the sickest science I've seen spun since Siruismo at Shambhala 2011, the sickest bass set I've seen since Amon Tobin touring ISAM at the Vogue in 2015… Without a doubt, this was the absolute pinnacle of 25 years of raving, peak flail achieved.
The set started off so warp-y and nasty, so thuggy and funky, so deep in the dub, badass in the bass, so absurd in the quirk, and just when I didn't think I could take any more awesome at that tempo, just over a third of the way into his hour-and-a-half long set, he pushed it up into the hardest, darkest DnB imaginable without going full Venetian Snares.
We were spoiled for choice on Saturday (July 11), as basically every best set of the weekend was happening at the exact same time. Even hearing how massively Daphni was crushing it at Somewhere and Limnal was blowing minds at Slow Tempo, I wouldn't have missed a second of Visages' Slay Bay set for the world.
This was the possibly the happiest that live music has ever made me feel in my entire life — and arguably the single best night of music programming that Bass Coast has ever pulled off in its impressive 18-year run.
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This was the Bass Coast debut of Vancouver-via-Portugal live producer Carmen, and it should not be the last time he plays here.
I couldn't see what his set-up was like as close as I could get, and I literally got as close as you could get from the crowd, but he purportedly worked a combination of modular synths, samplers and digital hoopla up there. For a set like this, it would be sweet to see exactly what he was doing up there, maybe figure out a screen with a projection like Kid Koala, or angle the gear towards the crowd like Daedelus does, but the sound spoke for itself.
Carmen's set started off so unassumingly, this little rolling pad warping around, seemingly out of time, as a chugging breakbeat started pulsing behind it. That lanky jangle wrapped around wider and wider as the bass came up larger and larger until all we were left with was that skipping thud; bass cut, only the hint of percussion for a few bars, wait for it: boom-bahdum-boom-bahdum-boom-badum. He made that beautiful Funktion-One sound system at the Cabin work its magic.
This guy does not bring completed works, hit play and wiggle around. Carmen sees live performance as a chance to take chances, to feed off the crowd, try new combinations. Building all the tracks up himself, he controlled the vibe from the lowest frequency all the way up to the last hi-hat.
Through all the hard-pounding, relentless techno bass, he landed his set back on the same warp-y spaced-out pan that started the whole set an hour earlier, bookending the performance perfectly. Mon dieu, what a tasty amuse-bouche for Saturday evening (July 11).
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Toronto's very own 365 party girl BAMBII — a.k.a. Kirsten Azan — brought a pack of matches to Festival d'été de Québec last night (July 11), igniting the Quebec City Armoury with a blazing DJ set that left the city with the faint smell of burnt rubber.
Taking the wheel of the historic venue at 11:30 p.m., the artist, producer and DJ's deadpan vibe and effortless style (white beanie and gigantic red ski glasses in tow) psychically breached the fortress and its crowd like a much cuter, cooler, Caribbean-Canadian version of Doctor Manhattan.
For the uninitiated, BAMBII quickly made a name for herself in Toronto's underground scene by stitching together Caribbean music, jungle, dancehall, UK garage, drum and bass, and beyond. Her debut EP, INFINITY CLUB, even won the JUNO Award for Electronic Album of the Year (!) and was shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.
Since then, she's collaborated with the likes of Kelela and Zara Larsson, toured with Jamie xx, and performed at Coachella and Glastonbury. Last June, Azan released INFINITY CLUB II, a genre-bending sequel featuring collaborators including Aluna, SadBoi and Yaeji.
My favourite moment of the set was a bonkers rendition of Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night," a '90s club staple that has seen an unexpected pop-cultural resurgence recently through its crazy-town banana-pants inclusion on the Apple TV+ horror-comedy Widow's Bay.
That context felt present, and the crowd responded to the vintage track with excitement. It was also the song that brought the artist most fully to life, with her arms in the air as she conducted the enthusiastic crowd as if they weren't even there.
Another noteworthy select saw the Toronto DJ evoke the dance standard "Sandstorm" for an aggressive, dubstep-like remix — a filthy rendering of two dated trends that blended together like a properly prescribed dose of Vyvanse and Sunday morning coffee. High-energy, out of place and legally addictive, BAMBII's set was just rude enough to have the crowd on all fours.
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Montreal-based DJ and producer Tallandskiinny (a.k.a Diana Philippe) summoned up a crowd-pleasing late-night set at Festival d'été de Québec yesterday, playing a hybrid of vintage mashups and remixes that kept us all on our toes. Building a solid reputation for mixing UK garage, Jersey club, Miami bass, pop and underground sounds, Philippe might still be an emerging artist, but with sets like this under her belt, she's en route to club scene dominance.
There were multiple killer Rihanna selects, including a crowd-wrecking drop of her chorus on "All of the Lights" and my personal favourite moment of the night: a surprise inclusion of the less obvious Fugees cut "Fu-Gee-La." The latter didn't necessarily connect with the young crowd the way it did with me, a true middle millennial, but it showed just how strong Philippe's references are, grounded in a very correct '90s and 2000s R&B education.
Another moment that had the room lose its collective hivemind was a high-energy deployment of a mashup of Britney Spears' "Toxic" and Ginuwine's "Pony." In lesser hands, it might have been just a standard nostalgia play, but Tallandskiinny pushed the arranged musical marriage into the realms of a demented nightclub club fantasy.
Speaking of fantasy, the venue heightened that mood even further. FEQ's club venue is housed inside the Quebec City Armoury, a military drill hall first built in the late 1800s. The Gothic Revival architecture was transformed into a sweaty, bass-heavy club, more alive and aggressive than ever with Capt. skiinny now leading the charge.
Finally, a remix of the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" was a perfect example of how Tallandskiinny reminded me of the energy brought by an early-career SOPHIE: unassuming 2000s pop culture twisted, juiced and poppered-up into ecstatic sacrilege. None of it was cynical, but it was definitely self-aware and here for a fun time.
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After over an hour of rain delay due to severe storms passing over the area just when the festival was about to begin, Rockin' Thunder earned its name on Saturday afternoon (July 11). Although the delay caused a commotion logistically, nobody was complaining when Bif Naked opened up the event.
There are performers who walk on stage and play a set, and then there's Bif Naked. The Canadian punk icon has spent decades turning every concert into something personal, and her appearance felt less like a festival slot and more like a reunion with an old friend who still knows how to throw one hell of a party.
Opening with a burst of punk-rock attitude, she wasted no time getting the audience jumping. With a quick call for a round of applause for the event staff, volunteers and organizers for making sure the festival grounds were evacuated quickly and safely — and a shoutout to the Edmonton Oilers for being raw, real and always taking it on the chin — Bif launched her band into "Champion," the title track of her newest release.
Classic Bif songs like "I Love Myself Today" and "Moment of Weakness" hit with the same punch they did years ago, but somehow carried even more meaning as the crowd sang every word back to her, creating one of those festival feedback-loop moments that play on in our memories.
Part of what made Bif's performance so powerful is knowing everything she has overcome to stand on that stage. Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she was forced her to step away from music to power through one of the most difficult periods of her life. Rather than letting it define her, Bif emerged from the experience with an even greater sense of purpose and gratitude, and it was clear for all to see during this performance.
Especially when a weather delay takes place, festival sets can feel rushed, but Bif's performance never did. Every song felt purposeful and every interaction genuine. She reminded everyone why she remains one of Canada's most beloved rock performers — not because of nostalgia, but because she still has something real to say, and the charisma to make thousands of people listen.
Her ability to shift gears effortlessly is always an impressive thing to behold. One minute, she's bouncing around the stage with enough energy to power the entire grounds of the Exhibition Lands Racetrack, and the next, she's sharing a heartfelt story or a message about self-acceptance and resilience, making the show rock, but with real sentiment in the mix.
As the set came to a close, the crowd wasn't ready to let her go. For many, Bif Naked effortlessly delivered one of the weekend's most memorable performances, proving once again that punk rock, heart and authenticity really never go out of style.
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If there was one performance at Rockin' Thunder that felt tailor-made for a cinematic summer night of loud guitars, it was Three Days Grace. The Canadian rock heavyweights took the stage at Edmonton's Exhibition Lands Racetrack for the second year of the festival on Saturday night (July 11) with the kind of confidence that only comes from two decades of arena-sized hits and a fanbase that knows every song off by heart.
Despite the torrential rain and cracks of thunder overhead throughout the start of the day, followed by ravenous mosquitoes, Three Days Grace brought the infield at Northlands to another level, proving they were truly the main draw. The response from the audience was immediate, and their voices were deafening.
Every chorus seemed to come back from the crowd even louder than the band itself. The old-school hits like "Animal I Have Become" and "Pain" turned the grounds into one massive sing-along, with the classic "Never Too Late" ringing throughout, with lighters held high in the air.
One of the coolest aspects of the performance was seeing both Adam Gontier and Matt Walst sharing the helm of vocal duties. Rather than feeling like a novelty, the dual-frontman approach gave the show a unique energy, celebrating both the band's history and its current chapter. Three Days Grace kept things simple but effective, focussing on their connection with the audience and the music; the band sounded tight and powerful, with crushing riffs and thunderous drums providing the perfect backdrop for songs that still resonate years later.
What stood out most was the emotional weight of the performance. These are songs that many people grew up with, tracks that carried listeners through heartbreak, anger and some of the most difficult moments in their lives. Seeing thousands of people scream the lyrics together under the Edmonton sky felt less like a concert and more like a collective memory being re-lived in real time.
As the final notes rang out and the band took one last bow, there was little doubt that Three Days Grace had delivered one of Rockin' Thunder's standout performances. With their updated lineup, they didn't rely solely on nostalgia to win over the crowd. Instead, they reminded everyone why they've remained one of Canada's biggest rock bands for so long, serving up a healthy dose of timeless songs, genuine emotion and the ability to make the masses sing in perfect harmony.
Although Ottawa's biggest music festival has spent recent years filling supporting slots on its two side stages with "TikTok stars" and "internet sensations," it's always refreshing to see it carve out room for the country's most critically acclaimed newcomers.
Placing Toronto indie pop artist Luna Li on the festival's second‑largest stage for night three of Ottawa Bluesfest, slotted right before headliner Patrick Watson, felt like a throwback to when acts like Death From Above 1979, Tokyo Police Club and Braids built real fanbases from these vital early‑evening showcases.
With tours already under her belt supporting Wolf Alice and Japanese Breakfast, and with some arena shows lined up in August and September as an opener for Benson Boone, Luna Li hit the stage Saturday evening (July 11) at LeBreton Flats looking confident, road‑tested and effortlessly charming.
Decked out in all white, Li's three‑piece band joined her onstage for "Cherry Pit," the opener from her 2022 debut Duality. Locking in with her keyboardist/guitarist, Luna Li would trade sleek guitar lines through the smoke machines and the lingering haze from the Northern Quebec wildfires.
Performing in front of a video screen appropriately featuring images of a psychedelic butterfly, she moved into tracks from her 2024 LP When a Thought Grows Wings, including "Confusion Song," "Golden Hour" and "I Would Let You." Looked completely at ease with her new bandmates, Luna Li would spend much of the set swaying across the stage, twirling her skirt and stepping to the lip of the stage.
After addressing a criminally undersized but clearly hip crowd to mention her mom's Ottawa origins, Luna Li added that she's learned to play the flute since her last visit. After showcasing her newfound skills on "Fantasy," she moved between gripping her microphone and picking up her cream Fender Jazzmaster guitar while introducing a new song called "Multiplied," which sounded magnificent amongst her band's crystalline backing tracks.
Reaching back to her roots with a medley of the pandemic‑era multi‑instrumental jam sessions that first earned her notoriety, Luna Li picked up the violin, the instrument she originally cut her teeth on, and slid into a gorgeous, effects‑soaked melody while her band held down a Sade-esque coolness. Moving into "Silver Into Rain" and "I Imagine," she stepped to the front of the stage again to deliver an a cappella outro to the latter, letting her classically trained voice ring out, bravely breaking the indie rock tradition of purposely under-singing.
As the crowd steadily grew, Luna Li seemed ready to pull the onlookers into the performance, asking, "Do you guys wanna dance a little bit with me?" before transitioning into "Minnie Says (Would You Be My)." Pushing the engagement even further, Luna Li urged fans to sing along to the song's "la la la la" melody.
"Bon Voyage," the closer from When a Thought Grows Wings, felt like the natural follow‑up, as its rising tension encouraged the growing crowd to dance and sway in the field, giving the drummer room to stretch out and show off his jazz‑tinged playing off of the bassist's slinky lines.
Ending her 30‑minute set with "You Didn't Have to Go," from her 2024 remix LP, When a Thought Grows Wings (Reimagined), Luna Li proved that indie rock remains Canada's best musical export, and she's more than ready to lead its next wave.
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Two are dead and four are injured following a shooting near Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival.
Reports indicate that there was a burst of gunfire just west of the festival grounds, near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue. This took place around 8:10 p.m. on Saturday evening (July 11), while the festival was still ongoing.
A total of six people were shot; two men died, one at the scene and one in hospital. Police initially announced that there was an active shooter, but later withdrew this after discovering the shooting was between two groups. As of this writing, police have not announced any arrests.
Salsa on St. Clair released a statement cancelling the remainder of the festival, which had been due to take place today. It had been due to present a full day of Latin live music, DJs and dancing across two stages.
"We are shocked by the shootings at the Salsa on St. Clair festival early Saturday night," the festival wrote on social media. "Our thoughts are with the families of the two persons killed, those who were injured, and everyone affected by this senseless violence."
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Hailing from North London, Gove Kidao (Sabre) and Jonathan Fogel (Stray) have had a sizeable presence at Bass Coast since they formed Ivy Lab in 2012. Originally a trio with Halogenix, they first played here in 2016, and came back as a duo in 2022 and 2024.
Sadly, in early 2026, Kidao and Fogel announced that the Ivy Lab has run its course, and will be shutting down — but before they hit the old dusty trail, they had to stop back in for one more visit to what they claimed was their "favourite festival in the world."
Ivy Lab started off their set as if ColtCuts had made them a personal challenge when he left the same Somewhere Stage earlier in the evening, as the UK duo hammered deep, unrelenting bass for about a half an hour; however, that was when they turned the screws.
They played this one track where the sound thinned out momentarily. The mood went a bit Aphex Twin, and the whole world tilted. It could have been the smoke from the forest fires or the smog from the fog machine, but as that song repeatedly asked, "What the fuck is this? / Can you get me high?" and the sound planted sci-fi futuristic glitch stutters into their bass, something seemed to turn.
A few people flitted out around me on the right side of the audience, where I think it sounds the best, but that was when Ivy Lab were just getting good. The sound got a bit darker and more cinematic. They took us on a journey, and the legions who remained there were glad to join them for their last time at Bass Coast together.
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Born and raised in Detroit, Lauren Flax has spent most of her adult life in the melting pot of Brooklyn, other than a brief stint in Chicago to learn music production. She was baptized in the holy waters of techno and house, and she delivered that pure energy to the Cabin at Bass Coast.
A lot of the programming at this year's festival tended to fall into super bass-heavy sets and the general Top 40 mash-up TikTok club sort of stuff that everyone seems to love these days, so those who gravitated to Flax were looking to settle into a different vibe.
Her set started off a little tame, but once that Acid 303 kicked in around 15 minutes into her set, the pulse began to emerge, a pulse that compels you to synch up with it. By the time Flax tweaked out a brooding mix of "A Woman Comes into the Room" by Mija, that constant 4/4 beat evolved from a suggestion to a compulsion.
Granted, the stage never really popped off, leaving lots of loafing room around the back of the area by the bar and sound booth, but the vibe clicked. I heard a reverse-scratch mix out at one point, and that took me back to the old days for a hot second too. It's nice to know people still do this kind of thing, and do it right.
Acid house and techno isn't music that you can easily clip for normies. This is music that you need a moment, an actual opportunity, to sink into, and Flax worked those willing into that zone. The sound was pristine, too — arguably better than the Somewhere Stage — so I was really feeling that one.
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