I WAS THERE

09/12/2026

*MARK FARINA @ The Pearl — Fri Sept 11, 2026*

Mushroom Jazz legend in full effect. 🍄✨

Nordic Trax presents Mark Farina with an extended set til 4AM at The Pearl (881 Granville). House heads know — 3 decades deep and still one of the best to ever do it.

Support from Luke McKeehan & Schemmatic to warm it up right. 19+

Pure vibes, all night long. We were there. 📸

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

*Granville DJ Festival — Saturday, Sept 5 — 1100 Block Granville St*

Sun out, street closed, 7000 sq ft of Granville turned into a proper block party. Free entry, 19+, 2PM-9PM.

Saturday's flow was so organic — Jay D easing us in, Wreckage & Lokoboy building it up, Zak Santiago keeping it groovy, then Nikky and headliner Rashad taking it home. All Vancouver DJs, all love.

Festival sound, 4 bars, food vendors, low benches to just kick it and people-watch. Felt less like a festival and more like Granville finally doing what it should do.

Perfect summer send-off.

08/31/2026

Vancouver, you showed up. And how.

Public Disco closed out their 10th summer season yesterday (2PM-10PM) exactly how they should — *FREE, all-ages, all-vinyl, right in the middle of downtown* at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

No wristbands, no VIP, just the city turning into a dancefloor. Curated for the 2nd year by Dairy Free, the lineup was straight heat: *Awood, Pacific Coliseum, Anika, Serena S b2b Ian Prentice, and Dairy Free* — all vinyl, all day. Feel-good house, groovy techno, those perfect unexpected blends that make you Shazam air.

Beyond the decks? This is what makes Public Disco special:

*Vinyl heaven* — Painted Lady, Dandelion, Cool Underground Music, Paranoise record market digging.
*Granville Flea vintage market* — thrift gems while you groove.
*Food that slaps* — Chai Wagon, Taco Tigre, Yo Bones, Magical Ring Donuts.
*Olé Cocktail Co. bar + Phillips Dinosaur Bar* for sips.
*Pattern Nation kids zone*, picnic tables, bistro chairs, umbrellas for shade, and free water — properly family-friendly.

From toddlers dancing on the Art Gallery steps to heads deep in the crates to the downtown after-work crowd stumbling into the best party they didn’t know was happening — it was pure Vancouver community joy.

Presented by Olé Cocktail Co., 10 years deep and still doing it right: putting underground dance music where it doesn’t usually live, and making it feel like it belongs there.

*Best free party of the summer. 10/10. See you next summer, Public Disco.*

_Public Disco Block Party: Downtown | Aug 29, 2026 | Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza | Free / All Ages_

08/26/2026

Photo Highlights of Prospect / Kevin Saunderson Event…
---

*PROSPECT - Vancouver - Sat Aug 22, 2026 - 5/5 ★★★★★*

If you were there, you know. If you weren't, you missed a masterclass.

VANTEK's Prospect returned yesterday and RA picked it for a reason — 13 hours of proper techno, done right. Daytime 5PM-11PM open-air with food trucks, art, and a _real_ sound system, then 11PM-6AM inside at Frankie's on Franklin for the night session.

I came for Kevin Saunderson and he delivered exactly what you'd expect from one of the Belleville Three. Pure Detroit originator energy. He opened up with deep, soulful grooves and worked his way into classic Inner City moments — when "Good Life" dropped in the open-air at sunset, the whole lot sang. Not a nostalgia set though, it was forward-thinking, heavy, hypnotic. Proper journey.

The daytime support was perfect build: Afrooz, AWood, and ZDBT set the tone without trying to steal the headline. Afrooz especially went deep.

Transition to night was seamless. Once it moved inside for Luigi Madonna, Edgar Cal, JP-91 and Notevendown, it turned into a warehouse. Dark, loud, 19+ crowd who actually came to dance, not just stand around.

Sound, curation, community — Prospect nailed all three. The new format (day outdoor + night indoor) just works in Vancouver.

Highlight of the summer for techno in Vancouver. If Kevin comes back, I'm first in line.

08/26/2026

Takes Over Harbour Event & Convention Centre - Fri Aug 21, 2026*
*Vancouver, BC* - Shaquille O’Neal is 7’1”, but as DJ DIESEL he is even larger.
Friday night at the Harbour Event & Convention Centre (760 Pacific Blvd), the basketball legend turned bass heavyweight proved why he is not a novelty act. From 10 PM to close, DIESEL delivered a relentless set of dubstep, trap, and drum & bass that shook the floor.
The 19+ sold-out crowd was locked in from the first drop. Production was clean, sound was heavy, and Shaq’s energy behind the decks was pure hype — hands up, crowd chants, and bass that you felt in your chest.

04/11/2026

The ** **, hosted by in partnership with the , definitely felt like the official kickoff to spring this past Saturday April 04th, 2026.
Expanding the footprint to include a full closure of **Dunsmuir Street** was a brilliant move. It transformed that section of the Downtown District from a corporate thoroughfare into a genuine community hub, doubling the capacity and giving everyone—from hardcore dancers to families—plenty of breathing room.
**The Music: “Wax & Flower”**
The highlight of the day was the **WAX & FLOWER** stage. Curated by **Kozue**, the vinyl-only, all-femme lineup brought a level of warmth and soul that digital sets sometimes miss.
* **Sakiko Nagai** (visiting from Toronto) and locals **Niña Mendoza**, **Beiti**, and **Kozue** delivered a seamless flow.
* The progression from boogie and soul in the afternoon into deeper house and disco as the sun went down perfectly matched the “impermanence of spring” theme.