If you’re anything like me, and Amanda Marshall’s 1995 self-titled debut was on heavy rotation in your Discman, and you’ve spent the last 20 years wondering where the heck she’s been and thinking, God, how incredible would be it to hear that powerful voice belt “Let It Rain,” “Fall From Grace,” “Birmingham,” and “Dark Horse” live… well, your prayers have been answered, because Ms. Marshall herself has just announced a new album and accompanying tour. More details on that, plus other millennial faves Alexisonfire and Collective Soul, in this week’s roundup.

Amanda Marshall 

Marking her first offering of new music since 2001’s Everybody’s Got a Story, Amanda Marshall is set to release a new album, Heavy Lifting, due this summer. The first single, “I Hope She Cheats,” is out on Friday, March 31, via all streaming platforms. In a statment, Marshall had this to say about the forthcoming record: “I started writing. And recording. For no one. For fun. I messed around. Experimented. Pounded on the piano in the middle of the night, turned my closet into a vocal booth. I sang every part and grooved in my pajamas. I hummed harmonies into my phone on the subway like a maniac. I swore a lot. I screamed and laughed and cried and made a million mistakes because who cares? ‘No one’s ever gonna hear this’. Wrong. I made a record.” Marshall is also hitting the road on a cross-country tour, stopping in Vancouver on July 3. 

When: July 3

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Tickets: On sale Friday, March 31 via Ticketmaster 

Andrew Bird

The indie rocker, who recently released a gorgeous duet with Phoebe Bridgers that reimagines the Emily Dickinson poem "I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain," is performing in Vancouver on his extended North American tour. On the road in support of his latest album Inside Problems, Andrew Bird has pledged to donate $1 from every concert ticket to the Hope This Helps Fund, which provides financial support to organizations doing good work, including those dedicated to gun violence protection and environmental justice. The tour run has sold out venues in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

When: July 26

Where: The Centre for Performing Arts

Tickets: On sale Friday, March 31 via Ticketmaster
 

Avenged Sevenfold x Alexisonfire

California metal rockers Avenged Sevenfold are hitting the road in support of its forthcoming album, Life is But A Dream, due out on June 2—and bringing Ontario’s post-hardcore heavyweights Alexisonfire along for the ride. The initial leg of the North American tour makes its last stop in Vancouver this summer. Alexisonfire released its excellent fifth studio effort, Otherness, last year. The band’s first full-length in over 13 years, it won the 2023 Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year.

When: August 7

Where: Rogers Arena

Tickets: On sale Thursday, March 30 via Ticketmaster

Collective Soul

The alt-rockers behind iconic ‘90s hits like “Shine,” “The World I Know,” and “December” are headlining the Commodore on back-to-back nights this summer. The band, which features most of its original lineup—frontman and lead vocalist Ed Roland, guitarist Dean Roland, and bassist Will Turpin—last released Vibrating in 2022. “We’re ready to go,” Ed said in a statement. “Most of us grew up together and knew each other as kids, so that helps with the live chemistry. I’ve always said this about this band — we know when to knock each other out, and we know when to hug each other. We won’t put up with any crap, but if you’re feeling down and need help, we’ll pick you up. We’re coming up on 30 years as a band, so we have to be friends first and foremost to keep it all going. If we aren’t friends like that, then we’re not going to have longevity in our career in order to continue doing what we love to do. That’s just the bottom line.”

When: August 29, 30

Where: Commodore Ballroom

Tickets: On sale Friday, March 31 via Ticketmaster