Eight Concerts You Don’t Want to Miss

With Just six weeks left before we kiss goodbye to 2013, we thought we’d make sure you were up on a few can’t-miss shows you could catch before the ball drops. So we searched this great country of ours with the help of our friends at Aveleda and came up with a pair of must-see (and very different) concerts in four of our favourite cities. Since we don’t believe in ending the year on anything less than a high note, we wanted to make sure you wouldn’t have to either.      

Calgary

Drake – November 30th – Saddledome
From Degrassi to Drizzy, Aubrey Graham has always put on a good show. And now with his Drake: Would You Like a Tour about to steamroll its way across Canada we suggest you don’t miss a beat. This is a performer at the height of his game (he’s constructed a stage that’ll literally carry him up to any 300 section) coming back to claim his home soil – we suggest you leave your cowboy hat at home.

Pearl Jam – December 2nd – Saddledome
It doesn’t get Eddie Vedder than this. These guys are like our generation’s (grunge/alt) Rolling Stones. With over twenty years of back catalogue to choose from, they’ve been rocking and rolling arena shows longer than Bieber’s been alive – and they’ve gotten pretty damn good at it too. Unlike the Stones, however, they don’t have to keep paying for Mick’s babies, so who knows how much longer PJ will continue to tour – we suggest you catch them before it’s too late.    

Vancouver

Beyoncé – November 30th – Roger’s Arena
There’s a shortlist of women in the biz who can get away with just one name – and Queen Bee is right at the top. Once she lets Sasha Fierce out of the cage you better be ready for an explosion of entertainment. Is there anybody out there who can make the Superbowl halftime show more worth tuning into than the game itself? Cause Mrs. Carter certainly can.

Arctic Monkeys – December 2nd – Vogue Theatre
If you only remember these guys when ‘I bet that you look good on the dance floor’ comes on the radio then you’ve been doing yourself a huge disservice. Since their debut album in 2006, these young Brits have busted out four more – all of which have been #1 albums in the UK. We suggest you put on your dancing shoes when they stroll into town on their AM Tour.  

Toronto

Kanye West – December 22nd & 23rd – ACC
The show must go on – eventually. After a stage malfunction on his current The Yeezus Tour with Kendrick Lamar, Kanye was forced to re-schedule his Toronto shows until December. Who forced him to cancel? Well he did, of course (who else besides Kanye could tell Kanye what to do?) But it’s the very reason he cancelled them that makes his show worth going to – he won’t compromise on giving his fans anything other than the best live experience they’ve ever had.  

Jason Collet’s Basement Revue – December 5th, Dakota Tavern
Maybe Feist will drop by. Maybe Michael Ondaatje will step on stage to read a poem or two. Maybe Hayden and Kevin Drew and Bahamas and Buck 65 will all be there. What makes this event so great is that each night’s performers are kept a secret until they step up to the mic. If you’re into Toronto’s indie scene, this is pretty much your wet dream.

Montreal

Wu-Tang Clan – November 29th – L’Olympia de Montreal
We have no idea how exactly Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) got to be 20 years old but we’d give almost anything to see these eight MCs on stage together again (R.I.P. Ol’ Dirty). Middle age must mean nothing to Red Man, Method Man, and the rest of the Clan as they’ve titled this tour The Rebirth. Hey, even if it’s only just a re-living rather than a re-birth, we’ll be happy to oblige.   

Rod Stewart – December 14th – Bell Centre
Are you suggesting you wouldn’t want to hear Maggie May performed live? Or that Rod the Mod might not be able to pull of another pair of leather pants? Well, the latter may be true but that’s not reason enough to keep us away from one of the best voices the world has ever heard (Rolling Stone ranks him #59 on its list of all time greatest singers). Simply put, there’s a reason Rod has sold over a 100 million albums in his day. We don’t know about you but sometimes we need a little old school in our lives in order to help us appreciate the new. 

Enjoy and Stay Notable,

The Notable Team x Aveleda

 

Cover Image: HipHopn

Would you like to be kept in the loop of the hottest openings and events in your city? To be notified of other notable events for young professionals, click here.