It’s not just the voice, or the moves, or the glasses and glove. It’s not just the portraits or the flyers or the book or the lyrics or the tape hiss. It’s Chicago’s Willis Earl Beal, a ton of photos, a video and my musings on what makes a man special.

Because our lists go right to 11, here’s the Top 11 Reasons Why Kristine Flaherty, aka K.Flay, is rad, and was awesome on April 20 at the Media Club in Vancouver.

Some really good live concert photos juxtaposed with some really crappy iPhone photos – herewith my tale of hangin’ backstage with the Canadian East-meets-West, Old vs. New rocktacular doublebill of Our Lady Peace and the Pack AD.

Kelowna, BC folk-rock heroes and seemingly cryogenically preserved pop stars Hooper/Kane/Hooper The Grapes of Wrath returned to Vancouver for a live shot, before hitting the ol’ studio…for the first time in 21 years.

They’re not big and they’re not clever, but they’re Kasabian and you know what? They put on a fookin’ fun arena-sized show in a posh-seater theatre on April 9 at the Vogue in Vancouver. Peep the pics, they’re EMPIRE!

I’m too cool for Austin and SXSW. (Truth: too broke, not enough holiday.) But BackstageRider has its spies down there, and one of them has come back with GOLD. Here’s the radtacular K Flay throwing the goats.

Bombay Bicycle Club played Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on Feb 21st and were alright, thanks. Then I ran into Yannis from UK band Foals, randomly. Which was better. Here’s the full gallery, review and setlist.

And now, the end is near. And so we face, the final curtain (or day at sea), on the Weezer Cruise. Here’s the final part of our four-part epic adventure in which we sit down with Rivers Cuomo and say our fond farewells to friends.

January 21st will go down in history as: Parasailing in Mexico, eating fajitas with Yuck, rocking out to Pinkerton and Weezer, and going deaf again to Dinosaur Jr, an 80s prom and Backstreet Boys with Lou Barlow. In other words, PERFECT.