BENEATH THE ISLAND

Another musical dream come true on the West Coast! Scrolling through Instagram, I was stopped in my tracks by an exciting post from Limblifter-my all-time favorite band-announcing that they’d be playing the Commodore Ballroom in February alongside their good friends, Odds. The moment tickets went on sale, I grabbed one without hesitation and began the long countdown to the show.

After a few weeks, I thought to myself, Maybe my cave photography skills could transfer over to show photography pretty nicely. Maybe I should reach out to the band? So I sent off a message, and to my surprise, they responded almost immediately with a “no problem.” A dream come true!

Next came the announcement of the comedians performing at Just For Laughs—happening the same weekend. To my joy, my favorite famous comedian goblin and lead singer of the premier metal band Nekrogoblikon, John Goblikon, was set to perform the very next night. Excited, I sent off another message, and again, to my surprise, I got an awesome response: Yes! (stay tuned for a blog post)

The time finally came, and I embarked on the grueling journey from Hornby Island, where I call home, crossing multiple ferries before finally arriving in downtown Vancouver. Without wasting any time, I headed straight to the Commodore.

For those unfamiliar with the Commodore Ballroom, it’s easily one of the best venues in the country. The list of past performers is unbeatable. The atmosphere is incredible, featuring high ceilings, a spacious dance floor surrounded by booth seating, and a perfectly positioned balcony overlooking the stage. There are multiple bars and plenty of room to move. One of its most unique features is the dance floor, which has a wild bounce. Rumors say there are shock absorbers hidden beneath it.

Pat Steward, longtime drummer for Odds and several Canadian groups like 54-40 and the Matthew Good Band, took the stage to deliver a perfect introduction for Limblifter. That was my cue to jump into the pit for some photos, as we only had access for the first three songs of each set to avoid blocking the crowd’s view for the entire show.

Limblifters all-star lineup included Ryan Dahle, Megan Bradfield, Jo Passed, Jeremy Taggart, and Yato Noukoussi, a group of humans overflowing with talent.

They took stage and instantly had the crowd moving with one of Ryan Dahle’s incredible songs, “Chop Chop,” before seamlessly transitioning into “Vicious” and “Haystack Rock.” This was my cue to leave the pit, but I quickly found a great spot near the stage to take in more Limblifter favorites. A special highlight for me was “Hya” from Ryan’s solo album, featuring mesmerizing bass and backup vocals from Meg, followed by “Alarm Bells” from Limblifter’s I/O album.

Next came a dream-come-true moment when Ryan called out his good friend Steve Bays, whom I had spotted near the door earlier. I had thought to myself, It would be amazing if they played a Mounties song. If you haven’t discovered Mounties yet, do yourself a favor and check them out-the lineup features Ryan Dahle, Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat), and Hawksley Workman. To my delight, they chose to perform “Tokyo Summer” and absolutely nailed it with a flawless performance. The night just kept getting better, and we weren’t even an hour in yet.

After the epic performance of “Tokyo Summer,” Ryan announced they’d be playing “Weekend,” a song by one of their newest members, Jo Passed. The track was an absolute delight, with a sound reminiscent of Ween and Ty Segall, in my opinion. I highly recommend checking out his music. Hearing his sound for the first time live really added to the night.

Without wasting any time, they moved into three more treats: “Arial vs. Lotus,” “Up for Walking,” and “Tinfoil,” all highlighted by the impressive drums and percussion by Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady Peace), and Yato Noukoussi, before unleashing a crowd favorite-“Remote Control” from Ryan’s band Age of Electric. Yet another classic featured on The Big Shiny Tunes compilation-a huge part of my musical upbringing.

The set was beautifully wrapped up with “A Perfect Day” before a short intermission.

Then came the night’s second act-Craig Northey, Doug Elliott, Murray Atkinson, and Kurt Dahle-taking the stage as I settled back into the best seat in the house: the photo pit, positioned perfectly between the crowd and the band. To my surprise, there were even seats along the front of the rails. The show kicked off with three of my favorites-“Make You Mad,” “It Falls Apart,” and “Eat My Brain”-which flew by far too quickly. Before I knew it, my time in the pit was up, and I had to rejoin the crowd. Fortunately, I found a great vantage point to keep snapping photos.

From there, I was swept up in a rollercoaster of Many Odds classics, including “Satisfied,” “Write It in Lightning,” and “Nothing Beautiful.” The band radiated confidence and energy, never losing momentum for a second.

A standout moment of the night was the emotional performance of “Walk Among the Stars,” a tribute to the late Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip, a true Canadian icon. The crowd, already buzzing, seemed to come even more alive. The set continued with “Crash the Time Machine” and “He Thinks He Owns You,” followed by the instantly recognizable Corner Gas theme song, “Not a Lot Goin’ On.”

The show rolled on with “Mercy to Go,” “Love Is the Subject,” and “Truth Untold,” featuring an electrifying performance from Pat Steward on drums. The band wrapped up with “Someone Who’s Cool,” but after a short break, they returned for a stunning encore.

The encore began with “Radios in Heaven,” featuring Ryan, followed by the live premiere of Listening Party, a brand-new collaboration between Limblifter and Odds, bringing the entire all-star lineup together. As the crowd roared for more, the band delivered “My Happy Place,” the closing theme from Corner Gas. But even that wasn’t enough-the audience refused to let the night end. Chants echoed through the venue until the band returned once more for a final performance of “Jack Hammer,” bringing the night to an electrifying close.

It was a show packed with energy, emotion, and incredible musicianship-a night I won’t soon forget. I can’t thank everyone from Limblifter, Odds and everyone involved enough for the experience.