Forgive us if we don’t sound like we’re almost on the verge of moving to Canada, but we’ve written extensively in the past on just how good it is to be an active part of the Canadian music scene.
While our city guides for Toronto and Montreal pitted the two metropolitan titans against each other in the music stakes, we analysed the success of the scene as a whole in comparison to the rest of the world in our piece ‘How To Grow Or Kill Your Local Music Scene‘.
The coastal city of Vancouver is no different from its city compatriots in regards to having a vibrant music scene; it benefits not only from a government that has actively supported funding initiatives for the arts in the past, but also from a city-wide culture that appreciates and actively participates in Vancouver’s music scene.
There are several universities that offer high quality music degrees as well. The University Of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Capilano University, Trinity Western University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Vancouver Community College all offer music education – remarkable given the city has just over 600,000 inhabitants.
Which is why it’s little surprise that the city is home not only to a world class folk music festival (read more about it below), but also the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
While along Granville St, and the surrounding area known as the Granville Entertainment District, you’ll find some of the best music venues this side of Canada.
But high quality music venues and festivals are commonplace in this North American country. The city is unique because it’s one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in the country; 52% of its residents have a first language other than English.
In few other cities, let alone in Canada but the entire world, would you find the likes of Japandroids, The New Pornographers, Tegan And Sara all hailing from the same city as Canto-pop stars and Indo-Canadian Bollywood-ites.
Don’t just take our word for it either. Check out this short piece on the Vancouver music scene for further proof and read on for out top 11 picks for things every music fan should in the city.
Experience One Of The Continent’s Biggest Folk Events, The Vancouver Folk Music Festival
On the third weekend of every July since 1978 this event has catered for 30,000 folk, hip-hop, spoken word, singer-songwriter and bluegrass fans. Running over three days there are a plethora of acts from around the world that play across multiple stages. The event also focuses on being environmentally and family friendly.
Visit Vancouver’s Oldest Independent Record Store, Neptoon Records, For All Your Vinyl Needs
3561 Main St
This record haven has garnered its reputation as not only just being the oldest but for also the city’s largest range of used CDs and records, and most of them are in reasonably good shape too. They’ve also got concert posters and memorabilia. However the Neptoon Records mainly gets its music cred by acting as a record label that supports local music as well.
Catch Rising Pop-Rock Act Said The Whale Live
Since their formation in 2007 this indie rock five-piece have been prolific to say the least. With four albums under their belt and a slew of Christmas related EPs they’ve toured across North America a couple of times. Their infectious blend of pop and rock has even been recognised at the 2011 Juno Awards via a New Group Of The Year win.
Hit Up The Dancefloor At The Commodore Ballroom
868 Granville St
Opened in 1929 this venue has provided a space for the youth to boogie the night away for generations. Built as an alternative to the city’s many single ballroom venues it quickly became a popular spot for young people looking for a cheap night on the town. To this day it remains as one the most popular venues of its kind in Vancouver. They feature a wide variety of acts and DJs ensuring most music loving locals make regular stops by here throughout the year.
Don’t Miss Music Waste, An Underground Music Festival
With its 20th birthday celebrations just wrapped up it couldn’t be a better time to reflect on the festival’s impact on Vancouver’s music scene. Held over four days, Music Waste has become the go to event every year since its inception to discover the area’s up and coming acts. With a focus on those that are innovative and experimental Music Waste showcases some of Canada’s most interesting music talent.
Head To Red Cat Records For Indie Music Goods
4332 Main Street
Named after Buddy the cat, “an enormous and cantankerous feline” this record store is artist owned and operated. So you can imagine the owner knows what he’s talking about. Red Cat Records pride themselves on their customer service and music knowledge. They sell everything from new and used and vinyl reissues. Local gig tickets can also be bought here.
Hear Psychedelic Folk Pop Act Capitol 6 At One Of Their Local Gigs
They might be on hiatus at the present time, but with a second album recorded and criminally on hold for the moment we can’t help but include this five-piece here. Their 2012 debut album, Pretty Lost, demonstrated their pysch folk ambitions. Along with Malcolm Jack’s unique vocals there’s something alluring here that suggests that holding off on releasing their sophomore album is just plain mean.
Witness Live Music In The Vogue, A Grand Old Theatre
918 Granville St
Just like The Commodore Ballroom we wrote about above, The Vogue is situated on the Vancouver’s historic Theatre Row and one of the last surviving bastions from that era. The theatre provides a spectacular backdrop to large-scale events that range from electronic performances to plays and other events of this kind. There’s an upper deck for cheaper tickets and a well stocked bar to go along with the performance on hand for the evening.
Drop Some Hard Earned Cash At One Of Vancouver’s Best, Zulu Records
1972 West 4th Ave
Award winning and touted as one of the city’s best vinyl outlets, Zulu appropriately has just about anything you’d want to find at a record store. Whether that be LPs, 7”s, gig tickets or gear – this store has it. They also host in-store performances on occasion. They’ve got a great selection of new and used vinyl of just about any genre you can find. The staff are also generally pretty obliging for any queries you might have.
See Cheap Local Gigs at The Media Club
695 Cambie St
When they say ‘media’ don’t think newspapers but every kind of medium you can imagine. Ok, well maybe The Media Club isn’t quite at the hologram level just yet, but they do allow just about everyone from local musicians to DJs to perform across their multi-purpose stage. The space is small and the set up is as they basic as they come, but it’s the perfect place to catch up and coming acts before the actual media influences your opinion of them.
See Freak-Pop Outfit, Fake Shark Real Zombie In Their Hometown
Band name origins are often duller stories than we expect, however this four-piece are definitely an exception to that rule. Their name is a reference to the film Zombi 2, where a real shark and a zombie engage in combat. But hold off downloading that movie! Fake Shark – Real Zombie have released three engaging records of confronting pop. We’d suggest you start at this visually impressive video for ‘Paint It Gold’.
