Went to the Breeders last night, and (sorry, didn't catch the name!) a really great opening act. Please fix the sound system, guys. Or work on your acoustic baffles. Muddy and heavy sound, too much bass. read more

I'm glad my first 19+ concert was here because it was soooOOOoo good. Can't wait to come back.

I love this venue in terms of the space, unfortunately, every time I see a show here I get ripped off by a bartender. Someone always helps themselves to a tip that I otherwise would have given them anyway, by giving me incorrect change, assuming that I won't notice. For this reason I refuse to purchase drinks from the Commodore. Be aware that some of their bartenders are scammers. I would recommend you spend your beer money at a different establishment. read more

the commodore is a great venue for concerts. i've seen john buttler trio here along with matisyahu... both were probably two of the best concerts i've ever been to. asides from the artists being incredibly talented themselves, i think part of it had to do with the venue. there's a space to dance downstairs and there are also places with couches to sit down and chill if you'd like to. i've been to a dj show here before as well (kaskade) and that wasn't the best, but i think it was more the crowd that came than anything. for live music, it is definitely my top pick in terms of venue. if i see an artist i like that is playing at the commodore, i will more than likely get a ticket for the show. read more

This is one of the best places and nicest venue in Downtown to catch some live music, both local and international acts regularly make appearances. read more

What a great venue. My buddy and I caught a show on the 16 of April. This was the first time there. All the bands were great, the beer was cold, and the music loud. I will definitely visit the Commodore again soon, head-bangin' or just having fun. Only problem is... the soundsystem was not set up for talking, so you could not hear the singers actually speak. read more

i come to here to see mac del marco on halloween with grand son (girl). she like him a lot and i buy her the ticket and the salad day t shirt for her birthday. very loud. alot of smoking cigarettes i have trouble brething. used to smoke for 30 year but now i stop. we are almost atfront rowe. very busy. i was pushed a lot but my grand son (girl) didnot mind. mr del marco cum on stage with the red horn man sar wars costume. very scarey i say.. good relaxing music tho. he seem very nice and his gap teeth nice. adds lots of character. good venue. excelent shirly timples. make me feel hip and young again. i will cum again. read more

Commodore Ballroom - mr del marco halloween 2015 good fun show - Music Venues Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Went to see Nazareth and the Headpins on Sat. June 28 at the Commodore. Music was great...The commodore Sucked out loud. limited seating available, no there Was seats available but they sat empty for the entire venue while we and 1000 others had to stand for 3 plus ours. Balcony with tables and chairs was closed to us ticket buyers leaving us to stand for because they hadn't sold enough tickets?? as security told us. Those of us who purchased tickets were treated HORRIBLY by the Commodore because their sales staff was incompetant? remember We actually Bought tickets and were being punished? because others didn't Went to April Wine there a couple weeks ago and it was great. You dropped the ball big time Commodore management!!! read more

The best place to see live music in the city, the renovated bar or ballroom is a diner and a club and the food is actually good. I've been there for a few concerts and love the space. The endless rows of bars, one in the middle, two on the sides and two upstairs, plus all the little beer and shooter stations are fun and guarantee a good time. The arc-windows are beautiful and the stage is huge. It's a great throw back to an older style of partying. No fancy tv's, lights or bells and whistles and it works. read more

The Commodore essentially ruined our trip from the island to see the Mavericks.... We bought tickets through Ticketmaster which had seat numbers on them, so we assumed we had seats and a table. The doors opened at 7, so we were killing time sitting on a restaurant patio across from the Commodore. We wondered why there was an ever growing line-up because our tickets had seat numbers, and wandered over to the line going around the block at 6:45. When we got inside, there were no seats to be had, so we had to stand for almost 3 hours until the Mavericks began! Commodore staff said only the first 200 people get seats and a table and the capacity is 1000. They also said we could have reserved a table, but that information is hard to find on their website (I eventually found a reference to that under the Q&A). I was so mad about the no seats I could have happily left before the Mavericks began, but we were with friends, so I stuck it out - had to go outside for the last 3/4 of an hour though, knowing I would not be allowed back in - the dance floor was so jammed with people standing, you could barely move. Next problem - once you're inside, you can't leave and come back in (fire regulations they said, which doesn't really make sense because people were smoking in the washrooms), and being a smoker I was practically catatonic after 3 hours of waiting for the Mavericks to start.... So, I will NEVER go to the Commodore again - their website should be clearer about the seating for the first 200 people only, and if Ticketmaster is incorrectly showing seat numbers on tickets (which Commodore staff said they had told them not to do because it's General Admission) they need to fix it or clarify their policy on the Commodore website. So we wasted $1,000 (ferries, accommodation, etc) for what would have been an excellent concert if the Commodore had their act together. read more

My favourite place for concerts in van. Just a great venue and the staff has always been courteous and professional

The Commodore's reputation as a top notch music venue is well earned. The concert area is huge, the decor is nice, and there is a surprising amount of comfortable seating around the perimeter for those who are more interested in listening than getting close to the stage. Unfortunately, being right in the heart of the Granville club district, there's an abundance of newly minted 19-25s who don't know how to pace themselves, so you'll see a fair bit of out of control drinking and there are no real vegan food options. The beer list is pretty pedestrian, but at least they have some things on tap. Ultimately, I would recommend that you go to see a kickass show and then get out of there ASAP for drinks and hangouts some place else. read more

Built in the 1920s in a fantastic Art Deco building, the Commodore Ballroom is one of Vancouver's premier venues for live music. Inside, the ballroom floor itself remains and is used as a dancefloor for the gigs and club nights that take place here. The stage is usually at the far end of the venue with the bar nearer the entrance, drink prices are a little on the high side for Vancouver. It's an iconic and architecturally beautiful venue and many visiting British bands come here to play, I saw the Kaiser Chiefs play here and Franz Ferdinand are playing soon. It's one of those places you HAVE to visit, you won't be disappointed! read more

Went once in 2006 and once in 2007. The difference a year can make. The venue added these giant, somewhat invasive, tv's showing the concert and on occasion the crowd. The place is not Madison Square Garden, it seems a bit unnecessary. Nevertheless, the sound system was good, the bar fixed my drink when I didn't like it (my fault, not theirs) and it is centerally located to a decent part of town. The area (Granville) reminds me loads of San Francisco's Market St, near the Warfield. There was an occasional bum. One in particular got about 2 inches away from my face and started to scream at me, as I told him in a calm assertive (like Cesar Milan) told him to get away from me, he then proceeded to walk away as if nothing had happened. I wasn't shaken up, but my friends were scared shitless. read more

I love the commodore. I love the old tire filled stage. I love when my feet stick to the floor. I love when i see GWAR once a year and get sprayed with fake alien blood. Commodore is probably the best venue in Vancouver. You can be a jonas brothers fan and feel comfortable watching dayglo abortions from the sideline drinks could drop a little in price, but is that really a shock i could say the same about 95% of bars clubs etc. in Vancouver. This is the place where i have seen at least fifteen concerts all of which are great semi unknown bands that everyone should check out. Other than the cobalt nobody can hold a candle to the commodore. read more

The commodore is my absolute favourite place for concerts in Vancouver. I have seen 20+ shows here, all of which went off without a hitch. I love how the open floor design allows me to be close to my favourite bands! Definitely watch out for mosh pits at some of the metal/rock shows, they can get quite rowdy. I've gotten my feet stomped on, elbowed in the ribs, crushed by the weight of the crowd pushing towards the stage, had beer spilled on me, etc. But that's not the venue's fault. Staff are all super friendly, bouncers, security guys, waitresses, and bartenders. The only down side is the drinks are quite pricy: It's like $7.50 for a Mike's Hard. But if you can catch a cheap show there, I find it all evens out. read more

very nice venue. good lighting, has food. unfortunately, it takes a long while to leave. and this venue draws a lot of granville street weekend warriors who'd rather chat than listen. read more

We went to the Commodore to see the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer. Overall it was a good show and we liked the Commodore. A couple of quibbles though. The first is a problem common to this sort of place, the music was too loud, and at times distorted. Too much base sound as well. We have this complaint about most similar events, so this is mostly personal preference The second minor negative is that the Commodore has a really poor selection of beers available. There were only four when we were there, and none were craft beers. read more

Love this venue for seeing live music. Always a great time and atmosphere!!! Only dissapointment is no in an outs during shows.

One of the best, if not the best live decently-sized music venue in Vancouver. The iconic venue has been around for most of Vancouver's history, and offers great acoustics, cabaret seating with a balcony. If you want a drink, it can be faster to order from the bars on the side. Try to get there earlier to grab a table or reserve one. read more

Worked here for several years when I was in college and university; Bowie was too big for us, but we had the Pretenders, and Motley Crue and the Cult-type size folks hanging around, along with Aerosmith and acts of that size, some of the Hollywood people, and sports guys-- chain up the front door at 4:42 am. Anyway, Disco Tuesdays and quadrupling capacity some nights remain as fond memories in some respects, as do sitting around 2-4 am with the English, Canadian, and American, as well as world acts that came through. Tough staff run by Rob and Drew back in the day. Started at the bottom, eventually helped hire on 2 dozen kids in the process who I hope it has all turned out for the best for: coat check, t-shirt guys, sound guys, cleaning staff, bussers, waitresses, bar boys, bouncers, loaders ( re-done spring-loaded, horse-hair/tire floor), crystal palace, back bar, upstairs bar, 2 sets of lockers, 2 employee washrooms, kitchen, beer room, elevator, side bar, doormen, back alley, 3 stairwells, the bookstore, pizza stand-- some of the ingredients that helped dole out 5-figures from the well some nights. read more

I have to say to all the non-smokers out there, and I am one, if a show is ruined because people are smoking, you need to get a grip on reality. I dont care to breathe in second hand smoke but if I do, it sure as shit is NOT going to ruin my evening. Yes the Commodore needs to relax and provide in/out privleges so smokers will smoke outside but they havent and smokers wil smoke. Oh well. Life goes on. The Commodore absolutely rules. When the Town Pump was around, it was a solid tie for the best live venue in Vancouver. read more

Being A Punk And Metal Fan it is Very hard to Find A Good Punk/metal Show at A Good Venu With Great Sound And Great Astmosphere The Commodore Is That Great venue I Have Seen Gwar 3 times Can You Say BLOOD BATH !!!, Flogging Molly, Cradle Of Filth,Apocalyptica In May that show was incredible during Nothing else matters The Entire crowd Was Slient as they played it was a breathtakingh moment I Don't drink Much so i do not buy Alcohol i usually buy a cheap water bottle and get it filled at the bar during the night to keep from being Dehydrated Overall Any Punk And metal fan who can Catch A Good metal Band Or Punk band At The Commodore are In For A Real Treat read more

Love the Commodore and staff! Fantastic venue with top acts! But is the sound system from the disco era? It sounds like a really loud muffled boom box. Just saw the Headstones but had to leave early because the sound was way too loud. I measured over 108 dB SPL on average before we left and we were at the back of the ballroom. Check it out folks: http://dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/. Irreversible hearing damage in 4 minutes or less. What the heck Commodore? Are the people running the sound system deaf? There is so much bass boom that the guitars and vocals are muffled. Danley Sound Labs or Meyer Sound offer high fidelity PA systems in a smaller package that sounds crystal clear with no boom or muffled distortion. I hope folks demand better sound quality. Plus who wants permanent hearing damage... read more

Having seen a few shows at Commodore and catching the KiD CuDi show this weekend - here's my review: The Commodore is probably the best (general admission) venue to catch a concert in Vancouver - with it's thumping sound system, massive dancefloor and highly visible stage layout. Flanking the dancefloor are the leveled seating/table areas, so you can be in direct eyeline with the performer if you want to just chill at the sidelines (that is, if you can snag the seat/table quickly/early enough). With 4 full-service bars, a balcony, high ceilings, light show setup and a stage where you can literally touch the performers - this is a real concert venue, not a janky club. Here's some quick pros/cons: + lineups to get for shows are quick - you pretty much get in as soon as you show up (this may seem like a given, but having stood in line for nearly 4 hours in cold NYC weather for a Busta Rhymes show, this is something I appreciate) + coat-check is $3 and you can double up for free + the venue is well-ventilated and spacious, so even sold-out shows don't get uncomfortably hot and (outside of the stage area) you can move around with relative ease - no in/out privileges - being a smoker, this sucks - but it's even worse for non-smokers since it just tempts people to smoke inside (not me) and security seems to ignore this - drinks are weak and pricey (~$10 for Jagerbombs, ~$7 for single vodka highballs - and the bar vodka is on tap - could be short-poured or watered-down) - not ridiculous, but little pricier than other clubs - but I guess they are banking on the captive audience. Definitely predrink before coming here. - leaving the show takes a long time as the coat claim works slowly - security does nothing to stop people filming the show - now, I take the occasional picture or two, but to the all the people in front of me filming the entire show on cell phones: seriously, do you thinking capturing your 'memories' in 240x180 resolution with monaural sound was more important than enjoying the show and not annoying everyone around you? Complaints about annoying concertgoers that you see at every show aside, Commodore is probably the best concert venue in Vancouver. If I could pick, ever act that rolls into town (that I want to see) would perform here. A few points off for minor annoyances (that could easily be rectified). read more

I went to the Commodore Ballroom thinking it was a lot nicer than it actually is. I went there for the free k-os concert that was held there recently. Good dance floor, although it reminded me of prom night. The vibe was good, music was great. Everyone was up. Would go back definitely. read more

I love this place!!! I went here for the first time this weekend and was amazed at how beautiful this venue is once you get inside, and the acoustics are great! Definitely not what i expected from the looks of the outside. Coat check. yep! Heavy poured drinks. yep! somewhere to sit or stand with a clear view of the show. yep! I like general admission shows but this place had tables and chairs all along both sides of stage in case you didn't want to stand the whole time. You can also go upstairs to the balcony and watch from above if you'd like too. The bartender was a nice guy who was very generous, thanks for the hangover. And, i do have to say security was a plus too. We were standing in the second row and had some girls pushing to get to the front, literally pushing and yelling, being really rude. Security saw what they were doing and instantly pulled them out of the crowd. I already love Vancouver, this is another great reason to go back! read more

Great venue for live bands, since it only holds about 1,100 people. I've seen quite a few bands there, including Pearl Jam, Third Eye Blind, Grapes of Wrath, Honeymoon Suite and more! read more

Love the staff here. Great room and shows to fill it.

The Commodore is a great live music venue with plenty of space to dance, and easy access to drinks. Having said that, the sound isn't as good as it is at the Vogue a block down, and you seriously need to bring ear plugs. The numerous bars mean easy access to drinks without leaving the show, which is good for drinking, bad for the drunken douche-bagery that can follow. Security does a pretty good job of trying to keep people in check. I don't know of any ticketed venues that serve alcohol that let people in and out, so to those of you complaining about it, it's pretty standard in the city. read more

Great venue and sound! Best in vancouver. Horrible douchey bar staff. Make you feel like idiots and defiantly hate their jobs. Never tip, they don't earn it. read more

Saw a wonderful show at The Commodore last night with Whitehorse. I have been to hundreds of shows in this venue since the mid-70\s and it's always been my favourite. Until now. They had the music turned up so loud before the show, no one could even talk. The bass was terribly distorted. All 8 of my party ended up putting in earplugs. When we asked the staff about it, they insisted it's always that loud. Not true. Also, they had a very very poor selection of booze - only Jackson Triggs Pinot Gris for white wine (awful stuff), only Grower's cider (gives me a chemical headache everytime) and no Corona (Sol is NOT a substitute). There was litterally nothing I wanted to drink there. I figure they missed out on a big chunk of change by not having a decent liquor selection. This used to be a classy joint! read more

BEWARE THE BAR STAFF WILL STEAL MONEY FROM YOUR CREDIT CARD !!! I went here for a show and paid with my credit card for drinks at the bar. I tipped in cash and wrote this on the receipt, but the bar staff took it upon themselves to steal an extra 20 percent off my credit card on top of this. The draught beer all tastes like cleaning fluid also. The service is often great in Vancouver but unfortunately the tipping is out of control ! A lot of waiting staff deserve a great tip but unfortunately there are still a majority of them that go into their job looking to make as much money as possible off you and give you crappy service if you don't tip for every drink. It's a real shame to take such a nice gesture and expect it. The bullshet answer of "I only get 9 bucks an hour and live off my tips" is beyond ridiculous, servers make a bundle in tips and if they aren't happy receiving a small wage they should take that up with their bosses and not guilt trip customers. Besides it is an unskilled job. This isn't the first time waiting staff have been way out of line with tipping in Vancouver. By the way I work in the customer service industry before you think I don't know what I'm talking about. BUT I LIVE OFF MY TIPS wah wah wah, yes you live a pretty f ing nice life off your tips just for flashing your...... tips. Peace read more

I've seen the Melvins and Yo La Tengo play here within the last 2 years and both shows were good. Sound quality was above average, atmosphere was good, and the bar staff were friendly. The tickets were kind of pricey for indie acts but that's okay. read more

I went here for DragonForce, Steel Panther and Skinny Puppy. It was fun to go to these two concerts, DragonForce was great, and the co-headliner one of the guitarist stood on one of the tables and perform it was cool, Steel Panther was great too, it was a LOT of adult humour, it was funny and as a parody band i liked it but actually the set list was limited tho, and Skinny Puppy I went with prize tix and these goths/dressed up in black these gents/ gals were consuming their jig way too much and they were throwing themselves and plopped onto the floor, helped that guy. Hope he's ok! read more