April 26

Justice

PNE Forum, 8 p.m.The Grammy-nominated French electronica duo was one of the first acts to incorporate pummelling rock motifs into electro-house music, creating a new sonic landscape. The pair’s second album Audio, Video, Disco, pays homage to ’70s-era prog rock.

April 26

Judy Radul

Catriona Jeffries Gallery, opens 7 to 9 p.m; to June 9

Vancouver-based Judy Radul’s art has evolved from “live” performance to installations that examine the parameters of the “live” situation. Her latest works also explore ways technology increasingly functions in ways akin to human perception.

April 26

Matthew Monahan

April 27; opens 7 to 10 p.m.; to July 1

The L.A. art star’s recent sculptures evoke a futuristic archeology; they are strange yet familiar works that draw from myriad influences, from Modernist art to ancient totems. This career-spanning show is Monahan’s first Canadian solo show.

April 26

Yellow Signal: New Media in China

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, opens 8 to 10 p.m., to Aug. 19.

Gage the current political situation in China by way of acclaimed contemporary Chinese artists Geng Jianyi, Huang Ran, and Zhang Peili, whose exhibition is part of a city-wide, largest-ever in Canada, showcase of Chinese multi-media and video art.

April 27

West Coast Tattoo and Culture Show

Boulevard Casino, to April 29

The three-day show features 125 international tattoo artists, among them reality-TV stars Chris Nunez of Ink Masters, and Billy DeCola, of New York Ink. Just be aware of 10 Tattoos to Avoid (according to the viral online list), including No. 1 and No. 2 no-no’s: face X-ray and connect-the-dots tattoos.

April 27

Yukon Blonde

Commodore Ballroom, 9:30 pm

The Vancouver scruf-rock outfit returns home from a 30-date North American tour celebrating its vibrant new album Tiger Talk. Just a few own-bed sleeps though; the band spends May touring the West Coast and Europe. Opening this show are Vancouver folk-rockers Sun Wizard and the Saskatchewan pop septet Library Voices (whose fans include staff at The New Yorker and Spin).

April 27

Tennis

Biltmore Cabaret, doors 8 p.m.

The Denver husband-and-wife pop group Tennis perform songs from its beautiful new album Young & Old. Phil Collins and Fleetwood Mac, as well as contemporary bands Chairlift, Real Estate and Spiritualized, are counted among the group’s influences.

April 28

Da Vinci: The Genius

Telus Science World, until Sept. 3

The most comprehensive exhibition ever compiled on the works on Leonardo da Vinci sprawls over 10,000 square feet of Science World’s renovated space. The show features full-scale machine inventions crafted from his personal notebooks, sketches, and reproductions of his art, including the Mona Lisa and a 3-D Last Supper.

April 28

Domingo Ortega Flamenco Company

Kay Meek Centre, 8 pm

Directed by the dancer Domingo Ortega, this company is one of Spain’s most successful touring groups, having performed all over the world, and now four shows in Canada. One of the three fiery dancers is Iranian-born Delara Tiv, who lives in West Vancouver. The outstanding musicians include two singers and two guitarists.

April 28

Aida

Vogue Theatre, 8 p.m. (also Thursday, May 1 and May 3)

Opening last week to a lengthy standing ovation, Vancouver Opera stages the grand opera with total elan. Russian-born soprano Mlada Khudoley is particularly exciting as Aida, the Ethipian prisoner (and secret princess) in Verdi’s epic tale of doomed love.

April 29

International Dance Day

Scotiabank Dance Centre, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Take in a world of dance for free as the Dance Centre invites all to get in the groove with contemporary dance showcases by Contingency Plan, Kinesis and In Modus Operandi, workshops on the pow-wow and flamenco dance, open classes, talks, and more.

April 29

VanDusen Garden Plant Sale

VanDusen Botantical Garden, 10 to 4 p.m.

VanDusen’s massive sale attracts 10,000 garden enthusiast who snap up more than 40,000 plants in six hours of frenzied buying. The theme this year is Small Space Gardens with an emphasis on suitable container plants for apartment- and townhouse-dwelling greenthumbs.

April 29

B.C. Place Community Open House

Enter at Gate A, 12 to 4 p.m.

Athletes, make fantasy reality: Kick balls with the Whitecaps, throw passes to the BC Lions during this weekend’s free community event. Then hit the ’Caps and BC Lions dressing rooms and some of the new suites, where fans would cheer you on.

April 30

Snow Patrol

Orpheum Theatre

This show is sold-out but is it entirely due to sweet-sounding mega-rockers Snow Patrol? The Irish band’s opening act, the 21-year-old hip-hop-folkie Ed Sheeran, certainly has pull with young fans, even though his debut album, + (pronounced Plus), doesn’t drop here until June. The album, a huge hit in England, earned two Brit Awards in February.

May 1

Opeth and Mastodon

Orpheum Theatre, 7 pm

It’s metalhead heaven as two of the world’s most potent acts take over the VSO’s usual venue. Swedish prog-metal favourites Opeth and Atlanta powerhouse Mastodon are both renowned for unique instrumentation and for crossing multiple heavy metal genres such as sludge metal, stoner metal and groove-metal.

May 1

Big Wreck

Commodore Ballroom 9:30 pm; also Wednesday

Reuniting after an eight-year fall-out, the Toronto-based bluesy-rock band has just released the epic, Rush/Zeppelin-inspired Albatross. Tuesday’s show is sold out.

May 2

Chris Botti With the VSO

Orpheum Theatre, 8 pm

The last time the world’s top-selling jazz instrumentalist performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra the sold-out show had the audience leaping to its feet for multiple standing ovations. Now the uniquely expressive trumpeter returns to perform songs from his new album Impressions, which includes standards, as well as an opening track by Chopin.

May 3

Said the Whale

Vogue Theatre 8 pm

Said the Whale’s coronation as New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards followed a second-place finish in the Peak Performance Project, which won the Vancouver rockers $75,000. Their first trip to the SXSW was documented for a CBC television special. Busy band. No wonder it’s take so long to drop the new album, Little Mountain.

 

May 3

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival

Rio Theatre, Vogue, Biltmore to May 6

Reigning queens and kinds of the burlesque scene titilate with wild tassel-twirling techniques, irreverent surprises, and naughty acts. With headliners Miss Indigo Blue, Jett Adore, Judith Stein, and Tiffany Carter.

Ahead:

EPIC Vancouver

May 11-13

Immerse yourself in a vast market place of planet-loving goodness. Everything pitched by the 300 exhibitors—from coffee to cars, furniture to wine—is crafted or grown sustainably, by people willing to share their knowledge. The annual expo features inspiring speakers, like Adriane Carr, co-founder of the Green Party of BC; the EPICurean Corner, with samples galore from BC restaurants and wineries, and eco-fashion shows.