A performance custom made for Vancouver

 

Jazz guitar icon Pat Metheny brought his latest tour to Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 27, 2026,  delivering a performance that felt perfectly suited to Vancouver’s coastal character - relaxed, expansive, and quietly exhilarating.

From the opening moments, the trio settled into a natural flow that never felt forced or overly polished. Instead, the evening unfolded organically, with long stretches of improvisation that ebbed and swelled like the tide. Metheny, now decades into a career built on constant reinvention, played with the confidence and ease of an artist completely comfortable in the moment.

Keyboardist Chris Fishman proved to be one of the night’s standout performers. Moving seamlessly between piano, organ, and synthesizers, Fishman layered shimmering textures beneath Metheny’s guitar work while also taking several adventurous solos of his own. Just as striking was Metheny’s visible admiration for his bandmate; each time Fishman stepped forward, Metheny happily receded into the background, grinning as though watching an old friend discover something new in real time.

Drummer Joe Dyson supplied the evening’s pulse with playing that was both grounded and explosive. His grooves carried enormous energy without ever overpowering the music, pushing the trio into some of its most compelling moments. Metheny clearly thrived on that rhythmic momentum, responding with solos that ranged from lyrical to fiercely exploratory.
The setlist balanced longtime favourites with newer material, all delivered with a loose, open spirit. “Are You Going With Me?” unfolded gradually and atmospherically, while “The First Circle” brought a wave of communal energy through the theatre, drawing smiles and knowing reactions from longtime fans throughout the crowd.

What ultimately made the concert memorable was not simply Metheny’s virtuosity, but the generosity he brought to the stage. Rather than positioning himself above the music, he spent much of the night listening, encouraging, and celebrating the musicians beside him.
Warm, collaborative, and filled with effortless musical chemistry, the Vancouver stop was a reminder of why Pat Metheny remains one of jazz’s most compelling live performers..