Commodore Ballroom is a music venue, dance floor and
nightclub
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, British Columbia. It is regarded as Canada's most influential nightclub, and one of North America's best live music venues. The building was built in the
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
style of the late 1920s by George Conrad Reifel and designed by architect H.H. Gillingham. Best known for showcasing special performances, the venue is also known for its ''sprung dance floor'', 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.
The general-admission ballroom accommodates approximately 990 guests (including standing room and table seating).
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. Conde Nast Traveler has also titled it one of North America's finest live music venues.
History
The building opened in December 1929 as the Commodore Cabaret. With the onset of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the venue briefly closed four months later. It reopened in November 1930, and has since operated under several different owners.
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.
Sammy Davis Jr. played The Commodore in 1948, and was interviewed there by CKMO radio host Wilf Ray. Other notable acts in following decades included
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life.
Born and raised in Washington, D ...
and
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...
.
In 1969, management of The Commodore was taken over by Drew Burns, 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
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers (film), The Blues Brothers''. The ...
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
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
.
Over the years the venue has hosted notable
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
or
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
winning performers such as
The Tragically Hip
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,
The Weeknd
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James Brown
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Coldplay
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,
Radiohead
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Red Hot Chili Peppers
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,
Weezer
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,
The Police
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Pearl Jam
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,
KISS
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,
Tina Turner
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Nirvana
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,
Kid Rock
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Oasis
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Katy Perry
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Lady Gaga
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Ice-T
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Wiz Khalifa
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, and
Metric
Metric or metrical may refer to:
Measuring
* Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement
* An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement
Mathematics
...
.
For many years, the venue was also noted for an annual St. Patrick's Day concert by the influential local
Celtic rock
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CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...