The Best Shows Hitting Vancouver November 2017

Throwback R&B, death metal giants and a Canuck rock queen take centre stage for can’t-miss shows this month

1. Headstones at The Commodore Ballroom – Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11

Well, it has certainly been awhile, but Headstones frontman Hugh Dillon is finally taking a break from his prolific acting career to join his band on a long-awaited cross-Canada tour. Smile and wave at Kingston’s second-most popular alt-rock heroes as they host not one, but two nights at the fabulous Commodore and play all of your ’90s favourites plus new stuff from their latest release, Little Army.
Tickets for Friday or Saturday $39.50

2. Vintage Trouble at Rickshaw Theatre – Sunday, November 12

L.A.’s coolest throwback R&B quartet, Vintage Trouble hits Chinatown to show off their own unique brand of slick rhythm and groove. If your musical taste veers toward the retro sounds of Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard or Chuck Berry, this is the band for you. Catch the fierce pack now before they get so huge you won’t be able score a ticket without emptying out your bank account.
Tickets $25

3. Arch Enemy and Trivium at The Vogue Theatre – Thursday, November 23

Sweden’s melodic death-metal titans Arch Enemy are considered a permanent fixture on the global metal scene and, with the addition of Montreal’s own Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, they’ve cemented that worthy status. Showcasing their newest offering Will to Power, expect them to blow the roof off the downtown soft-seater so be forewarned. Floridian metalcore stalwarts Trivium will lend adept support, promoting their latest release The Sin and the Sentence.
Tickets from $37.50

4. Abbyfest featuring Glass Tiger with special guests Chilliwack and Sass Jordan at Abbotsford Centre – Saturday, November 25

Ever since losing its AHL team—the Abbotsford Heat—a few years back, it looks like Abbotsford Centre is settling in famously as the place to go to rekindle memories of your musical youth. Such is the case with Abbyfest, featuring three of Canada’s top artists from just a few years gone by. Glass Tiger will headline and—let me tell you—if their August appearance at Rock Ambleside Park was any indication, you’re in for a stellar performance. Local legends Chilliwack and Montreal’s Sass Jordan will provide support to round out this nostalgic Canadiana-fest so, really, who needs hockey anyway?
Tickets from $29.99

5. Jonny Lang at The Commodore Ballroom – Wednesday, November 29

When blues prodigy Jonny Lang signed his first major label record deal, he was a mere 15 years old. That album, Lie to Me, went platinum and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s New Artist chart. Not too shabby! Now, at age 36, he continues to wow audiences with his extraordinary guitar prowess. His latest release, Signs, channels such legendary heroes as Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf. Do yourself a favour and head over to downtown’s classic ballroom to get your fill of real honest to goodness blues.
Tickets $45

6. A Perfect Circle at Pacific Coliseum – Thursday, November 30

Chances are pretty good you might’ve missed Tool when they rolled through town this past summer as tickets sold out in a matter of microseconds. Now you have the chance to catch one of Maynard James Keenan’s other projects, A Perfect Circle, instead. This genre-bending outfit has been teasing an album release sometime in 2018 and word has it they’ve been performing new material on this tour. Get out there and be among the first to check out the new tracks before certain active-rock radio stations play the songs to death with vehement frequency.
Tickets from $65