In Search of Lost Venues

Terry Ondang has been running music shows since she was a teenager. She put on shows at the Java Joint in Surrey before promoting shows around Vancouver, co-owned The Hive recording studio and ran Hive Fidelty record label. She lives on Gabriola Island where she runs The Noise Floor recording studio and released an album under the name Coco Koop. Venues visited: The Royal Hotel, at 1025 Granville Street, built in 1911 as a single room occupancy hotel. In the early 2000s it hosted at least two music shows (Smog, Interpol) in the hotel pub. The Sugar Refinery was a vegetarian restaurant and music venue from the mid '90s to 2003 at 1115 Granville Street. It was known for fostering local music projects which were experimental, collaborative, and whimsical. It was the site of a 48 hour show by the band Beans, who played there dozens of times. Richard's on Richards (1036 Richards) started as a yuppie nightclub in 1981. In the late 1990s it became a live music venue, hosting hundreds of bands until 2009, when it was demolished. Bill Copeland Sports Centre is an ice rink and arena in Burnaby. Terry put on an iconic show for Fugazi here on July 7th 2001. The last location of the The Hive Recording Studio in Vancouver was at 8561 Goverment St (Burnaby) from 2003 to 2013. It hosted some live sessions. The previous location of The Hive was a house at east 5th Avenue and Kamloops Street and also hosted shows. Other venues mentioned: The Aquatic Centre, The Starfish Room, the Waldorf, the Java Joint. Bands discussed: Interpol, Radio Berlin, Beans, The Strokes, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Fugazi, p:ano, Pedro the Lion, Veda Hille, Thanksgiving, Jon-Rae Fletcher, Burquitlam Plaza, Great Ant Ida, The Secret Three, Parks and Rec, Chet, Murder City Devils, SNFU, DOA, Gigi, Hot Hot Heat, Jerk with a Bomb, Destroyer, Black Mountain. This episode features the following music: Radio Berlin: Rote Lippen from Glass (2003) Beans: Tired Snow from Tired Snow E.P. (2000) Fugazi: Long Division from Live Recording July 7 2001 at Bill Copeland Sports Centre. Reserve 34: Cold Front from Rain City Games (2000) Coco Koop: Faded from Try (2024)

Luke Meat was the music director at CiTR radio during the 2000s. From 1998-2000 he was the DJ at the Brickyard under the name Audio Where. Luke was a member of the bands Damn Fine Sandwich, Storc, Value Village People, and Zero Percent Interest and currently in Bat Leather. This conversation was recorded on January 15 2026. The Brickyard was at 315 Carroll Street. In the late 1990s and early 2000s it was one of the main venues for local bands and out of town bands looking to play smaller venues. The building still exists and has been renovated into a bakery, vintage shop and coffee shop. Other venues visited: Selectors Records, Blim. Other venues discussed. Columbia, The Old American, Smilin' Buddha, Hoko's, Web Cafe, Starfish Room, Richards on Richards. Bands discussed: Chixdiggit, Fluff, Sunn O))), Boris, Groovy Ghoulies, Smugglers, Maow, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, At the Drive-in, Matmos, Modest Mouse, Close Caption Radio, Wide Mouth Mason, Kinski, Industry & Agriculture, Unclean Wiener, Destroyer, Jerk with a Bomb, Jennifer Gentle, Sleater Kinney, The Evaporators, Seam, GOB, d.b.s. This episode features the following music: Kinski: Point That Thing Somewhere Else from Semaphore EP (2002). d.b.s.: Galleon's Lap from If Life Were A Result We'd All Be Dead (Originally released on Crap records, 2014) Bat Leather: Pageantry (2025)

Ziggy (Yuriko Iga) opened Blim in 2003, after graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design and starting a venue called Kisaten in Calgary. Blim was a music venue performance space, art gallery and much more. Blim hasn't had music events for about 14 years but is still a shop/retail art installation. Blim began as a venue in 2003 in the penthouse at 23 W Pender St in the old BC Electric Building. It moved to 197 E 17th for 2005-2010 and then to its current location at 115 E Pender. This coversation was recorded on November 26, 2025. Venues visited: 3 locations of Blim Venues mentioned: Unit/Pitt, the Sugar Refinery, the Binding Light!, Kisaten, Squib. Bands mentioned: p:ano, Nicholas Krgovich, Tygh Runyan, Crys Cole, Tunnel Canary, Joshua Stevenson, The Hidden Cameras, Dandi Wind, Josh Rose, Brady Cranfield, Loscil, Fieldhead, Lee Hutzalak, Cartoon Express, connect_icut, Prophecy Sun, Jeffrey Allport, Johnny Wakeham, Standard Grey, Pink Mountaintops. This episode features the following music: p:ano: Trouble Ahead from Ghost Pirates Without Heads (Mint Records, 2005) Kellarissa: Harlean from Superstar EP (2008) Fieldhead: he'd found the sea from they shook hands for hours (2009)

Amber Webber is known for the bands Lightning Dust and Black Mountain. She briefly had a project called Kodiak Deathbeds and has been a guest singer on many other projects. She started in the band Dream On Dreary. This conversation was recorded on August 13th 2025. Venues visited: Pat's Pub was the site of the first Black Mountain show around 2004. Shindig, the CiTR battle of the bands, took place at Pat's for several years in the mid-late 2010s. The downstairs bar in the Patricia Hotel has had music shows for over a hundred years. It was once a renowned jazz venue, and in the early 2000s hosted local bands for many years. The space was originally called the Patricia Café and opened in 1914. The Hawks Street House was a women's collective house and a community space at the corner of Hawks and Georgia. Hoko's/Lanalou's Other venues discussed: The Chapel, The Interurban Gallery, The Lido, Richard's on Richards, the Brickyard, the Commodore, the Marine Club. Bands mentioned: The Cave Singers, Better Friends than Lovers, Rae Spoon, Ladyhawk, Animal Collective, Mecca Normal, Jerk with a Bomb, Megamall, Magnolia Electric Company, Murder City Devils. This episode features the following music: Black Mountain: Druganaut from Black Mountain (Scratch Records, 2004/Jagjaguwar 2005). Kodiak Deathbeds: Borderlines from Kodiak Deathbeds (2015). Lightning Dust: Diamond from Fantasy (2013 Jagjaguwar).

Ryan McCormick is the band Collpasing Opposites and has also played in Green Belt Collective, They Shoot Horses Don't They? and others. He was a director of the Safe Amplification Site Society. This conversation was recorded on July 10, 2025. Hoko's was a sushi restaurant at 362 Powell Street that started having shows in the 2000s. It was closed due to licensing problems and is now the venue Lanalou's. The Zoo Zhop (223 Main Street) was a venue and record store in the 2010s. The Prophouse Cafe (1636 Venables Ave) was a coffee shop and venue in the 2010s. Astorino's was the venue for the Safe Amplification Site Society (Safe Amp 2013-2015) at the site of a former Italian dining hall at 1739 Venables Street. Other venues mentioned: Starry Dynamo Cafe. Bands mentioned: Half Chinese, Apollo Ghosts, Kidnap Kids, Chris-a-riffic, OK Vancouver OK, Mt Eerie. This episode features the following music: Collapsing Opposites: Places from Microchips Implanted In Your Brain (2005). Apollo Ghosts: Shanghai Alley from Forgotten Triangle EP (2009). Collapsing Opposites: Non Profit Volunteer Band from Real Moving (2011).

Keith Parry founded and ran the legendary record store and label, Scratch Records, which opened in 1987. He played in bands including Superconductor, Octatrackter, Twerdocleb, Kicking it with Coho, The Gay, Pink Mountaintops, and Neko Case. Keith lives on Vancouver Island and we walked and talked on April 25th 2025, when he came to Vancouver to see some music shows. This conversation will extend across two episodes and this is part two. Scratch Records started in 1987 at 317A Cambie St. It moved to 109 West Cordova St, 726 Richards St, and finally, the Interurban Gallery at 1 East Hastings (2010-2104). The Cruel Elephant opened at 117 Granville St in August 1990 and lastest for a couple of years before moving to two other locations. Other venues visited: the Marine Club, the Arts Club Lounge, Richards on Richards. Other venues discussed: Comox Valley Curling Club, The Railway Club, the Town Pump. Bands discussed: Yob, The Flaming Lips, Texas Instruments, Green Day, The Smugglers, Jesus Lizard, Thinking Fellows union, Surgery, Pavement, Snuff, Nomeansno, Destroyer, Devours, Drama Queen, Isocracy. This episode features the following music: Superconductor: Thorsen's Eleven on Hit Songs For Girls (Boner Records 1993). Windwalker: Burning Inside on The Mint Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (Mint Records 1991) The Smugglers: Vancouver, B.C. on The Smugglers At Marineland (Nardwuar Records 1991)

Josh Stevenson has been playing experimental music since the 1990s in projects like Staked Plain, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Glow worm, Bold Axis Arms, -Outhern Acific+, Magneticring, July Fourth Toilet, and Von Bingen. He also does audio mastering under the name Otic Sound. This conversation was recorded on April 17th, 2025. The Anza Club is on the corner of Ontario and 8th Avenue, the home of the Australia New Zealand Association. The building was previously the Mount Pleasant Hall. In the 1990s it was home to Vancouver's weirdo and experimental music scene, but had shows both before and after that. Though the Club still exists, it only very occasionally has shows. Other venues visited: VIVO, formerly Video In, began life as The Satellite Video Exchange Society, founded in 1973. It excited in three other spaces before moving to 1965 Main Street in 1993. It moved to Kaslo street in 2014. The Glass Slipper, a legendary Vancouver jazz club at 185 E 11th Avenue, burned down. Other venues mentioned: the Malcolm Lowry Room, the Sugar Refinery, Chroma Books, Solder and Son, Ms T's Cabaret, the Press Club, Manifesto (Edmonton). Band discussed: Refrigerator, Wicker Spigot, Noggin, Blowhole, Good Horsey, Smog, Truman's Water, the Ruins, Pipe Dream, Blaise Pascal, Sun City Girls, US Maple, Wolf Eyes, Climax Golden Twins, Zumpano, Vic Chestnut, Couch, Duotron, Loscil, Matthew Shipp/Susie Ibarra/William Parker, Eyelickers, New Pornographers, Frog Eyes, Leviathans, GHQ. This episode features the following music: Von Bingen: Eyeglasses in Kentucky from Von Bingen (2009) Magneticring: The City Lives from City (2011) Magenticring: Side B - Vancouver March 27th 2010 from All the Fluid is Floating (2012).

Jerome is the founder of the band M01E, and of UBC Cry Club, which took place weekly, at one point, at the Fraser River Parkade at UBC. Cry Club started in 2021 and continued, usually weekly, for a couple of years, and then less frequently. It is unrehearsed and open to participation from everyone who attends. Cry Club is on hiatus but hopefully will return. This conversation was recorded on April 1st, 2025. Venues visited: UBC Cry Club @ Fraser River Parkade. Other venues discussed: The Emergency Room, Pit Pub, SUB Ballroom, Red gate, Take Your Time, Grey Lab, Under the Bridge. This episode features the following music: M01E: Make Space from The New Youth (2025) UBC Cry Club: VOLUME - Kit, Hansen, Jerome - October 15, 2021 (From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100% ) UBC Cry Club: DRUM - Sarth, Rafe, Jerome - July 22, 2022 From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100%)

Phil Smith began in the awesome Vancouver punk band Wasted Lives, whose few recordings were recently released by Supreme Echo. This conversation was recorded on December 18 2024. He went on to musical projects like Snow Geese, Blanche Whitman, Bud Luxford and the long-running band Corsage. Venues Visited: Starvin' Marvin's was a nightclub on Burrard and Broadway which closed in the late 1970s. Quintessence Records (later Zulu) opened at 1869 west 4th avenue and often had in-store performances. It moved to 1972 w 4th where it still exists today. The Indian Center was built as a church (initially the Kitsilano Presbyterian Church) in 1911, and eventually became the Vancouver Indian Centre (now the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Society) at this location (1855 Vine) from 1970 to 1979. Now called Devon Court, the building contains luxury condos. The Subhumans played there in June and July 1978, and the hall had at least 2 additional shows. The Russian Community Hall on 4th and Arbutus has had events over the decades, but most famously was The Afterthought, where psych and hippie shows happened in the '60s before the Retinal Circus opened. Rohan's opened at a record store at 2865 West 4th Ave (it was an old house!), and then relocated to 2723 west 4th as the venue, Rohan's Rockpile, in 1972 or 1973. According to BC Business Online The Who came to play after an arena show. The Legion Hall at 2611 west 4th avenue was known at Lion's Gate Hall, and was legion #79. There is an ad from 1963 listing it for rent for events. Bands mentioned: Alan Horowitz Band, Heart, Dishrags, Subhumans, Jonathan Richman, DOA, Modernettes, Iggy Pop, Ramones, Talking Heads, Helium, Actionauts, Pointed Sticks, U-J3RK5, Steely Dan. Other venues discussed: Luv-a-fair, Sub Ballroom, the Plaza (punk house), the Snake Pit, Viking Hall, Nat Bailey Stadium. This episode features the following music: Wasted Lives: Wirehead from s/t EP 1979 (reissued by Supreme Echo). Corsage: Royal Couple from CORSAGE (originally released on cassette 1988) Corsage: September Song from Ancient Songs (2023)

In this bonus episode I talk separately with Rachel Melas and Conny Nowe, who played bass and drums in the all-female, post punk band the Moral Lepers, in the early 1980s. Rachel was also in the art punk band animal slaves among many others and Conny played in Tin Twist, and Junco Run. They now live together in Toronto where they play music in genres like cajun zydeco, swing, ragtime, folk and klesmer. This conversation took place on a video call, so you'll notice a different quality of sound and ambiance compared to the usual episodes! These conversations took place on November 11 & December 13, 2024. In Vancouver, Rachel Melas was in The Vistors, the Moral Lepers, Animals Slaves and the Might Club. Conny Nowe started in the Moral Lepers, and also played in Tin Twist, Junco Run and The Work Party while in Vancouver. Venues discussed: City Space (343 Railway Street), the Smilin' Buddha, the Balmoral, Odd Fellows Hall, O'Hara's, The Windmill, the Town Pump, the Lotus, the Archimedes Club, the Japanese Hall, the Railway Club, the Arts Club Backstage Lounge, Luv-a-fair, the Egress. Bands discussed: Private School, the Zellots, K-Tels, Young Canadians, the Modernettes, Oh Susanna, DOA, Melodic Energy Commission, Images in Vogue, 54-40, Art Bergman, the Dishrags. This episode features the following music: The Moral Lepers: Suicide from Turn to Stone (Mo-Da-Mu 1982) Animal Slaves: Save Me From Ruin from Dog Eat Dog (Mo-Da-Mu 1985) Tin Twist: Stupid Cars (Mo-Da-Mu 1980)

Lyndsay Sung is a musician, writer, filmmaker and cookbook author. She was in the bands the Sob Story, le Petit Mort, Radio Berlin and Pink Mountaintops, and now plays in KCAR, Foxgloves and Strawberries and Cream. This conversation was recorded on November 5 2024. The Blinding Light! was an underground cinema which ran from 1998-2003 at 36 Powell Street. Founded by Alex MacKenzie as a follow-up to his Edison Electric Gallery of Moving Images (1995-1997), the space housed a cafe, a gallery and a 110-seat cinema. It showed new and classic underground and avant garde films, hosted nights to bring your own 8mm films and hosted experimental bands with a visual element. Ms T's Cabaret was at 339 West Pender. The building began life as it started life in 1906 as the Myers Hall and later held the city's first purpose-built bowling alley, the Canadian Cycle and Motor Co, the Canadian Legion, the Boilermaker's Hall, and the Marine workers' Pender Auditorium. During the 1960s the Auditorium was booked by music series, including the Afterthought, and was the site of an early Grateful Dead concert. The building was home to Vancouver's earliest drag bar, BJ's, open from 1970 to 1983, and later, the Vancouver Club Baths also opened in the basement area. After being sold, it took on a western theme as Saddle Tramps before converting to a lesbian bar, Ms. T's, which also had music shows. It was demolished after a fire in 2003. Other venues visited: Pic Pub, The Brickyard. Also discussed: Submission Hold House, Dynamo Gallery Bands discussed: Three Inches of Blood, Hot Hot Heat, Erase Errata, the Need, the Get Hustle, Young People, A Luna Red, Womankind. Thank you to Kellarissa for the original theme music. This episode features the following music: KCAR: I Don't Know from Up Top (2023) The Sob Story: WTO Radio Berlin: DES from Glass (2003)

Jesse Gander grew up playing music as a teen in the band d.b.s. (1992-2001) in North Vancouver. He went on to play in numerous other bands, currently Uptights. He started recording bands while still a teenager and has done music production for over 500 bands and artists from around the world. Seylynn Hall was a community recreation centre in North Vancouver which held shows for about fifteen years starting in 1996. The last shows was in 2009, though a couple of one off shows happened after that. It was the centre of a diy punk scene for those years, mostly run by youth for youth. Other venues mentioned: The South Wall was a small room in the Lonsdale Recreation Centre which held youth music shows for several years in the 1990s. Bands discussed: Brand New Unit, Fugazi, Reserve 34, Strain, AFI, The Weakerthans, DOA, the Evaporators, Middle-aged Queers, The Cost, Pansy Division, Tranzmitors. This episode features the following songs: d.b.s.: Way Out from Catch 22 (1993) d.b.s.: Your Apathy is Killing the Both of Us from Live At Seylynn Hall. Last Show Evah! (2001) Reserve 34: Estivation from Reserve 34

Jen Thorpe and Andy Healey were members of the punk band Submission Hold from 1993 to 2005. Their house, at 2024 East 1st Avenue, known as Submission Hold House, hosted many shows from 1993 to 2001. Venues mentioned: La Quena (co-op coffee house), Strathcona Community Centre, Seylenn Hall (North Vancouver), Crosstown Traffic (Hastings and Homer, active in the 1990s), the Plaza (punk house on Georgia near Clark), Chateau Noir (house on east 1st), Hastings Community Centre, The South Wall (community centre in Lonsdale). Bands discussed: Citizen Fish, DOA, Tragedy, Detestation, Q Factor, Torches to Rome, Bread and Circuits, Please Inform the Captain This is a Hijack, Former Members of Alfonsin, Jolie Holland, the Evaporators, His Hero is Gone, Sparkmarker. Food Not Bombs is a grass roots movement started in 1980 to serve free mostly vegan meals as a protest against war and poverty. Thank you to Kellarissa for the original theme music. Music clips used with artist permission Submission Hold: Final Coup Of The Last Millennium from What Holds Back The Elephant (2004, G7 Welcoming Committee) My Belief from Waiting For Another Monkey To Throw The First Brick (1998, Ebullition) Synthetic Wonderland from The Buzz Of A Buzzless Situation (1995)