The Best Shows Hitting Vancouver August 2017

Don’t miss Lady Gaga, Metallica, Tom Petty and more awesome performers on stage this month

1. Lady Gaga at Rogers Arena – Tuesday, August 1

Admittedly, I was somewhat skeptical when Lady Gaga first made her grand entrance onto the scene. I mean, who the heck was this strange woman wearing a meat dress? To put it bluntly, those bizarre outfits certainly blurred reality! But as time passed, gimmicks took a backseat to true talent. There was that voice—a voice that could croon cheek-to-cheek with Tony Bennett and blast alongside Metallica—a voice that would stand up to bullies and stand strong with the LGBTQ community. And let’s all be perfectly serious: her halftime show was the only good thing to come out of Super Bowl LI. Shockingly, tickets are still available to see this multi-faceted artist, so don’t delay!
Tickets from $45 

2. Bryan Ferry at the Orpheum Theatre – Sunday, August 13

Best known for his smooth, seductive voice, Bryan Ferry graces the vintage atmosphere of the Orpheum in all his sartorial elegance. This Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire will perform cuts from his critically acclaimed 2014 release Avonmore, along with highlights from his storied career as Roxy Music’s frontman. Make sure to show up in your finest!
Tickets from $45

3. Metallica at BC Place Stadium – Monday, August 14

Haters gonna hate, but I’ve been waiting all year for this show! I don’t care how many people have told me Metallica has sold out over the years (“Yeah, those guys haven’t been any good since Ron McGovney left.” What the… really?! Dude!), but those people are what I like to refer to as wrong. You could put all three remaining components of the Big Four (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer) in a room to make some noise, and they still wouldn’t overtake the epic cacophony of this band. Join the Bay Area’s most iconic thrash-metal heroes on their WorldWired Tour with adept support in the forms of Avenged Sevenfold and Gojira.
Tickets from $55.50 

4. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Rogers Arena – Thursday, August 17

Gainesville, Florida’s beloved heartland rockers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers descend upon Rogers Arena to celebrate over 40 years in the business. Forty years? That’s no easy feat given the industry push of far too many disposable artists over the years. Expect to witness a straightforward, no frills rock ‘n’ roll show performed by real musicians. Denver’s folk-rock trio The Lumineers will open this evening of down-to-earth jubilee.
Tickets from $40 

5. Rock Ambleside Park, West Vancouver – Friday, August 18 to Sunday August, 20

Finally, somebody’s created a festival for my own nostalgic, red-and-white, maple-leaf-shaped heart. Rock Ambleside Park will feature 11 of Canada’s finest ’70s and ’80s chart-toppers spanning three beautiful summer evenings on the North Shore. The fun kicks off on Friday with Harlequin, Stampeders and Platinum Blonde. Saturday features Helix, Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd, Honeymoon Suite and Randy Bachman. Then Sunday will get you Prism, Headpins, Glass Tiger and April Wine. I can’t think of a better way to fulfill all your CanCon requirements in one place over one weekend.
Passes from $62.50

6. Summer Night Concerts at the PNE Amphitheatre – August 19 to September 4

“Win a house! Win a car!” In Vancouver, you simply cannot bid summer adieu until you’ve toured the prize home, eaten more than your share of mini donuts, and attended at least one of the Summer Night Concerts at the Fair at the PNE.  This year’s lineup offers a huge range of choices: from Vancouver’s own indie darlings Mother Mother to country star Billy Currington; from Canadian blues rocker Colin James to Texan blues trio ZZ Top; from ’70s staples The Doobie Brothers to ’80s favourites Huey Lewis and the News—and so many more. All shows are free with PNE gate admission, but if you want to secure an actual seat, you should really purchase your tickets in advance. And don’t forget to save room for wiggle chips!
Tickets for individual concerts from $20