Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Fray with Scars on 45

On February 26th, 2012, The Fray came to Vancouver with Scars on 45. It was nice to see fans of all ages at the Orpheum Theatre to see these two amazing and entertaining bands perform! 


Check out some photos from the show after the break!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Simple Plan with Marianas Trench, All Time Low and These Kids Wear Crowns!

On February 11th, 2012, Simple Plan came to Vancouver with special guests Marianas Trench, All Time Low and These Kids Wear Crowns. The concert at Pacific Coliseum was a big hit, with fans of all four bands lining up well before the doors opened at 7pm.


Photos and more info about the bands after the break!

Event Spotlight

Friday, March 9, 2012
The Bad Plus
with opening guests The Zubot / Brooks Duo
at the Rio Theatre






Doors 7:00pm - Show 8:00pm - 19+ Only ID Required (Licensed venue)
Tickets: $35.50 Advance / $40 Door



Available at: http://www.hightideconcerts.net/, Red Cat Records 4332 Main St. (604) 708-9422, Zulu Records 1972 W. 4th Ave. (604) 738-3232 & Highlife World Music 1317 Commercial Dr. (604) 251-6964

For more info on The Bad Plus visit their website.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Quick Note

Hey all!

Sorry for the delays, but we will be posting a bunch of photos soon. Our photographer hasn't had a chance to post them yet but you can expect photos for two shows:


  • These Kids Wear Crowns, All Time Low, Marianas Trench, Simple Plan
  • Scars on 45, The Fray
Please check back soon for photos! In the meantime, we've posted a ton of new events.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Artist Spotlight-Phil Dickson

Hey guys! Recently MUSICinVan was contacted by Phil Dickson, a new musician who wanted to share some of his music with us. Now we want to share it with you!

Check out the music video for his single "Nothin' But The Love," off his recently released album "Play." The song was written for his fans to show his appreciation for their love and support.



You can also check out his website for more information about him and his music!

Enjoy the tunes and pass them on. Join us in supporting deserving local musicians!

And a big thank you to Phil for getting in touch with us!

If anyone out there has some music they'd like us to hear and possibly share on our website, please visit our Contact Us page and get in touch with us.

Thanks everyone!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Free Music Alert: Behind Sapphire!

One of our favourite local bands, Behind Sapphire, has released their Diamonds EP online as a free download! Make sure you share their music and keep an eye our for them in the coming year!


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Said The Whale-Advanced Video Screening and Listening Party

Buy tickets now to attend a video screening and listening party of Said the Whale's new album "Little Mountain"! You'll hear the entire album before its release date and watch the music videos for each song. The event takes place at the Rio Theatre on February 25th, so buy your tickets now!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Music Spotlight

Hey all!! To start the new year we'd like to share a song with you guys! Someone recommended it to us on our YouTube account. I listened to it and thought it was worthy of passing on to you :) Hope you like it. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think! Thumbs up or down??

Click Here to listen to the song.

PS. Thank you to everyone sending in music suggestions. We appreciate each and every one and will feature our favourites. So, fan, rep, or band member, send in those recommendations (preferably with links)!!!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot!


Happy Holidays everyone! While you're munching on some Christmas cookies take a peek at some photos from last night at the Commodore Ballroom:

Friday, December 23, 2011

Music Video Spotlight

Okay everyone I'm sure you have all heard Coldplay's new song Paradise on the radio. They play it every half hour and the chorus is forever running in everyone's head. But have you seen the music video?? It may be the best thing I've seen all year. Especially near the ending when they find each other and start dancing.. I won't give too much away but I promise you won't be disappointed.

Click here to watch the music video for Paradise on YouTube.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

An Evening With Jill Barber

MUSIC In Vancouver had the privilege to attend Jill Barber's performance at the Centennial Theatre on December 2nd!

I was expecting to sit in the theatre and listen to some jazz music. But Barber gave us so much more than that! I quickly came to realize that the night wasn't just about the music, but Jill's performance included laughter, heartfelt confessions, and fashion. From the audience and from Jill herself, we caught a glimpse of beautiful dresses and hairdos that served as instant reminders of earlier days of jazz. From the first moment Jill took the stage, the crowd's attention was captivated by the singer and her band, and we stayed enthralled until after she received her third standing ovation (yes, third!). And throughout the show Jill entertained us with personal stories, both compelling and, often, hilarious. As Jill once joked, she may be a "mix between Stuart McLean and Celine Dion", but her voice is absolutely amazing, and she seems so effortlessly comfortable in front of a crowd. She sang a collection of her songs that reflected her entire body of work, from frantic, toe-tapping tunes, to sweet and slow lullabies. Through her beautiful voice and music, we all followed Jill on an emotional journey.


More photos from the show after the break!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Jill Barber

This week MUSIC In Vancouver had the opportunity to talk with the stunning and talented Jill Barber!

Credit: Ivan Otis

With her newest release, Mischievous Moon, Canadian musician Jill Barber feels that she's "carved out a space for [her]self," and evolved into her "own unique sound." After releasing several albums and performing for fans all over North America, it's hard to imagine Jill as a young teenager writing songs alone in her bedroom. But even now, Jill tells us, she "need[s] to be alone," in a "relaxed, self-reflective mode" when writing a new song. Inspired by artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Leonard Cohen, her jazz music reflects a style rarely seen today. And behind every song shines a strong emotional message, which, according to Jill, is exactly what music should have. She tells us that a song should be able to "become [a] soundtrack to whatever [you're] feeling," even if it differs from the artist's own feelings behind the song. But Jill tries to share her perspective through her music videos. Videos such as  "Oh My My" illustrate this emotional connection, as well as her affinity for creativity, or as she puts it, her videos are a "true collaboration [where] I bring the music and the director brings the vision." But even with all of her success Jill feels a strong bond with her fans. Recently undertaking the project of learning French, Jill made "a vow to [her] audience" that she would do so to "honour [them]." And she held true to her word with her singles "Tell Me" and "Dis-Moi," which were released simultaneously and appear on her new album. She's hoping to write more French songs too. Her Mischievous Moon tour is ending this weekend here in B.C. and Jill says she's looking forward to "hunkering down and getting back to writing." Fans can look forward to another album within the next year or two.


And for more information about Jill Barber visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Written by: Elysia Stutt

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Jill Barber Interview

MUSIC In Vancouver's Elysia had the opportunity to ask Jill Barber a few questions! Here's the complete interview:

Q: What inspired you to start writing music?
A: It was when I was a teenager and before that i'd been, of course, writing poetry, as many teenagers do. I had a lot to say as a young teenager. I was writing this poetry and my older brother started playing guitar, and I totally worshipped my older brother. So I followed in his footsteps. He taught me a couple of chords on the guitar and as soon as I could string a couple of chords together I was writing songs. Like song, after song, after song. And it was really empowering. Like suddenly I wasn't just in my bedroom putting on sad songs and listening to them and brooding over them, I was actually writing my own songs. And I found that really empowering and a way to express myself. And I was doing what my idols were doing. I was totally into music and into, especially, local Canadian indie bands. So I would go to see bands play on the weekends and I felt like I was part of that musical community by writing my own songs. So I started then and I haven't stopped.

Q: Can you describe the process you go through when writing a song?
A: It's changed over the years. I suppose I've changed and that's kind of effected my process. I need to, unless i'm co-writing, I need to be alone. I just need to be by myself, and I need to allow myself to slip into a super relaxed, self-reflective mode, where I'm not afraid to say anything out loud or just sing anything out loud. And these days I write most of my songs just by closing my eyes and opening my mouth and starting to sing. Like stream of consciousness lyrics and melodies, and just whatever comes out. It's kind of like when little kids make up songs. They're totally unselfconscious and they're just making up little [songs]. That's basically how it is for me. And I feel like it has to be that way. I'm not set about writing to any formula. I just try to allow my mind to shut off and just let the song flow out of me. It's not easy to talk about the process because it's this funny, mysterious thing, but that's roughly how it goes.

Q: How would you describe the development of your songs from album to album?
A: I think there has definitely been an evolution in sound and style. I feel like in my earlier days, with my earlier couple of records, it was more experimental, like I wasn't exactly sure what kind of an artist I wanted to be. So I was trying on different musical hats and experimenting more. I feel like with my first records I'd say "Oh this has the vibe of this kind of artist," and now I actually really feel like I'm making songs that sound like me. I feel like i've carved out a space for myself and I'm happy to live in that space and keep exploring [it] now. And of course I still take influences from other artists, but I just feel more confident and secure in my own unique sound.

Q: Is there one message or feeling you'd like people to take away from listening to your music?
A: I think what my hope is, is that my music will do for other people what music does for me. It transports me and it sets off my imagination. It allows me to get carried away, swept away in the song. I find that that's a wonderful feeling. Whenever I'm feeling blue or romantic or whatever, I put on a record and I allow that song to guide my emotions and be a soundtrack to whatever I'm feeling. And the beauty of that music is that whatever I'm feeling might be totally different from what the artist, like Ella Fitzgerald, was thinking or feeling when she was singing the song. But the song becomes mine, becomes my soundtrack. And I think my hope is that my music becomes other peoples' soundtracks to whatever is in their minds and in their hearts, whatever they're feeling.

Q: What prompted you to do a French version of your song "Tell Me"?
A: I took French Immersion as a kid but I left it behind and never practiced, so I lost a lot of my French. And as an adult I've come to regret that. I love a lot of French singers and French songs, and as a language I think French is beautiful, very sensual and romantic. About a couple of years ago I started playing more and more in Quebec, and I was playing a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival and feeling self-conscious about my French. I was so embarrassed I couldn't speak French and a friend of mine translated one of my songs for me and I sang a song in French that night and there was this lightbulb that went off. It was a turning point for me because the audience was so encouraging, and I felt so happy that I delivered a song in French. So I made a promise to myself, and a vow to my audience, that I would learn French. So for the last year or so I've been intensively studying it and I spent a month in France studying it. And I wanted, when this record came out, to make the declaration that I'm serious about learning and singing in French. So that was the song we chose to release as a single, and I deliberately wanted to release it simultaneously in French and English, to honour both my French and English fans. And it's really fun. So now whenever I'm touring in Quebec, or if I'm touring for a francophone audience, I sing in French. It's nice to have the flexibility to do both languages.

Q: So you think you'll write more songs in French?
A: Yeah, definitely. That's my goal.

Q: Do you enjoy the process involved in creating music videos?
A: Yeah, I really like making videos. A lot of the music that I make, I work on with my producer, in terms of visual imagery, so I feel like there's a lot of content there to work with from the point of veiw of our video director. It's also nice because I get to hand over the reigns to a director. It's a true collaboration of multi-media; I bring the music and the director brings the vision. And I've always worked really hands on and collaboratively with the video directors that I've worked with, but I've let them explore their art. I've worked with a few different video directors. One guy I worked with, three videos we've made together, Jonathan Bensimon, so I have a good working relationship with him. And I hope to make more videos. They're really fun to make.

Q: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would you want to work with?
A: I would love to work with Leonard Cohen. All my life I've loved him. His music has always spoken to me and he's always been a great influence on me. He's a great Canadian artist. I think to get a chance to collaborate with him would be incredible. And another guy I'd love to sing a duet with is Michael Buble. I sent him a letter actually. So I'm hoping that maybe someday we'll be singing together.

Q: What can we expect from you in the future? What are your goals?
A: With all of this touring that I've been doing this fall, I'm really getting the itch to go back and write another album. I feel like I'm collecting lots of ideas on the road and I'm looking forward to hunkering down and getting back to writing. This spring I plan to write a new record that we would probably record in the summer and release next year. So I'm just going to make another record and continue to explore my own abilities as a songwriter. [I'll] continue down the path I've set out for myself and hopefully continue to evolve and mature. And I can't say exactly where that will take me but i'm looking forward to [it].

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Grey Cup Festival

A few hours before the 99th Grey Cup Championship between the B.C. Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes played a free concert in Vancouver for the Grey Cup Festival! Earlier this year, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes made it to the top 3 of of FOX Vancouver Seeds! To find out more about them and to see more photos, check out our past post on the FOX Vancouver Seeds.

Kyle Otsuji playing the bass
More photos from the show after the break!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Jill Barber Interview Announcement

Hey all!!

We are happy to announce that this weekend Music In Vancouver will be interviewing Jill Barber! We wanted to give you guys a chance to submit your fan questions for her. Leave us a comment if there's anything you'd like us to ask.

And don't forget to check back next week for the interview posted here!

Make sure to catch Jill's show in North Vancouver on December 2nd.

NOTE: The interview has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 29th. Please check back the following              weekend for the posted interview! Thanks!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Grey Cup Festival Free Concerts

Hey guys!!

This year the Grey Cup Festival includes a weekend of free concerts!! Some great performers are going to be there, including some of our favourites!! Check out the concert schedule to see when bands like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Said the Whale, and Hey Ocean are playing.

See you there!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Free Music Alert: Young The Giant

Get a free copy of Young The Giant's Remix EP in exchange for your email and postal code!

Also check out Young The Giant's NoiseTrade page at noisetrade.com/youngthegiant and leave them a tip!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

New Said the Whale EP

Hey everyone!

Make sure to check out the new Said the Whale EP "New Brighton" on iTunes! It was released today and  only costs $2.29!! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Also, visit their website to listen to upcoming song releases, watch their music video for "Lines," and get a free song download!!

Don't forget to leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Free Music Alert: David Vertesi!

So I was just cycling though the websites of some of my favourite artists and realized that you can download a free MP3 of "Learn To Run" "Gentlemen Say" and "Mountainside" from David Vertesi's website davidvertesi.com!

Just scroll to the bottom, right click the links and click "Download Linked File."

Honestly though, you should also consider buying a physical copy of his album to support this amazing local artists! Besides, you need something for him to sign when you see him live :)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Peak Performance Project Top 5

Hey guys!

Today the Top 5 musicians of the Peak Performance Project were announced!

Congratulations to:

Acres of Lions


Hilary Grist


The Boom Booms


Current Swell


The Matinee

For more information about all of the musicians involved and tickets for the Top 3's concert at the Commodore in November, visit the Peak website.

And congratulations to the entire Top 20! Great musicians this year and I expect great things from all of them!!