The Best Shows Hitting Vancouver in August 2022

From a multi-award winning R&B icon to homegrown talent, it's all happening this month

From an award winning R&B icon to homegrown talent, it’s all happening this month

1. Eivør at Rickshaw Theatre – Monday, August 8

EivørFacebook/EivørIf you were lucky enough to attend Wardruna’s very first Vancouver appearance at The Vogue back in 2018, and you were also smart enough to show up early for the opener, there’s absolutely no doubt you ended up completely mesmerized by Eivør. Captivating audiences worldwide since the tender age of 13, the intensely charged songstress has often earned glowing comparisons to Kate Bush, but with a haunting edge stemming from her spiritual connection to her Nordic homeland. Crossing musical boundaries from traditional Faroese folk to experimental electronica, Eivør will transport you to an otherworldly place with her shapeshifting vocal range, hypnotic hand-drum rhythms and texturized guitar skills. You might not even be aware that her music has graced the soundtracks of critically acclaimed TV series such as The Last Kingdom, Homeland and Game of Thrones, alongside hit video games Metal Gear Survive and God of War. So if that’s your thing, you’d be well served to not let this truly transformative sonic experience pass you by. 
Tickets from $31.68

2. Rock Maple Ridge at Albion Fairgrounds – Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 14

Facebook/PrismFacebook/PrismWhen the line-up for Rock Maple Ridge was announced a few months ago, many people wondered if they’d just packed up the Rock Ambleside bus and shuffled it out east. Well, not exactly, but we’ll get to that in a sec. Suffice to say, fans of ’70s and ’80s retro Canadiana will be flocking to the Albion Fairgrounds to get their fill over a (hopefully) sun-soaked weekend. The always fabulous Lee Aaron will launch the event on Friday, followed by Winnipeg royalty Streetheart, and then headlined by crowd-pleasers Glass Tiger. Saturday will get ya Toronto’s own, um… Toronto, followed by glam legends Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd, local favourites Headpins, and topped off by ultra classic rockers April Wine. Sunday will get things going with the somewhat “Doug-less” Doug and The Slugs, followed by Vancouver sons Prism, Niagara Falls’ greatest exports Honeymoon Suite, and finally culminating with honorary Canucks (yeah, they’re totally Scottish, but everybody seems to think they’re Canadian) Nazareth. Grab yourself a blanket or lawn chair and get yourself out to the Ridge for the summer’s most excellent trip through nostalgia.
Tickets from $70.50, with weekend passes from $201

3. Ambleside Music Festival at Ambleside Park – Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 14

MotherFacebook/Mother MotherBack to the topic of the Ambleside Music Festival (formerly known as Rock Ambleside), I mean, what the heck happened? So everyone was thinking the beloved retro festival just basically switched up venues, but, no, that’s not the case. No longer a stroll through Generation X’s collective memories, they’ve taken a different strategy this time around, and they’re offering up a more, I suppose, millennial alternative take on what this party will look like. Either that, or their show buyer was evidently napping when the original offer came down the pipeline. Nevertheless, the newfangled line-up will include headliners Mother Mother, The Offspring and Marianas Trench, along with a plethora of modern-day hitters like Grandson, Tokyo Police Club, Walk Off the Earth, Hannah Georgas, and a whole bunch more.
Tickets from $124, with weekend passes from $293

4. The Weeknd at B.C. Place Stadium – Tuesday, August 23

WeekendFacebook/The WeekendToronto has always been an outstanding hotbed for internationally renowned talent, and regardless of Roger Waters’ opinion, the 6ix’s upper echelon doesn’t hit loftier heights these days than The Weeknd. The 32-year-old singer-songwriter-producer has been shaking things up in a serious way, becoming one of the planet’s best-selling music artists with over 75 million records sold. Read that again, I said sold, not streamed (which I’m sure is also stratospheric in numbers). His list of accolades is also massive, including four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, and 17 Junos. Football fans will also take note of his memorable Emmy-nominated halftime show at Super Bowl LV (which, quite honestly, left me quite dizzy and unable to “feel my face”). I’m personally hoping he doesn’t bring all those mirrors to B.C. Place if they leave the roof open because I live in the neighbourhood and I’m prone to reflection-induced vertigo. Anyway, if you’re interested in this gigantic show, take my advice and don’t snooze on it as tickets are sparse.
Tickets from $89

5. Backstreet Boys at Rogers Arena – Wednesday, August 24

BoysFacebook/Backstreet BoysI may have mentioned long ago that I’m typically boy band intolerant. Like lactose, I have no patience for it, and I won’t stand for it. Be that as it may, for whatever reason, the universe has decided to punish me by having Backstreet Boys invade my city. What? You don’t think that’s a bad thing and you don’t understand why it’s punishment? Well, let me tell you something, I now believe I was adopted because not one, but both of my sisters are going to this show. That’s right, there’s simply no way we can be related. I could literally not pay either one of my siblings to listen to Porcupine Tree, but they both “want it that way.” I realize it’s not about me, but my existential crisis is in full swing, and you can blame it on these guys.
Tickets from $90

6. Alicia Keys at Rogers Arena – Monday, August 29

https://www.facebook.com/aliciakeysFacebook/Alicia KeysDespite the fact approximately one in five American Idol contestants made the questionable decision to decimate her signature hit “Fallin’ ” (“oh woah woah oh ah I ah keep a on a fallin’ oh ah in and out of oh ah love oh with ah you”), it should not steer you away from recognizing Alicia Keys as an indisputable badass and class act. The 41-year-old New Yorker has been composing songs since she was 12, and she was signed to a recording contract at age 15! She’s sold 90 million records worldwide, has raked in 15 Grammy Awards, and was named the top R&B artist of the 2000s by Billboard. As an avid activist and prolific philanthropist, she’s constantly taking action against systemic racism, while lending her time and voice to the many causes and charitable organizations she holds close to her heart. Keys is the real deal, so it’s not difficult to understand why people keep ah fallin’ ah in ah love with ah her.
Tickets from $80

7. Greta Van Fleet and The Pretty Reckless at Rogers Arena – Tuesday, August 30

RecklessFacebook/The Pretty RecklessI think my mother once mentioned something to the effect of, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” No, wait, I’m almost positive it wasn’t my mom, so it had to have been somebody else. Anyway, someone said it, and in that spirit I will tell you Greta Van Fleet are coming to town…(crickets)… but, hey, The Pretty Reckless are pretty darn good, so there you go, I said something nice.
Tickets from $62.05