Band that recorded its breakout album Dreamboat Annie in town returns to Pacific Coliseum
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The choice of what images to project up on the curtain in front of the stage ranged from key political events to a lot of curious cinematic references. Clearly, someone is a big fan of the Joker from Batman stories and, apparently, Timothée Chalamet in Dune.
As the countdown hit 2025, the crunching and somewhat Kashmir-like opening riffs of Bebe Le Strange began grinding out. Heart received a lot of Led Zeppelin comparisons in its early days. Today, the group drops covers of classics by the legendary arena rockers like Going to California and the Ocean into its sets.
They also do a damn fine job of presenting those tunes.
The eight-piece backing band with its four guitar attack can grind out a heavy riff with high volume authenticity. But Ann Wilson’s octave-scaling monster of a voice has always really been the special sauce that elevated the band above so many other acts of its era influenced by Robert Plant’s howl and Jimmy Page’s playing.
Considering that the older Wilson sister is in recovery from chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis and surgery last July, it was something that she was on stage at all. Sitting in a wheelchair, her hair still growing back with a sling and cast supporting the left elbow she recently broke in three places after a fall, she belted with authority.
“I have so many mixed emotions about being back where we started, here in Vancouver,” she said. “Now we’re back playing songs that were written here that you might remember.”
From Love Alive to Magic Man and Little Queen to Crazy On You, the set list favoured the band’s early years.
The longer the show went, the stronger Ann’s voice became, particularly on a more poppy take on the hit Straight On. The acoustic mini-set with Dog and Butterfly, Dreamboat Annie and Going to California was a highlight for vocal harmonies which were often hidden in a muddy mix. When guitarist Nancy Wilson took a turn on lead vocals for These Days, everyone was reminded that Heart is blessed with two strong singers who can really play off one another in the big arena power ballads like Alone and What About Love.
Those later period eighties hits got the only standing ovations of the evening until the first riffs of the set closer Barracuda echoed through the arena. Seeming to overcome the challenges it has faced recently, Heart seems ready to keep beating for some time.
Another indicator of the band’s confidence in the future was choosing to have Squeeze open.
By any usual metrics, the U.K. hit makers played a headlining show that showcased the spectacular songwriting team of Chris Difford and composer Glenn Tilbrook in a set that hit on the new wave group’s storied career.
With razor sharp instrumentation, including stunning multi-part harmonies on gems from Tainted and Annie’s Get Your Gun to a marvellous Zydeco-tinged take on Goodbye Girl, there wasn’t a dull moment in Squeeze’s performance. Always blessed with a superb voice that manages to project both melancholy and with, Tilbrook sounds amazing.
Difford is not touring with the band at this time and had taken time off from performing due to illness.
Backed by the long-running backing band and new vocalist Danica Dora, the eight-piece band treated the crowd to a preview of its coming new musical album Trixies. Written and shelved back when Tilbrook and Difford were 19 and 21, respectively, the material crackled with the same kind of sophisticated arranging and instrumentation that has always defined the London band’s work.
Anyone who didn’t come in time to see Squeeze really missed out. Paired with Heart, it was an evening of very dissimilar, but still complimentary, veteran acts rocking hard.
Heart’s Royal Flush 2025 tour continues across Canada through April.
Heart set list
Bebe Le Strange
Never
Magic Man
Love Alive
Little Queen
Straight On
Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover)
These Dreams
Crazy on You
Dog & Butterfly
Dreamboat Annie
Going to California (Led Zeppelin cover)
4 Edward (Nancy Wilson solo instrumental)
Mistral Wind
Alone / What About Love
Sand (Lovemongers cover)
The Ocean (Led Zeppelin cover)
Barracuda
Squeeze set list
Black Coffee in Bed
Footprints
Is That Love
Annie Get Your Gun
You Get the Feeling
Hell on Earth
Another Nail in my Heart
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Goodbye Girl
Slap & Tickle
Tempted
Hourglass
Take Me I’m Yours
Closing jam with band introductions and solos