BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - October 2016

Blink 182
Abbotsford Centre
September 18, 2016
Pop punk started in the suburbs, so it
makes perfect sense that Blink 182’s
first appearance in Western Canada
following the release of their latest
album, California, would bring it
right back to where it all started. The
Abbotsford Centre is basically the
Thunderbird Arena but a significantly
further drive from UBC, plus a $14
bridge toll — so not punk.
The bill on this tour was rounded
out by The All-American Rejects and
A Day To Remember, a really solid pop
punk band who know how to execute
hardcore breakdowns. And while
there were a significant amount of the
openers’ tour merch spotted on the
backs of confused teens wandering
aimlessly around the concourse, it was
clear the majority of people were there
to see Blink 182.
The new lineup of Blink 182 can’t be
ignored. What they want you to believe
is that guitarist Tom DeLonge is out
there chasing aliens and government
conspiracies, but I’m onto them. After
witnessing what was once known as the
Mark, Tom, and Travis show, I’d have to
say this was more like the Mark Hoppus
and Travis Barker pop rock nightmare. It’s
cool that they tried to replace Delong with
Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba under the guise of
“filling in,” but it just doesn’t work. There are
some Blink 182 songs that just should not
be sung without one of the most distinctive
voices in pop punk. And when I say “some,”
I basically mean all of them.
The band started with “Feeling
This,” unveiling the huge flaming “F-U-
C-K” lit up behind Barker’s drum kit, a
classic stage prop the band has been
using for the last 15 years. While Skiba
is undoubtedly an integral part of the
pop punk family tree and Alkaline
Trio are respected members of the
Warped Tour alumni, his posture
on stage was so rigid and starchlike
that it seemed as though he was
playing his first show with the band.
His definitive voice as the frontman
for Alkaline Trio was also a confusing
and compromising replacement in
most instances throughout the night
when DeLonge’s voice was needed to
draw the distinction between a basic
pop rock band and the pop punk
powerhouse that Blink 182 built
their name on. Bouncing around into
familiar singles territory with tracks like
“What’s My Age Again” and “All The
Small Things” almost made the lack of
substance forgivable, but definitely not
forgettable.
The strongest moments of the
band’s set were playing the newest
tracks off California, their seventh
studio album and first without
DeLonge while on his sabbatical in
space. The notes of the first single
off the new album, “Bored To Death,”
started just as a fire alarm in the arena
was tripped and the band was forced
to play with all of the lights on. An
awkward moment only made more
appropriate when a flood of blowup dolls
was unleashed in the audience.
Blink 182 is currently treading
dangerous territory. They’re not
entirely a nostalgia act but the
singles that made the band what
they are today no longer represent
where they are at or what they’re
capable of any more. Maybe
DeLonge is out there writing about
aliens, but Hoppus and Barker are
the ones with their heads in space
if they think they can keep the old
Blink ship going for much longer.
• Glenn Alderson
Nao
Biltmore Cabaret
September 24, 2016
Big hair, big voice, and even bigger
personality — Nao played a sold out
show at the Biltmore Cabaret early
Saturday evening (September 24th).
The London based artist made a stop in
Vancouver while performing her latest
releases off the her new record For All
We Know on a North American and
European tour. With a voice like velvet,
Nao and her band delivered futuristic
and neo-soul vibes to an energetic
crowd full of fans who were ready to
have their expectations exceeded, and
they were.
The crowd buzzing and
chatting amongst themselves, the
curtains closed as the room went
dark — the show was about to start.
The artist walked out to the carpeted
stage, barefooted, and in a tribalinspired
two piece, exuding confidence in
every movement in her step. The Biltmore
is kind of a weird venue, it has this
dungeon-like feel to it that makes it seem
incredibly exclusive and Nao seemed
to agree: “I feel like I’m playing a private
show for you” she says as the crowd
cheered back. Performing with a live band
consisting of a bassist, guitarist, drummer,
and keyboardist, there was a very clear
indication that Nao and her band had a
very symbiotic relationship. While Nao is
considered to be an electronic artist, it was
refreshing to hear her voice stripped down
with a live band. Feeding off each others
energy on stage, the band absolutely
destroyed their performance while Nao
remained true to her authentic sound.
It’s at this point that I should mention
that the band absolutely stole the show and
delivered groovy, funky rhythms with the
assistance of Nao’s stage presence, twisting
and twirling as she serenaded the crowd.
Opening with “Happy” off
her latest record, the crowd was singing
along and moving swiftly to the sonics
that were bouncing off the wine-coloured
velvet inside of the Biltmore. Bodyrolling
through each musical break, the
performance got hot and sweaty quick.
This lead to the second song of the evening,
“Inhale, Exhale”, which almost served as a
reminder to the audience as they moved
through the thick, cloudy air of the venue.
The singer also took a moment to pause
and cover a little bit of Justin Timberlake’s
“Señorita” while performing “Trophy” —
the “(Apple) Cherry” on top.
A performance filled with singalong
bangers like “Girlfriend”, “Zillionaire”,
and Mura Masa’s “Firefly” — Nao truly
delivered a unique and unforgettable
experience for her Vancouver fans. With a
guitar solo that left the audience howling
for more, the charismatic singer primed her
audience for the final song: “Bad Blood”.
The crowd was singing along to every word
and it was easy to decipher that there is
something very special in her presence that
invokes her fans to want to interact with the
performance. Nao’s impalpable voice was
lovely just like September (a “Zillionaire”
reference for those who aren’t nerds)
and the most perfect way to have
started the evening.
• Molly Randhawa
October 2016 reviews
37