Concert review: Katy Perry brings action, androids and acrobatics to Edmonton
Next Gallery ImageToggle gallery captions
View All 14 Photos
1 of 14
Article content
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
If you're looking for a banger of a virtual reality video game then Katy Perry's The Lifetimes Tour is the one for you.
Article content
You don't even have to bring the headset, they just wire the action through your eyeballs and straight into your head. Talk about giant leaps in technology! There's even a storyline threaded through the various levels, one of hope, determination, and giant butterflies.
Article content
Article content
Article content
No, wait; for some reason I drew some kind of ridiculous parallel between Devo and the remixed Chained to the Rhythm, but that was probably because the dancers all wore virtual reality headsets and jerked around zombie-like with iPads. The song itself is Pleasant Valley Sunday for the nu generation, and fits in nicely with the overarching narrative of The Lifetimes Tour. Also, it's just a fun tune with mild social commentary, which brings me to an important point.
Article content
Read More
Concert review: The Weeknd captivates Edmonton with tireless showmanship and visual spectacle
REVIEW: Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Queensrÿche a killer kickoff to Rockin' Thunder
Advertisement embed-more-topic
Article content
Fun is a good thing, and while Perry's concert left me with no actual feeling other than amazement and admiration at the work that went into making it a near flawless extravaganza it was certainly never dull. I have no clue how much of her vocals were tracked and how much were live, but considering she spent what felt like half the show in the air doing backflips or hovering over her dancers I really couldn't begrudge whatever help she had. I didn't care. It was all noise, flash, lightsabre battles, dancing and insistent beats, with Perry supplying upbeat messages in between songs along with a genuine appreciation for the support of the gay community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
21 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
'Project Hail Mary' sends Ryan Gosling, and Comic-Con, into outer space
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 2 minute read U.S. actor Ryan Gosling plays a teacher sent on a space mission to save the world in "Project Hail Mary." Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. SAN DIEGO — Comic-Con attendees got their first glimpse Saturday at the new sci-fi space thriller 'Project Hail Mary,' starring Ryan Gosling, ahead of its arrival in U.S. theatres in March 2026. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Gosling was joined on a convention panel by directing duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, as well as screenwriter Drew Goddard and book author Andy Weir — whose previous novel The Martian 'was also turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Matt Damon. Based on Weir's 2021 book of the same title, 'Project Hail Mary' follows astronaut Ryland Grace (Gosling), a science teacher waking up to learn he was recruited for a space mission to save Earth from an existential solar threat. Gosling described his character as 'a scared guy who has to do something impossible.' 'I knew it would be brilliant, because it's Andy (Weir),' Gosling told the crowd. 'It took me places I've never been. It showed me things I had never seen. It was as heartbreaking as it was funny and I was… not just blown away, but also overwhelmed.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Weir for his part said it was 'so cool' to see his book come to life and complimented Gosling for giving 'many layers to this character I made up.' Lord and Miller, the Oscar-winning duo behind the 'Spider-Verse' Spider-Man animated films, talked about the challenges of shooting a 'crazy ambitious' film which takes place inside a spaceship for the most part. 'We had to build an entire spaceship in two modes of gravity, and then we built this entire massive tunnel at scale,' Miller said. 'This is insane, to build a tunnel that was like 100 feet (30 metres) long, filled up an entire stage.' The event also showcased various clips from the film, receiving a positive response from fans, who noted the bond formed between Gosling's character and an alien named Rocky. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The relationship between these two characters is the heart of the movie,' Miller said. 'I loved it,' attendee April Rodriguez, who also read the book, gushed about the film. 'I just never, like, envisioned it that way. So that was pretty cool.' Star Trek Comic-Con, which bring some 130,000 fans for the convention in San Diego, California, welcomed the Star Trek universe to the main stage earlier in the day Saturday to showcase its upcoming releases. Thousands of fans filled the hall to watch exclusive footage from the fourth season of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' before it premieres on Paramount+. One clip showed Captain Christopher Pike played by Anson Mount in an entire episode where the cast is depicted like puppets from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fans were also offered a first look of a new Star Trek series, dubbed 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' starring Holly Hunter. Hunter plays Nahla Ake, the academy's chancellor and captain of the USS Athena, who in a clip shown at Comic-Con welcomes a new class of cadets. 'It was really interesting to get the offer to be the captain, but then also to combine that with being the chancellor,' Hunter said. 'The captain is there to analyze in emergency situations, and then to delegate. And the chancellor is there to guide, to collaborate and to have tremendous empathy. 'It was just a wonderful combination of things,' she added. Comic-Con continues on Sunday for its final day of events. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
Toronto Sun
21 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
'Feral child summer' trend rad for some parents, bummer for others
Giving kids a carefree '90s summer' is the latest parenting trend making the rounds online as overworked moms and dads are skipping day camps. Photo by Postmedia Network files Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Water from the hose, fanny packs and endless roaming as long as the streetlights are on? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Yes, please, say some parents. Giving kids a 'feral child summer' — also being tabbed as a ''90s summer' — is the latest parenting trend making the rounds online as overworked moms and dads are trading day camps for the memory of carefree summers fuelled by Kool-Aid and Dunkaroos. While some parents see the fad as unrealistic in a time of increased gun violence, extreme weather and online distractions, others are throwing structure to the wind in favour of no-limit couch time and exploring the outdoors unsupervised. Brooklyn's Eric Katzman, 46, told the New York Post he is trying to let his kids embrace the freewheeling '90s spirit. 'We roamed, went to the candy store, the fro-yo place, but we always knew to come home,' the public relations professional said about his childhood. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To that end, he plans to let his nine- and 12-year-old to bike and walk around at will 'within reason.' Podcast host Kylie Kelce, who is married to retired Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce, raved about the fad in a recent episode of Not Gonna Lie . 'I love the idea,' the mother of four said. 'I currently will unleash my children into the backyard. If one of them ends up digging out a rock, have at it.' Chill out for a moment, dude. Not everyone thinks this is a sick idea. Recommended video Anna Levy-Warren, a Brooklyn-based psychologist who works with families, told the New York Post that while it's 'crucially important' to give kids a chance to be bored and explore their imagination without the help of a screen, 'we live in a very different world than the one of the '90s summer.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Plus, it may be the result of parents overcompensating for their family's busy schedule. Claire Vallotton, a professor of human development and family studies at Michigan State University, told USA Today that the desire for a '90s summer is 'likely a reaction to a parenting culture that tries to overschedule kids with summer activities to optimize child development. 'They are overscheduled and using technology too much,' she told USA Today . 'It's a reaction that makes a lot of sense, but trying to solve it all in one summer isn't going to work for either the children or parents.' Vallotton suggested parents find ways to ease their kids into a 'feral child summer' by limiting screen time, promoting outdoor fun and scheduling peer play with minimal supervision. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Godzilla fans fete the monster as it turns 70
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 2 minute read A "Godzilla" fan poses at Comic-Con in San Diego, California on July 26, 2025. Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. SAN DIEGO — Godzilla has morphed over the years, but one constant is the devotion of its fans, who celebrated the Japanese monster's 70th anniversary at the pop culture convention Comic-Con. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Japanese studio Toho, which created Godzilla, maintains a calendar of events to celebrate the beast often called the king of monsters, and Comic-Con is on the agenda. Godzilla was born on Nov. 3, 1954 with the launch of the first movie about it, directed by Ishiro Honda. 'I am a very big fan of Godzilla,' said Angela Hill, a teacher who travelled from Arizona to take part in Comic-Con, which this year featured events and displays celebrating Godzilla. One of the world's largest celebrations of pop culture, Comic-Con brings together 130,000 people, many of whom come dressed as wizards, princesses or characters from movies, games or TV series. As the story of Godzilla goes, a prehistoric amphibious beast is awakened and mutated by nuclear bomb testing in the Pacific. It emerges from the sea and attacks Japan in a rage, symbolizing the deadly power of nukes. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I think because he came from such a historic event — like, a lot of other monsters are just interesting creatures, but they don't hold the grief of a nation,' Hill said, referring to the US nuclear bomb attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. At the pop culture watering hole in San Diego, people lined up to shoot pictures and video with an image of Godzilla, which was also the theme of a panel discussion on Friday that featured Shinji Higuchi, who co-directed a reboot in 2016 called 'Shin Godzilla.' The movie franchise includes nearly 40 films and has spawned hundreds of animated productions about the monster as well as TV series and graphic work. 'Rooting for him' On Saturday the writers Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle signed autographs of their book 'Godzilla: The First 70 Years,' which sold out at Comic-Con. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a rich history,' Ryfle told AFP. 'This is the longest running feature film franchise in cinematic history that's focused on a single, continuous character. It's been around longer than James Bond.' He said the key to its longevity is that Godzilla has evolved over time but stayed faithful to its origins. 'Godzilla has been serious, it's been scary, it's been heroic, it's been funny. But at the same time this is a movie character that's rooted in something that's very real,' Ryfle said. 'And that's the trauma that Japan experienced, both during World War II, and also the trauma of the aftermath of World War II, the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,' he added. He said Honda, who directed the first Godzilla movie, was a veteran who used the film to send a message against war and in particular against nuclear weapons. Michelle Pena, a Godzilla fan who waited in line to get the autograph of the two writers, said part of the monster's charm is how it has changed over the years. 'Good, bad, hero, anti-hero, you know. And I like that,' she said. 'He's not, like, lovable,' she added. 'He's a big dinosaur-looking thing, you know. He's scary. But, like, you really, really find yourself rooting for him.' Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
