You have your concert ticket just recently purchased from Ticketmaster and you are overwhelmed with excitement – but you are unsure of what the venue is like and what to expect. Here’s a run down of some venues in Vancouver, so you can be at least a little bit prepared for an amazing night!
Vogue Theatre
The Vogue is a two-tier venue that has stairs along both sides of the building leading up to the upper level – which is also the level that has bathrooms. The upper level is seated, usually an area for people who like to enjoy the show from a distance. You can still stand up and dance in front of your seat depending on the vibe, but just be aware of the people behind you if you do stand. The ground level has chairs as well, but in all the shows that I’ve been to at the Vogue, they get abandoned when the show begins, so be careful if you end up leaving your bag or coats there. The ground level also has a decent sized space for people who like to dance and stand during shows, make sure that if you want to be near the front to show up early! If you are interested in buying merch, the Vogue usually has their merch stand on the right side of the bar. It is a pretty small space for selling merch so expect it to be a little bit crowded. There’s an ATM machine wedged in a small corner between the merch stand and the stairs so if you forgot cash, don’t worry, you can take some out.
I saw Sticky Fingers, Daughter, M83, Purity Ring and Beach House at the Vogue last year and I personally really enjoy this venue because it musters up a sense of intimacy between the performers and the audience, especially when you are dancing on the ground level.
Orpheum Theatre
I’ve only been to The Orpheum once, but I know it is also a two-tier venue like the Vogue. It is much larger than the Vogue and I would say a lot ‘fancier’. Unlike the Vogue, the Orpheum has assigned seating which means that everyone has a specific seat. My seat was on the upper level at the very back when I went to see Vance Joy there last year and eventually everyone stood up in front of their chair and danced. It was fun, but it didn’t feel as intimate as the Vogue.
The Commodore Ballroom
The Commodore is a super versatile event venue, with one massive room with a stage, two bars, two separate sitting areas and a dance space. When you walk in, immediately to your left there is a designated spot for selling merch and to your right there are bathrooms (which, by the way, are always really clean and nice). If you walk further to your left behind the merch area, there is a sitting space with couches and chairs and a small bar. In the middle of the venue, there is a huge dance space, a stage and the main bar. I’ve seen Lapsley, Aquilo and Young the Giant play here and it is a relatively more spacious venue without losing a sense of intimacy. Oh, and if you stomp enough during the encore, you can feel the floor move beneath you!
The Imperial
I’ve only been to the Imperial once to see Wet, so this write-up is from limited knowledge. The stage space is pretty large, but there is still lots of space for people to stand or dance in front of the stage. There are also bars, stools, and couches everywhere, so you will probably be able to find a place to sit if you really wanted to. It was a very chilled out venue, no crazy dancers, no moshpits – possibly because of the band I was seeing – and didn’t really feel like a place to go crazy in, but instead felt like a very collected space.
Have fun at your next concert and hope this article was helpful for you to have a stress-free night!