Arctic Monkeys - Vogue Theatre Vancouver

December 2013

📸: The Snipe News

Gallery: Polyphia @ Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC Date: October 10, 2023 Photographed by: Danielle Costelo

Downtown Vancouver (No. 12)

Vogue Theatre is an Art Deco/Art Moderne styled building originally built as a movie house, and currently used as an event venue for the performing arts. Situated on Vancouver’s “Theatre Row", the building was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1993.

The Vogue Theatre is an example of Art Deco or Moderne architecture. The Vogue has been a National Historic Site of Canada since it was officially recognized by the federal government on November 20, 1993, under the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.[1] The interiors of the building are not officially protected. The Vogue is also a City of Vancouver heritage "A" building.

The Vogue Theatre is crafted in the Art Deco style, emphasizing sleek lines and fluid contours. It has symmetrical façades, constructed in a mixture of textured concrete and terrazzo panels with wrought-iron screens. One of the defining features of Vogue is its large neon sign which is topped by silhouette of the Roman Goddess Diana.

Source: Wikipedia

Commodore Ballroom is a music venue, dance floor and nightclub located on 800 block of Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is regarded as Canada's most influential nightclub, and one of North America's best live music venues. The building was built in the Art Deco style of the late 1920s by George Conrad Reifel and designed by architect H.H. Gillingham. Best known for showcasing special performances, the venue is also known for its sprung dance floor, whose horsehair lining absorbs, rather than reflecting back, some of the impact of dancers' feet. At the time it was installed, only a few venues in the world had similar floors.

Source: Wikipedia

[PHOTOS] Alkaline Trio @ Vogue Theatre

Shots by Jacob Zinn

Snowy night down Granville Street, Vancouver.

Concert Review: Welcome to Hellvetica Tour

Yes, I know that IDKHOW and P!ATD fandoms don't get along.

I don't care. I am an elder emo, I like what I like and I'm not interested in whatever that's all about.

With that out of the way, time to review IDKHOW and Joywave's delightful Welcome to Hellvetica tour, specifically their stop at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, BC.

PART I: The Venue

I'll begin by saying that this was my first show here in Vancouver, and I had very little context about what to expect from any venue other than an arena or stadium, which are generally the same everywhere. Last time I saw IDKHOW was this past February at Jannus Live in St. Pete, Florida, which might be my all time favorite venue to date. Vogue Theatre is nothing like Jannus Live. It is an historic theatre (1941 to be exact) and it looks every bit of its age, in the best way possible. It is small and cozy, with the stage level ground area cleared out and seats on the second level overlooking the stage. It feels like the kind of theatre I would have been brought to as an elementary school student on a field trip, but run through an apocalypse filter and aged. It's fantastic.

That said, the stage setup for both bands did lend itself better to a venue with single-level seating (standing) like at Jannus. I'm not confident a venue with a layout like that at a comparable size exists in Vancouver, and it would make sense that if most of the other venues were single-level, the stage would be geared towards that. As a nearly-30-something who is tired by showtime O'clock at night, I opted for the seats up above. I think if I had a little more zip or if my husband had been a little more into it, we would've had a better time standing on the first floor.

PART II: No One Likes the Opening Band

Except I really did. I had no idea there was an opener for this tour because no website I could find indicated this or listed who was going to be opening for any given night of the tour. This made me a little sad because I really liked the opening band, and also a little confused since IDKHOW has their ongoing bit with that song. I eventually was able to figure out that the band was The Darcys, and they were an enjoyable mix of slightly psychedelic rock vibes with poppier elements sprinkled in. They put on an energetic show, the crowd down below seemed to vibe, they were solid without upstaging the coheadlining bands... by all measures, a solid opener and an artist I would revisit and keep an eye on for the future.

PART III: Joywave

I went into Joywave completely blind. Or, I thought I did. I had no idea they were responsible for the deathly catchy 'Dangerous' that I heard on alternative radio back in Tampa. However, I was won over long before they pulled that banger out of their back pocket. Their stage design was, again while something that would be better enjoyed from a more eye-level vantage point, bizarrely entertaining featuring the back of a corvette and arranging the artists in a circle with no instrument being where you might traditionally expect it around the lead singer. Everyone had matching repair garage type getups. It was unusual, it was eye catching, and it worked. The stage paled in comparison to the show they were about to put on. They came out with a very spirited rendition of 'O Canada' that would be reprised during IDKHOW's set, and the crowd went wild. I have not lived here long enough to know all of the words to O Canada, and I was thoroughly impressed. The 'we love Canada, why don't we sell more records here, we had to download ArriveCAN to come here, we want a Juno' schtick was wholesome and pandering without being over the top; when it was revealed that Dallon Weekes did not know the words to O Canada to join in the reprise, it just added to the earnestness and try-hard likability of Joywave. None of this to say the rest of their set didn't knock their socks off; I loved them from start to finish, with an energetic set and a take on the genre I hadn't heard much of before, but that I definitely will be seeking more of. After the first chunk of their set, I had to say I was not shocked that they played something I had heard on the radio just based on how much I enjoyed their set up to that point, it seemed impossible to me that they would not have had a hit yet. Overall, after going in with no expectations for Joywave, they made a (Canadian) fan out of me and I will be petitioning for them to win a Juno.

PART IV: IDKHOW

This was the band on the ticket that convinced me to purchase it and show up; after seeing them on a whim back in St. Pete and being completely blown away by the show, I knew that anything they put their name on was going to be a worthwhile time. At this point, fans probably are aware that this was the last show Dallon played before the laryngitis incident knocked IDKHOW off the bill for a show or two after this one; although he said himself he was feeling a lot better during the show, as someone who had recently seen the band I could tell they just weren't quite on their game like they were in February. This is not to say that the show wasn't excellent; their music is fabulous, the screen memes about the invisible sax solos had me genuinely chuckling, the musicianship was on point, and the setlist was well curated. Their cover of Heaven is a Place on Earth legit sent me, that is one of my favorite older songs of all time and to have one of my favorite contemporary bands cover it and do it justice was a trip. However, at the end of the day, I could just tell that Dallon's voice wasn't quite 100% and he probably didn't feel 100% based on the performance I saw. The great thing about really talented artists, though, is that even on an off day they can deliver something great and IDKHOW did just that.

PART V: General Impressions

If you were on the fence about snagging a ticket to this tour, I would say go for it. I think that both headliners complement each other well, and if you like one you will probably really like the other. They both put on fun, energetic shows and will hopefully be around for a long time. This could be your chance to say you saw them back when they toured the smaller niche venues, so don't pass it up ;)

Taylor Russell for British Vogue

Zawe included in Vogue’s best dressed stars of the week (x)

Clothes and the Car... At the Theatre for Vogue, Photo by Sir Cecil Beaton, 1927.

📍Monica Bellucci graces the cover of Vogue Arabia, photographed by Nima Benati for their March issue themed 'Beauties of the World'

Italian Actor Monica Bellucci on Continuing to Transfix Audiences Around the World at 59

An eternal muse, the beloved Italian actor continues to transfix audiences around the world. She also inspired the world’s greatest directors, most recently Tim Burton.

The most beautiful woman in Italy. The sexiest woman alive. World class bombshell. Since her first on-screen appearance in the early Nineties, Monica Bellucci has been showered with accolades related to her looks. Now, at 59, praises continue to rain down on her, showing a definitive shift in the global mindset: a woman’s beauty evolves with time; and when led by magnetic charisma and talent that speaks to people across cultures and generations, it endures.

“Things are changing because women today are talking out loud. They’re less scared to talk,” offers Bellucci. “I’m in Paris and I see all these incredible actors like Isabelle Huppert, Charlotte Rampling, Fanny Ardant…women who still have the possibility to play leading roles and they’re still amazing. It really proves how things are different compared to before, where after 40 years old, women didn’t have the chance to work anymore–even though they were still talented, it was impossible. I can’t say that everything is done–the evolution is still there and it’s really changing.”

Of course, Bellucci is far more than a beautiful woman. While her entertainment industry debuts were as a muse and model for photographers like Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton and fashion and jewelry houses like Dolce & Gabbana and Cartier, she has evolved into an artist with an expansive career spanning film and theater. A polyglot, who can act in many languages, Bellucci has worked with the likes of Sam Mendes for whom she made headlines as the oldest Bond girl in history in Spectre; with Giuseppe Tornatore in the role of a war widow in Malena, and with Gaspar Noé who directed one of her most remarkable performances in the dark art film Irréversible alongside her former husband Vincent Cassel.

“Each director gave me the possibility for me to evolve as an actor, and many of them come from different countries and different cultures,” she says. Her experiences with female directors remain sparse but special. “I like it very much because there is an intimacy between women. Sometimes we look at each other and without words, we can have the same feeling about things. There is something very spontaneous and distinctive and natural, and I like this very much,” she says.

Bellucci is also a woman in love. She made her first red carpet appearance hand-in-hand with legendary director Tim Burton at the Rome Film Festival, in October of last year. “It’s so interesting and beautiful to share the experience of work with someone that is also the person that you love,” she says of the time spent on set as an actor in Burton’s forthcoming film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And while she shares that she is at her happiest when she is with her children, she expresses that she is equally joyful when she is in love. “When I have the possibility to feel alive as a woman,” she expresses of her current state of bliss.

The Burton movie is not the only film forthcoming for Bellucci. The actor’s warm and melodic voice rhymes off her recent work. She is presently shooting a TV series in France and has just wrapped a film with Iranian director Marjane Satrapi, the woman behind Persopolis. “When I make a movie, more than feeling nervous, I’m excited, especially in the first few days,” remarks Bellucci of her feelings on-set. She notes that cinema is a completely different experience to theater, an art she dedicated the past three years of her life to, performing across Europe in the one-woman show Maria Callas’ Letters and Memoirs. “This was really something that made me very nervous,” she says of her experience before a live audience. There is something very sincere and artisanal in the process of making a show. But at the same time, it’s very intense because you can’t really make any mistakes, and the public can really feel what you feel. This relationship is very beautiful, but also very intense.”

Bellucci describes herself as “very feminine,” but is not fixated on anything beauty-related. She practices pilates and eats well. “I’m not obsessed with anything. I like to live and to have a real life. If I want to go and buy things, I want to feel free to go.” Bellucci’s self-confidence, sophistication, and warmth emanate from her hazel eyes. It is perhaps her curiosity that is the essence of her decidedly youthful spirit. “My job, I really think that it’s a kind of job that you never stop learning,” she says. “And I’m still enjoying doing that. I’m really full of passion for my work.”

Originally published in the March 2024 issue of Vogue Arabia

Style: Barbara Baumel
Fashion director: Amine Jreissati
Hair: John Nollet for Maison de Beauté Carita
Makeup: Letizia Carnevale
Nails: Nafissa Djabi
Digital operator: Massimo Fusardi
Hair assistant: Pierrick Sellenet
Lighting assistant: Pierre Cathala
Producer: Sam Allison
Talent: Monia

Hamlet, Elizabeth Taylor, and a Portable Bloody Mary Cabinet: The True Story Behind Sam Mendes’s Thrilling New Play

Gallery: Ruel @ Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC Date: June 30, 2023 Photographed by: Rachael Buckoski

*Do not share without credit. If shared, please tag and credit Rachael Buckoski and The Permanent Rain Press on Instagram, and The Permanent Rain Press on Twitter.

“If ever there was a time for me to take on a dude like this, it’s probably now,” she says. (We are speaking as the tragic invasion of Ukraine unfolds, and Vladimir Putin’s brutality hangs over our conversation.) Her understanding of men like Richard—who Shakespeare committed to our historical memory as a twisted, hunchbacked villain and possibly the most evil monarch of all time—has become much stronger and more nuanced. “As you get older, you realize more and more about what toxic masculinity is, and there’s something about getting into it from a female perspective, from my perspective. We’re looking at horrible tyrannical behavior right now. I want to dig into: What is that?”

---

The last time Gurira performed in a play, in fact, was in 2011, when she was cast as the virtuous, innocent Isabella in Shakespeare in the Park’s Measure for Measure—“the polar opposite” to Richard, she says. Richard is a king with a bad reputation and irresistible allure, the protagonist and antagonist at the same time. He’s a “villain you want to watch,” says O’Hara, “and Danai has that in her: She’s incredibly charismatic but incredibly bold. She has a very strong energy that can captivate an audience.”

It is early days—far from the start of rehearsals in May—when we speak, but O’Hara already has some idea of where he’d like to push his production. For starters, he will situate it in the late 15th century, the period when the play actually takes place.

[PHOTOS] Maisie Peters @ Vogue Theatre

Gemma Arterton | Prada dress | Evening Standard Theatre Awards | 2015