Northwest Dance & Music Venues
The Commodore Ballroom
868 Granville Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Established in 1928
Some of the bands that performed at this place during thost great years of NW music were:
Some of the bands that performed at this place during thost great years of NW music were:
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Antones Blues West Tour Big Country Buddy Guy Burning Spear Charlie Musselwhite’s Band Chilliwack The Clash (January 1979) Dal Richards Band George Thorogood & the Destroyers Devo Dire Straits Doug and The Slugs Downchild Blues Band The Epics |
Etta James John Mayal John McLaughlan Johnny Winter Junior Well Kiss Lady Gaga Levon Helm and Rick Danko Los Lobos Medeski Martin & Wood Michael Bub The New Riders Of The Purple Sage Maceo Parker The Patti Smith Group Powder Blues Band Ray Davies R & B Allstars |
Roy Buchanon Ted Nugent Sammy Hagar Slade The Specials Steve Hackett Still Living at Home Talking Heads Tim Buckley The Specials The Stray Cats Teen Angel & The Rockin' Rebels Tina Turner Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (June 1978) Tower of Power Trooper U2 (1981) Wildroot |
This is the front entrance to the Commodore Ballroom in Downtown Vancouver BC. This one of the LAST remaining true full sized dance halls left in BC . It was built in 1928 and features a fabulous sprung dance floor and a full sized NY style stage complete with a 'Green Room', changing rooms, washrooms and showers all on stage right. Almost every big name in entertainment has passed through here including many NW rock groups and other big name acts. Some of the thousands of groups who played there include Freddie King, ZZ Top Downchild Blues Band, Powder Blues Band, and so many more. The room can hold upwards of 3000 people. It is unbelievable with grand spiral staircases to the upper levels and tons of hardwood railing in the balconies and main floor.Chris Wolfe, October 2003
When it opened as a regular nightclub by Drew Burns in the early 70s its license was for 900. There was reportedly 1500 in there in the late eighties for a heavyweight title fight (closed screen) - nobody could get to the bar.
I promoted a lot of shows there including Albert Collins, Antones Blues West Tour, John Mayall, Johnny Winter, Burning Spear. Drew would allow up to 1200.
Ron Simmonds, July 2006
The Specials supported The Police at the Gardens Auditorium in 1979 and wiped the floor with them. They were immediately offered a headline spot at the Commodore the next day if I recall correctly. It was an unexpected ska explosion!Mark Mushet, July 2011
