Music & Other Performances in Vancouver during AtmosphereConf

Thanks to Iva @stickykeys.northsky.social for putting together a list of music and other performances happening this week in Vancouver while people are visiting.

Iva is a PhD Candidate at UBC, a co-op organizer of Venue Co-Op YVR, and a musician with Doom Loops and Labour Day Parade.

Iva is joining us this week for conference operations on the ground, as well as having arranged our after party venue and DJs for the evening.

Vancouver gets a bad reputation for being a “no fun city”… but that’s only if you don’t know where to look! We have a thriving local music and nightlife scene that can be a little bit hidden sometimes, so I’ve curated a list of my favorite spots and events to give you a taste of the Vancouver I know and love.

Afterparty

Of course, we have our own conference afterparty happening on Saturday, March 28th from 7:30 - 9:30pm at the Junction Pub (1138 Davie Street), but if you find yourself eager for a night out on the town during your stay, consider this list a great place to start!

I've brought in two local DJ's:

We've got finger food and drinks for you, courtesy of our Afterparty sponsor Cloudflare. The club is private with just us until 9:30pm, and then continues late into the night with doors open to the public.

The afterparty is attached to your conference ticket, you can also RSVP here:

For Jazz Lovers

Vancouver is a hot spot for the West Coast jazz scene and you can hear world class jazz here every night of the week. My favourite local dig for both classic and experimental jazz is Tyrant Studios on Seymour Street. It’s a historic spot that’s been around since 1947 and many of the greats have played there (Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Frank Sinatra). I also play there occasionally and you may sometimes find me working the door! Other spots to check out are Frankie’s Jazz Club for more classic jazz and Guilt & Co. for various kinds of jazz fusion (e.g. r&b, latin jazz, jazz rock, etc.), or pop-up events like the Infidels show below.

Iva’s Picks:

For Punks & Rockers

There are a number of awesome local rock and punk venues around town where you can see incredible local bands, buy cheap beer, and get it spilled on you in a mosh pit (e.g. Red Gate, Green Auto, The Cobalt, The Mezzanine). There are also plenty of spots where that (probably) won’t happen and you can enjoy good music without worrying about someone kicking you in the face (The Heatley, Lana Lou’s, The Rickshaw, The Biltmore, The Fox). I highly recommend checking out one of the shows below or taking a look at listings on Gigpit (locally run events platform!) to get a taste of Vancouver’s thriving rock scene - just take note of the genre descriptors so you know what you’re getting yourself into 

Iva’s Picks:

For Ravers

Vancouver’s underground nightlife scene has seen a major resurgence in the past few years and there are a few bumping local spots that I highly encourage you to check out like Platform 9, Fortress, and Village Studios (right down the street from our afterparty venue!). Some of these places are not exactly legal venues so they can be a bit out of the way and hard to find, but if you’re committed to experiencing a real proper Vancouver rave, it’s well worth the effort.

Iva’s Picks:

Other Fun Stuff

Experimental Music

Comedy

Karaoke

Drag

Experimental Music

Partner Dancing

AtmosphereConf is the global community conference for atproto. It takes place March 26th - 29th in Vancouver, Canada. Find out more and buy your tickets to join us in-person or online at https://atmosphereconf.org