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Concerts

Paul McCartney to Play Opening Show at Transformed TD Coliseum in Hamilton: Canadian Concerts of the Week

Plus: BadBadNotGood highlight the 20th edition of M for Montreal, and R&B singer Jessie Reyez turns on her charming prowess for concertgoers on the west coast.

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
MJ Kim

This week, Paul McCartney is returning to Canada, performing the first-ever show at the newly transformed TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. The living rock legend will mark the grand opening of the arena as part of McCartney’s critically acclaimed Got Back Tour.

Plus, Sloan brings their power-pop sounds to Calgary while Canadian R&B singer Jessie Reyez hits the west coast in support of her newest record. BadBadNotGood performs a closing night show at M For Montreal and Grammy-nominated artist Leon Thomas notches a sold-out show in Toronto.


Concert of the Week

Paul McCartney, TD Coliseum, Hamilton — November 21

Paul McCartney is back in Canada.

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Earlier this week, the British rock icon played a show at Montreal’s Bell Centre, but is set to make a grand entrance one province over — McCartney will play the official opening show at Hamilton, Ontario’s newly renovated TD Coliseum as part of his critically-acclaimed Got Back Tour.

As one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time, McCartney’s concerts boast his decades-spanning music catalogue — performing songs like “Live and Let Die” and “Band on the Run” from his solo project, Wings, and classics from The Beatles songbook, including “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be.” His performance promises a high-energy, career-spanning set filled with iconic hits and inspiring music.

McCartney launched the Got Back tour three years ago, but his 2025 run marks the singer's first extensive trek across North America in over three years. McCartney’s show was announced back in July, following the news that Oak View Group’s CEO Tim Leiweke stepped down amidst a criminal indictment in the U.S. for anticompetitive behaviour. OVG took over the new venue, formerly FirstOntario Centre, in November 2023 and lead a $300 million renovation.

“Opening night deserves something extraordinary, and it doesn’t get any better than Paul McCartney,” said Nick DeLuco, general manager at TD Coliseum. “This show marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for TD Coliseum and speaks volumes about the caliber of events we will bring to the region. We’re excited for the future in Hamilton.”

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For fans looking for a throwback, McCartney’s photography archive will be on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) from Feb. 18 to June 7, 2026.

Tickets are available here.

More Canadian Concerts of the Week

Sloan, Palace Theatre, Calgary — November 20

Long-running Canadian rock institution Sloan are hitting the Western Canadian province in support of their newest record, Based on the Best Seller. One of the country’s most beloved bands, Sloan will deliver their signature blend of power-pop, catchy hooks and over 30 years of musical legacy — and they’re bound to play “Dream Destroyer,” a track that’s currently charting on the Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay chart.

Tickets are available here.

Jessie Reyez, Vogue Theatre, Vancouver — November 21

Earlier this year, Jessie Reyez released her third studio album, Paid in Memories. Now, she’s bringing her acclaimed project on tour, performing her biggest headlining shows yet. At previous shows, the Toronto R&B singer is known to receive a copious amount of bras on-stage, which Reyez promised to donate to local women’s shelters. Aside from tour traditions, the local star hit the Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 Airplay chart with the Calvin Harris-featuring “Ocean.”

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Tickets are available here.

BadBadNotGood, L’Olympia, Montreal — November 22

Closing out this year’s 20th anniversary edition of M For Montreal, the Toronto group is returning to headline the fest, more than a decade after they first played. Known for their collaborations with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator and Charlotte Day Wilson. The experimental trio’s music spans hip-hop, jazz, rock and R&B — boasting a distinctly successful discography that captivates listeners — a true signifier of one of the festival's major triumphs.

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Tickets are available here.

Leon Thomas, The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto — November 26

After Leon Thomas went viral on TikTok for his irrepressibly catchy track “Mutt” earlier this year, listeners have pieced together that the former Victorious actor is behind some of the biggest R&B hits, including SZA’s Grammy-winning “Snooze.” Now a Grammy nominee for his own work, the soulful hitmaker is bringing his Mutt album on tour, boasting a sold-out stop at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall.

Tickets are available here.

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From left: Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner photographed by Wesley Mann on September 1, 2023 at Long Pond Studio near Hudson, NY.
Wesley Mann

From left: Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner photographed by Wesley Mann on September 1, 2023 at Long Pond Studio near Hudson, NY.

Music News

Aaron Dessner Sets the Record Straight on Gracie Abrams’ ‘Death Wish’: It’s ‘Definitely Not’ About Taylor Swift

The producer also shared how he ended up performing with Noah Kahan over the weekend.

Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams have now made three albums together, with the pop star’s third studio effort, Daughter From Hell, arriving July 17. But one song in particular has stirred up a few misconceptions, and in a recent conversation with Billboard, the producer cleared them up.

Hopping on a Zoom call on Tuesday (July 21) — just days after joining Noah Kahan on stage in New York to perform one of The Great Divide songs he produced, a cameo that severe weather almost ruined — Dessner addressed confusion over the production and subject of “Death Wish,” one of the most talked-about tracks on Daughter From Hell. Some listeners have expressed surprise that the spritely album version sounds so different from the somber live piano version Abrams initially recorded and released amid her Secret of Us Tour, questioning why the duo would “change” the “original.” (Spoiler alert: They didn’t.)

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