The River Rock Show Theatre is going to be one hoppin’ place when they bring back live music in style with The Rocket Man and The Piano Man next month!

The Rocket Man and The Piano Man at the River Rock

• When: Friday, May 6, 2022 at 8:00pm
• Where: River Rock Show Theatre (8811 River Rd #8831, Richmond)
• Tickets: Available online now for $34.50 (plus applicable taxes & fees)

Moon Coin Productions presents The Rocket Man A Tribute to Elton John, starring Ryan Langevin features a full live band while Langevin sings all of Elton’s biggest hits including Crocodile Rock, Benny and The Jets, Tiny Dancer, Sad Songs, Your Song, Saturday Night’s Alright, Philadelphia Freedom, Candle In The Wind and so many more.

The Rocket Man has sold out shows across the country, played Canada Day performances for thousands, entertained the PNE and theatres from New West to Saskatoon and everywhere in between.

Getting the night started on all the right notes, Langevin will open the show as The Piano Man, a genuine and powerful tribute to the music and legacy of Billy Joel. An accomplished vocalist, pianist and performer along with his live band Langevin will have you dancing and singing along to all of Billy’s biggest hits including It’s Still Rock n Roll To Me, The Piano Man, My Life, Just The Way You Are, You May Be Right, Only The Good Die Young, Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It, River Of Dreams and more.

Make it a night to remember; book a stay at the River Rock Casino Resort by contacting the reservations team at 1-866-748-3718 or booking online.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this lively night of entertainment. Here’s how you can enter to win:

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on April 20, 2022.

People travel in all kinds of ways, for all kinds of reasons. Like me, I was a nomad for a few years and made my way through 25 countries on a slow roll. I’m mostly about experiences and exploring, so I’m comfortable with modest stays – provided the bed is good and the space is clean and attractive.

Some people, they’re all about posh and chill. It’s a getaway, they want it luxe and distraction-free. Hey, I get it! But, like many people, I’ve got to pick one or the other on my budget, and posh gets pricy.

For those like me, who look for a budget-friendly but comfortable way to stretch their budget, the YWCA Hotel is a fantastic option in Downtown Vancouver. It’s a clean, comfortable, newly renovated place to stay in the heart of the city, and where to stay when you’d rather blow your wad on adventures, dining, seeing the sights, or even shopping up a storm. It’s also ideal when swooping into town for a concert you’ve splurged on and just want a place to lay your head.

YWCA Hotel in Downtown Vancouver

When I come to Vancouver, it’s a whirlwind of catching up with friends and gettin’ business done. It’s hec-tic (but fun). My room is for crashing in, mostly. I’m out for hours at a time, possibly multiple times a day, because I spent 40 years of my life in Vancity and now live across the pond in Victoria. I got people to see, things to do, and I need great sleeps to get it all done with.

This time, Miss 604 arranged for me to try the YWCA Hotel. I’d been there before, in the older rooms, back about 8-9 years ago. These days, a new tower has been added with contemporary, clean, simple rooms.

Importantly, I slept well. And as someone with a bad back who walks an average of 10 kilometres a day during her frantic visits home, that my back felt good after a night of sleep is a big thumbs up, and a rarity in budget-friendly stays.

While I love being in the West End for lazy visits, it adds as much as a half-hour for even the most basic bus commutes. It makes those hec-tic gettin’-business-done visits much more taxing. The YWCA sits at under one kilometre from so much in Downtown. Pacific Centre? Gastown? Yaletown? Chinatown? Coal Harbour? All a short walk.

It’s also smack dab between two skytrain lines – the Canada Line (City Centre and Yaletown are both nearly equidistant from the YWCA, about eight minutes each) and the Expo Line at Stadium is just four minutes away.

It’s across from BC Place and around the corner from Rogers Arena for Canucks games. Science World is a 20-minute walk and the foot ferries at Plaza of Nations are only 600 metres. (There are two foot-ferry companies and they can take you to Granville Island, the Maritime Museum, Science World, and so many other locations. It’s a particularly fun and beautiful way to see Vancouver. Get a day pass but be sure the company goes to all the stops you want.)

There’s really no better location for getting around the city.

If you’re looking to cycle around for your stay, bringing your bikes should be quite safe. While I stayed, my friend came down to visit with his $5,000 e-bike, which they allowed us to store in the secure bike parking. To use it, my key card had to be specially encoded to access not only the underground parking, but specifically the unmarked bike room. My friend’s bike was just dandy.

Now, let’s answer the question everyone feels silly about asking:

Can only “young women” stay at the YWCA Hotel? No! Everyone can. But the hotel runs as a social enterprise to deliver needed programs for at-risk and other communities across all ages and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Vancouver, benefitting women, children, and families. Most of the YWCA’s income to support these programs is generated through their hotel and fitness centres, both of which were hit hard under COVID.

In short, your stay helps people who really need a break.

The YWCA staff are there to help you. They’re friendly and professional. The hotel is clean, stylish, and comfortable. A variety of room types make stays affordable for all kinds of folks. I stayed in one of the rare double rooms with a balcony and private bathroom.

Some rooms have budget-friendly options like shared bathrooms, hostel-style, for those who don’t mind such scenarios. There are fitness facilities and two general-use full kitchens for food prep (fourth and tenth floors), as well as kitchenettes on each floor, so you can be like the French couple I saw having a posh breakfast out then grabbing some groceries for a charcuterie-ish lunch after their nap. I had a mini-fridge in my room, which would make using kitchens even more practical, but ensure your suite has a fridge, if that’s important to you.

Let’s face it, Vancouver is a wonderful city to explore, but it’s pricy, and having options for safe, friendly clean lodgings that make other people’s lives better, well, how great is that?

Whether you choose to catch up on specialty shopping, run errands, attend events, see the sights, eat your way through the city, or just wander and see where the day takes you, the YWCA Hotel will help you stay on budget and reduce the time you waste just getting around. And it’ll do a little good in the world too.

Read more hotel reviews and posts by Steffani »

A signature Vancouver entertainment experience is returning this summer as Theatre Under the Stars hits the Malkin Bowl stage in Stanley Park July 2 to August 27, 2022. Audiences will travel back in time to witness the birth of the world’s first musical and launch into the future for a rock-and-roll fuelled revolution when the long-awaited return of Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) presents Something Rotten! and We Will Rock You, running alternate evenings.

A beloved Vancouver tradition since 1940, TUTS’ two-show subscription packs are on sale today through May 18 (early bird single tickets on sale May 24).

Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park

• Where: Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park 610 Pipeline Rd. Vancouver, BC
• Dates: July 2 to August 27, 2022 Performances alternate evenings
  • Previews: July 2-5, 2022
  • Opening Nights: July 7 & 8
• Times: All shows at 8:00pm, except on Fireworks Nights (July 23, 27 & 30) when shows begin at 7:00pm
• Tickets: Adult Subscriptions $90; Youth Subscriptions (Ages 5-12) $60; Regular Tickets $30–$65
  • Subscriptions are available online or by calling 1-800-514-3849 until May 18. Early bird single tickets, from $20, will go on sale May 24.

“After a two-year hiatus as a result of the pandemic, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome back our cherished TUTS community to Malkin Bowl, carrying on the annual tradition of spectacular theatre in our magical outdoor setting,” says TUTS Board President Patrick Roberge.

“This summer is about bringing people back together to enjoy the collective experience of live theatre, featuring two blockbuster musicals: A fresh, irreverent love letter to Broadway with Something Rotten! and a high-octane homage to rock-and-roll featuring the hits from legendary rock group Queen in We Will Rock You. Both shows will leave audiences pulsing with energy, singing and dancing into the night.”

Set in the streets of Elizabethan England, Something Rotten! is brimming with humorous witticisms, clever lyrics, and colourful song-and-dance numbers that poke fun at everything audiences adore about Broadway, with melodic and choreographic references to such famed musicals as West Side Story, South Pacific, and Les Misérables. Determined to write a hit show, playwright siblings Nick and Nigel Bottom enlist a mysterious soothsayer, who foresees they can beat Shakespeare’s success by creating a brand new form of theatre… the musical! The whimsical satire will be directed by Rachel Peake, who makes her TUTS debut. A three-time Jessie Richardson Award winner, Peake has directed works for numerous theatre and opera companies, including Vancouver Opera, Citadel Theatre, Gateway Theatre and Persephone Theatre.

Set 300 years in the future, where the world is ruled by sinister leader Killer Queen, two misfits, Galileo and Scaramouche, rise up in their fight for freedom. We Will Rock You reflects the spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. Having thrilled more than 16 million audience members worldwide, the musical features over 20 hits from the band’s iconic songbook including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” Also making her TUTS debut is We Will Rock You director Saccha Dennis, an actor and director, most recently seen on stage in the hit musical Come From Away. Dennis has toured across Canada and the U.S., including the first U.S. national tour of We Will Rock You.

TUTS will once again offer a two-show subscription pack – allowing audiences to secure their seats to both productions for one great price. On sale now through May 18, subscriptions are $90 for adults and $60 for youth ages 5-12, and include premium tickets to both productions, souvenir programs, and exchange insurance for both nights.

Live music is set for an extraordinary West Coast comeback as the Squamish Constellation Festival (“SCF”) returns to Hendrickson Field in Squamish, British Columbia from July 22 to 24, 2022. The lineup for the much anticipated festival has just been announced and I have a pair of weekend passes to give away!

Headlining the three-day, two-stage event, SCF welcomes Canadian rock icons July Talk (Friday), Austin-based psychedelic rockers and Grammy Award-nominees Black Pumas (Saturday), and angelic singer-songwriter, multi-Grammy and Juno Award-winner, Sarah McLachlan (Sunday).

In the heart of the Sea to Sky Corridor between Vancouver and Whistler, the multi-genre, zero-waste music festival brings world-class talent and a new on-site camping experience to a backdrop of stunning glacial vistas.

In addition to live performances, the summer celebration brings interactive art, local-craft beverages, a signature Flowr™garden (cannabis consumption site), an artisan marketplace, food trucks, family-friendly activities and more to the festival field.

“This summer marks a welcome return for live music in British Columbia. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of Squamish Constellation Festival,” said McLachlan, who will be headlining the 3-day event Sunday, July 24. “We all benefit from live music and collectively need it now more than ever. The essence of Constellation, which brings people together in community to celebrate not only the arts, but one another, is something I deeply connect with and am proud to be a part of.”

Passes On Sale April 8 at 10:00am

Advance general admission weekend passes will be available for $285 plus taxes and fees, and $450 for VIP plus taxes and fees. Layaway plans are available. Newsletter subscribers will receive a presale code for discounted passes on April 6 and 7, 2022.

Squamish Constellation Festival Lineup

Friday: July Talk, Dear Rouge, Lights, Yukon Blonde, Moontricks, PiqSiq, Jessia, Blonde Diamond, Fake Shark, and Mauvey

Saturday: Black Pumas, Andy Shauf, Black Pistol Fire, Whitehorse, William Prince, Haley Blais, Hotel Mira, Ashleigh Ball, Lowdown Brass Band, Hyaenas, and Coastal Wolf Pack

Sunday: Sarah McLachlan, Jarvis Church, Ocie Elliott, Terra Lightfoot, Teddy Thompson, iskwē, Daniel Wesley, Old Soul Rebel, Pharis & Jason Romero, Miesha and The Spank, Skye Wallace, and Out East

Win Weekend Passes

I have a pair of weekend passes to give away! Here’s how you can enter to win:

Follow the Festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Read Miss604’s coverage of SCF 2021

This North Shore canyon will spring to life for Easter at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park April 14-18, 2022. The Park will be decorated for the season and will host special Easter themed activities including the Echo Eagles Scavenger Hunt.

Easter at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

• When: Thursday, April 14 to Monday, April 18: 9:00am to 6:00pm  
• Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver)
• Tickets: Purchase tickets in advance online to avoid missing out. Visits are scheduled in 30-minute arrival increments. BC Annual Pass holders are also required to reserve their time online prior to their visit

Meet bunnies and chicks up close with Cinemazoo, and the birds of Raptors Ridge are returning to showcase beautiful hawks, owls and falcons.

Start your day by enjoying a delicious Easter Brunch Buffet at The Cliff House Restaurant from 10:00am to 2:00pm or visit a little later to enjoy Hoppy Hour features from 2:00pm to 5:30pm daily. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ticket and event updates will be posted on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Related: Love Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park