GM Place- Vancouver, BC
W/ Sick Puppies, Shinedown

Austrailia’s Sick Puppies started off the evening with The Pretender, a bonus song off their last release Tri-Polar. My World was next, from their first album Dressed Up as Life. Another attendee favorite was the single Odd One.

Sick Puppies even managed to cover Destiny’s Child’s Say My Name, with a Green Day Brain Stew rift; interesting choice. The crowd that was in attendance early in the show really seemed into it.

Ending the set with the aggressive You’re Going Down, the audience was fully prepared for the next rockers, Shinedown.

Earlier that day, Sick Puppies urged Vancouverites to attend the “Free Hugs” event. Their ground-breaking “Free Hugs” video has received over 11 million Youtube views to date.

Sound of Madness kicked off Shinedown’s set, followed by the pulverizing track Devoir. An extended acoustic version of Simple Man was well performed.

Frontman Brent Smith stated that the people in attendance were the only people that mattered to them in the whole world at that moment because it is an event, something that is hyped up and much more powerful than a show. An event is something you plan to attend months in advance. Shinedown ended their set with their huge hit, power ballad Second Chance.

Nickelback, as always, opened their set with a big bang and a myriad of multi-coloured flames and explosions kept on going during the first hard-hitting track Burn It to the Ground. The stage was surrounded by two screens, as well as five moving cubes with video screens, enabling many close ups of each band member—a feature that the audience loved.

The hard-rocking Flat on the Floor was next, leading to a sing-along favourite, Photograph. Other sing-along favorites were Savin’ Me, and Something in Your Mouth. Photograph was accompanied by, of course, a collage of various photos. This time though, it included a Canucks logo and Sidney Crosby celebrating his gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics; a nice touch that Vancouverites appreciated.

Other notable tracks included Rock Star, Animals, This Afternoon, and How You Remind Me (from 2001’s Silver Side Up). Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places were two well-received covers amidst Nickelback’s chart-topping hits.

Nickelback definitely came to party, and party they did. A roadie made it easy to keep the party going by bringing Jaeger Bombs so the band could have shots between each set. Chad Kroeger later joked that the fans need not worry, as he will not be driving after the show (referencing his DUI).

Nickelback was fan friendly, spending much time on a catwalk to enable better viewing for more of the audience, handed out shooters and shot out free t-shirts. Kroeger even pulled out an H cup bra that a fan threw on stage at another show in South Carolina, placing it on the mic stand. The only apparent frustration for some fans was the excessive chatting onstage, however, it was something that was easily forgotten as soon as the next track started and the party continued.

+Darcy Fettback