Northwest Dance & Music Venues
Commodore Ballroom  - Vancouver, BC - Photo courtesy of Partner Productions
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:

Albert Collins
 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
Ellen McIlwaine
The Epics
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Freddie King
James Brown
Jeff Beck
 John Hiatt
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
Night Train Revue
Nirvana
Maceo Parker

The Patti Smith Group
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
The Police
Powder Blues Band
The Ramones
Ray Davies
R & B Allstars
Rosanne Cash
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
ZZ Top

Others ?

Visit The Commodore Ballroom Website

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


Poster image courtesy of Dave MacPhail
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



Courtesy of Eric Vance

If you have corrections, a neat photo or more information, please send it to:


Make a donation using PayPal.  It is fast, free and secure.
Last Update:    12 January 2019
Credits:  Chris Wolfe, Alex Michie, Greg Klein, Rick Hill, Garry Gramm, Ron Simmonds, Gary Johnson, Dallas Hinton, Jim Chisholm, Harry Doupe, Eric Vance, Mark Mushet, Aaron Chapman, Chris Ainscough, Chuck D.G.,