Articles by Leslie Ken Chu

Red Hot Chili Peppers Burned Bright and Never Fizzled in Vancouver

BC Place Stadium, March 29

PUBLISHED Mar 30, 2023

Red Hot Chili Peppers have never hesitated to indulge in lengthy albums. Even after more than 40 years together, they released two double a...

​Sudan Archives Reflects on Her Triumphant Year of "Kinda Sassy, Kinda Sensual" Music

PUBLISHED Dec 8, 2022

The challenges of being a musician in 2022 are well-documented, with artists as renowned as Santigold and Animal Collective cancelling thei...

Modest Mouse Let Their Songs Do the Talking in Vancouver

Commodore Ballroom, November 28

PUBLISHED Nov 29, 2022

With little flair, Modest Mouse celebrated the 25th anniversary of their sophomore album, 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, at Vancouver's...

Beth Orton Savoured Every Moment in Vancouver

Hollywood Theatre, November 22

PUBLISHED Nov 23, 2022

"Thank you for giving me my own vagina to climb into every night." This was Beth Orton's way of shouting out her sound tech for giving her...

Quinton Barnes Careens Between Sounds and Feelings on 'For the Love of Drugs'

PUBLISHED Oct 17, 2022

Quinton Barnes' self-produced third album, For the Love of Drugs, is a gauntlet of tormented internal monologues. Drawing inspiration from...

Heaven for Real's Wise, Open-Hearted 'Energy Bar' Is Packed with Nutrition

PUBLISHED Sep 12, 2022

Heaven For Real pierce through facades and lance false impressions on their sophomore album, Energy Bar. Peeling back the layers until they...

Vancouver's Big Rig Steer Hurt into Heartfelt Reflection on Self-Titled EP

PUBLISHED Jun 22, 2022

The Courtneys' universe expands with the birth of singer-drummer Jen Twynn Payne's new project, Big Rig. Their self-titled debut doesn't ve...

Sparks Finally Got the Vancouver Celebration They Deserved

Vogue Theatre, March 15

PUBLISHED Mar 16, 2022

It took Sparks decades to make it to Vancouver, but their career-spanning show at the Vogue Theatre on Tuesday night was worth the wait for...