Commodore Ballroom

Nightclub and music venue in Vancouver, Canada

Commodore Ballroom

Former names| Commodore Cabaret
Address| 868 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates| 49°16′50″N 123°7′15″W﻿ / ﻿49.28056°N 123.12083°W﻿ / 49.28056; -123.12083
Owner| Live Nation
Seating type| Standing room and table seating
Capacity| 990
Construction
Built| 1929
Opened| December 1929, reopened November 12, 1999
Renovated| 1999
Closed| 1930, 1996–99
Construction cost| C$3.5 million renovation
Website
www.commodoreballroom.com

Commodore Ballroom is a music venue, dance floor and nightclub located on 800 block of Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is regarded as Canada's most influential nightclub, and one of North America's best live music venues.[1][2] The building was built in the Art Deco style of the late 1920s by George Conrad Reifel and designed by architect H.H. Gillingham.[3][4] Best known for showcasing special performances, the venue is also known for its sprung dance floor,[3] whose horsehair lining absorbs, rather than reflecting back, some of the impact of dancers' feet. At the time it was installed, only a few venues in the world had similar floors.[4]

The general-admission ballroom accommodates approximately 990 guests (including standing room and table seating).[3]

The building's street level was built for retail outlets, some of them in their time also notable. Downstairs, below street level, is the Commodore Lanes, a vintage bowling alley and poolroom.

Commodore was named one of "North America's Top 10 Most Influential Clubs" by Billboard Magazine. It is both the only Canadian venue and the oldest venue on the list.[1] Conde Nast Traveler has also titled it one of North America's finest live music venues.[2]

## History[edit]

The building opened in December 1929 as the Commodore Cabaret.[5] With the onset of the Great Depression, the venue briefly closed four months later. It reopened in November 1930, and has since operated under several different owners.[5]

From 1936 to 1939, shows by bandleader Charlie Pawlett (d. 1981), originally of Nanaimo and a trumpet and violin player, were broadcast on CJOR radio.[6]

Sammy Davis Jr. played The Commodore in 1948, and was interviewed there by CKMO radio host Wilf Ray.[7] Other notable acts in following decades included Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey.[8]

In 1969, management of The Commodore was taken over by Drew Burns,[9] launching an era which saw the ballroom transformed into a major rock'n'roll venue.

The Commodore closed in 1996, but after $3.5 million in renovations (including a new hardwood dance floor) it reopened under the House of Blues banner on November 12, 1999. House of Blues hosted a 75th Anniversary celebration season from December 2003, 2004 to December 4, 2005, though began celebrations early on October 16, 2004 with a performance by Tom Waits.[8]

Over the years the venue has hosted notable Grammy Award or Juno Award winning performers such as The Tragically Hip, James Brown, U2, Coldplay, Radiohead,[10] Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, The Police, Pearl Jam, KISS, Tina Turner, The Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Kid Rock, Moist, Oasis, Dr. Dre, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Johnny Winter and Metric.[3][11][12]

For many years, the venue was also noted for an annual St. Patrick's Day concert by the influential local Celtic rock band Spirit of the West.[13] When the band announced its retirement due to lead singer John Mann's declining health, the venue also hosted the band's final concerts in April 2016.[14]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Marchand, Francois (July 6, 2011). "Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom named one of North America's 10 most influential clubs". Vancouver Sun.
2. ^ a b "Commodore Ballroom". Conde Nast Traveler. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
3. ^ a b c d "Listing:Commodore Ballroom". The Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
4. ^ a b "Commodore Ballroom". Yellow Pages Group Co. Archived from the original on January 30, 2004. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
5. ^ a b "Latest Stories". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
6. ^ "History of Metropolitan Vancouver website, 1981 Chronology page". Vancouverhistory.ca. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
7. ^ "History of Metropolitan Vancouver website, 1948 Chronology". Vancouverhistory.ca. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
8. ^ a b "Commodore Ballroom Celebrates 75 Years". The Georgia Straight. September 30, 2004. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
9. ^ "History of Metropolitan Vancouver website, 1969 Chronology". Vancouverhistory.ca. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
10. ^ "Radiohead "fake plastic trees" 1995 vancouver". YouTube. Retrieved October 9, 2019.[dead YouTube link]
11. ^ Usinger, Mike (September 29, 2005). "Know your history – Commodore Ballroom". Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
12. ^ [1] [dead link]
13. ^ "Spirit of the West plays St. Patrick’s Day Show". The Province, March 12, 2014.
14. ^ "Beloved Vancouver group Spirit of the West announces final shows". CBC Music, December 1, 2015.

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Live Nation Entertainment

Divisions|

* Live Nation
* Ticketmaster

Subsidiaries|

* Academy Music Group (51%)
* BigChampagne
* C3 Presents (majority stake)
* DF Concerts (part owner)
* Festival Republic (majority owner)
* Gods of Metal
* Hard Events
* MAMA & Company (joint venture)
* Ones to Watch

Festivals|

* Boomtown (18%)
* Bospop
* Budweiser Made in America
* Calling Festival
* Camp Bestival
* Copenhell
* Creamfields
* Download
* The Great Escape
* HoagieNation
* I Love Techno
* Isle of Wight Festival
* Jamboree in the Hills
* Latitude
* Lollapalooza
* Loud Park
* Lowlands
* Lytham Festival
* Main Square Festival (75%)
* MixTape
* Music Midtown
* North Sea Jazz
* Paradiso (partnership)
* Parklife
* The Peach Music Festival
* Pinkpop Festival
* Pukkelpop
* Rock Werchter
* Sasquatch! (partnership)
* Squamish (50%)
* Summer Sonic
* TRNSMT
* Voodoo
* Watershed
* Way Out West

House of Blues
clubs and theatres|

* The Louisville Palace
* Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre
* Saint Andrew's Hall (Detroit)
* Theatre of Living Arts
* Tower Theater

Other venues|

* 3Arena
* Belasco Theater (Los Angeles)
* Blossom Music Center
* Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
* Fillmore Auditorium
* FivePoint Amphitheatre
* Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
* Germania Insurance Amphitheater
* Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (Maryland Heights, Missouri)
* Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (Tinley Park, Illinois)
* Jamboree in the Hills Festival Site
* Jiffy Lube Live
* North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
* Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
* Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
* PNC Bank Arts Center
* PNC Music Pavilion
* Regent Theatre (Los Angeles)
* Ruoff Music Center
* Toyota Amphitheatre
* Xfinity Center

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* MusicBrainz place

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