Commodore Ballroom — Attraction in Vancouver

Went to see Yves Tumor here just over a month ago with a friend. The lineup went pretty quickly and the patdown wasn't a big deal. Bought some drinks and the service was great.

The show itself wasn't a grear experience for me. While the lighting was fantastic, the audio mixing for the show was probably the worst I had ever experienced (I work full time in the live events industry). The music tracks were incredibly muddy and ended up completely overpowering the vocals, making the lyrics mostly unintelligible. In my opinion it was also WAY too loud. So loud that I ended up getting a nauseous and had to go to the bathroom as I was worried that i was going to throw up. (I do usually carry around a pair of molded ear plugs to concerts just in case, but I happened to forget them this time)

While I was in the stall, which I had only been inside of for maybe 2 minutes, a pair of bouncers began banging on the door and flashing their lights in telling me to exit the stall or I would be dragged out and thrown onto the street. I tried to explain what was going on, but they completely ignored me and said they were only going to warn me one more time. I obliged and ended up leaving the stall and the venue. I feel like have to add here that I had not had much to drink this night, and was leaving pretty much sober.

I've since talked to a couple of my colleagues who are sound engineers, and they have similarly stated that they avoid seeing shows here because of the inconsistent mix quality. Putting that aside though, the terrible treatment by the security personnel is what really solidified my decision to avoid this venue.

(I know most people write their reviews pretty shortly after an experience, but it took some time for my friend to actually convince me...

I've been enjoying a vast range of diverse genres of musical excellence at the Commodore for over 30 years, especially because the venue has a wonderfully bouncy dance floor🕺🏽💃 With the combination of the cost of a general admission floor ticket, as well as arriving early enough, I've always been able to get myself situated against the barrier, front and center for nearly every performance! What's better, is coming to see up-and-comers here, who then come back the following years to pack Rogers Arena as their musical careers take off! Awolnation, last month, were amazing, with the bonus of 2 great opening bands! I've seen dozens of unknowns here, who've become the stars of the present. Conversely, the Commodore is a venue for many established performers who have already spent years on world tours, with award-filled careers, and don't fill grand stadiums any longer. A perfect example of the latter, was last week, when Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine performed... with his young, teenage son ripping guitar solos behind this kid's little head! It was remarkable to be so close as to look in their eyes and feel their sweat! My 20-year-old self took over, sliding me into the inevitable mosh pit! There's no way for a similar experience elsewhere without spending a few thousand for VIP seating. I'm disappointed in my timing for getting sick because I had to miss the Macy Gray show last night🤦‍♂️ I usually attend at least 1/2 dozen shows at the Commodore every year! You won't be disappointed... unless you don't like your drinks in plastic glasses🍻 It's noteworthy to say that their coat check system gives me the comfort of leaving all my things with the diligent staff so I can jump around...

Got to see a show at the Commodore Ballroom for the first time on 10-04-23 (Avatar w/ Orbit Culture & The Native Howl) and besides the lineup being fantastic, the venue was pretty great, too!

There were many pluses to the venue ranging from ease of entry (while still practicing good measures to ensure patron safety) to the food and beverage options. First the food. We tried the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and it was tasty, crispy, hot and delicious. Nothing bad to say there. The bar was very well appointed and staffed with enough tenders to ensure prompt and friendly service. The waitresses tending to the tables, which we were lucky enough to get, were all quick and efficient.

There was; however, one major downside which concerned the artists' merchandise. Due, I'm guessing, to restrictions on the available space, it seemed unfeasible to have the merch from all three Artists out from the beginning. . . I really do not understand what was going on there, but one of the bartenders suggested that the merch for a particular Artist did not come out until shortly before they played. This meant standing in line initially for Avatar merch (the Headliner) only to find it wasn't out yet, re-entering the line, only to miss out on the first band and a half, to get the merch we wanted. . . In comparison, similarly sized venues will usually have two merch areas, one for the Headliner and one for the others, but here they seemed to share the same, undersized space.

Apart from the merch issue, I saw nothing else to complain about. The Venue itself is lovely, amply sized (less enough space for additional merch stands. . .) and definitely somewhere we will return...