Norwegian native Sondre Lerche brought his admirable guitar plucking skills to St. James Hall amidst an all ages crowd. Presented by Timbre Productions, Lerche played hits from his first major album Faces Down, as well as some unheard material that resulted in one of the most intimate and interactive shows I have ever experienced.

In my prepubescent history of concert photography I have never once been double booked. That was until the night of Beck and The Walkmen taking their own separate stages in Vancouver. So who came out on top? The master musical synthesizer or the New York rockers?

Local band Wintermitts will be releasing their new CD, Heirloom, at a little party right smack dab in the middle of Stratchcona at 1114 East Pender. They will be playing with Hannah Georgas and her Sisters as well as Adelaide, and they'll even throw in a duo dance party DJ set for good measure.

Check out their myspace site and have a listen.

Photo by Jen Gilecki

When I passed Thunderbird on my way to work Tuesday morning, there was already a line-up outside its gates, which just goes to show that Radiohead has some pretty dedicated fans. I was considerably less eager, and ended up at the stadium just as Liars were wrapping up. Music bloggers were making a big deal about these guys opening, but I couldn't get into much of their music. And then, just as the stage was being set for the main act, the rain started. It quickly progressed from a drizzle to a shower, and didn't stop until much later in the night. The entirety of the sold-out concert was enjoyed by a really wet but excited crowd. It was the first time I was seeing Radiohead perform live and, on a whole, they put on a beautiful show and didn't disappoint.

They opened with "15 Steps," and during the concert played pretty much every song from In Rainbows. I was most impressed by hearing "House of Cards" live, for which this amazing video was recently made. They also interjected some to-be-expected older stuff ("Just", "Karma Police", "2+2=5") and a few tracks that were surprises ("Bangers n' Mash", "Exit Music [For a Film]", "Planet Telex"). It was great getting to dance along to "Bodysnatchers", and hearing a live version of "Talk Show Host", which is one of my Radiohead favorites.

As someone on Tumblr quipped, it isn't a summer in Vancouver without a Ladyhawk show. Also playing is Hard Drugs, whom I haven't seen perform since they played the short-lived Silkhaus with Pride Tiger a couple of years ago. Basically this is one of those shows that reaffirms your belief in the city. And while it isn't the official Dead End of Western Civilisation Party, there'll be tons of Pabst and clove cigarettes. So...











See all you hipster haters there, eh?

I complain about our largely apolitical populace on a pretty regular basis in the Morning Brew, and recently drew attention to the fact that in the 2005 election only 32% of us turned out to vote. For most of my life I've been just as guilty as the rest of my peers; living within my own comfortable bubble of school, work, friends, and art while willfully ignoring civic politics. Since covering the Morning Brew for BR, however, my political awareness has skyrocketed, along with my discontent for the state of things in this city so full of potential.

One man who's been key in exposing the darker side of Vancouver's sociopolitical landscape while actively helping to foster a fairer situation in downtown Vancouver is Pivot Legal's Eastside advocate David Eby. He recently announced his intention to seek a Vision Vancouver nomination for the November election, and what better way to round up support from the Jon-demographic of underinvolved twenty-somethings than by hosting a cheap night of local music?

It was obvious Wednesday night's fundraiser had attracted a good crowd as soon as I caught site of the mass of bikes chained up outside the East Van Anza Club, not to mention the group of Eby, Orr, and Edo fans gathered outside...