By Jon
When it comes to a quality concert, you need a quality venue to match. In my experience, a band can loss appeal to it’s loyal followers if the decision is made to go to a larger venue with bad acoustics or a lesser qualified venue with questionable sound equipment. Large venues have higher pricing and restrict a fans ability to get up-close and personal with the airborne spit, sweat, guitars or occasional ‘moshing’ artist that may come flying your way. It’s part of the concert experience that makes those general admission mid-sized venues so entertaining.
There are other benefits that come with these locations, generally based in concert halls or ballrooms they have free standing room as well as tables, easy access to a bar, good acoustics and lower pricing than any arena setup. They entertain up and coming artists that may move to the larger scale venues the next time they tour and with that, the high priced, seat restricting, mass marketed event.
So it’s obvious what style of concerts I enjoy; a cheap, un-restricting, high quality of sound venue that hosts recognized entertaining talents. Doesn’t everybody..? So here is my list of the top venues in Canada. Sorry if some are missed but each major city has it’s own that caters to what I’m describing… hockey arena or neighbourhood pubs are not what I’m talking about here people, Twenty thousand seats is too much, a hundred person capacity doesn’t make the cut, gotta have a roof, bar is a necessary and artists that we have heard about but aren’t a house-hold name ‘yet’.
Vancouver
Commodore Ballroom
No question, best in Vancouver. Over the years the venue has hosted notable Grammy Award or Juno Award winning performers such as: The Tragically Hip, James Brown, U2,Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, The Police, Pearl Jam, KISS, Tina Turner, The Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Kid Rock, Hedley, Dr. Dre, Katy Perry,Lady Gaga, and Metric among others.
Edmonton
The Edmonton Events Centre
People complain but lets be serious, this is a pretty damn good venue, multiple levels, bars and good entertainers. I’m not talking about a night club trying to pass as a venue on a thursday ‘live music’ nights.
London ON
Aeolian Hall
A smaller venue with no seating but you always have a good time with people that love to bands that play here just as much as you. It’s a quality little venue to make for a kick ass night!
Toronto
Horseshoe Tavern
Besides the well-known fact that the Rolling Stones once graced the stage, other celebrated artists – Canadian and otherwise – owe a debt of gratitude to the ‘Shoe for being there when they needed it. (Among them are The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Willie Nelson and Stompin Tom, Ryan and Bryan Adams
Toronto
The Opera House
One of the most popular live music venues in the city, the Opera House hosts those bands that are too popular for a smaller venue, but not quite mainstream enough for the ACC. The sound and lighting is incredible – a perfect way to catch those rising stars or old favourites without paying inflated ticket prices.
Montreal
Club Soda
Club Soda has hosted 4,200 performances and entertained 1.2 million persons. Thanks to its daring programming policies oriented toward freshness and originality, Club Soda let Montrealers discover over 1,000 Quebec, Canadian and foreign artists.
Got any additions? Comment!