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Blues Bars in Vancouver

It may seem surprising at first to think of Canada as a home for the blues, yet blues artists have been playing Canadian venues for decades. When you consider its proximity to American cities that are regular stops on any blues musician’s itinerary, such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, it makes sense that blues bars would be part of the Canadian music scene. In truth, there is a vibrant blues scene in many Canadian provinces, and Vancouver has some of the most famous blues bars in the country, if not the world.

  1. The Yale Hotel

    • Perhaps the most famous of all Vancouver blues bars is located at the end of a rather unremarkable side street. This end of town has always been “where the action is” since it was known as Yaletown, and locals have sought comfort and entertainment at the Yale Hotel since the early 1900s. Blues artists have also found a home at the Yale for over two decades, and the roster of past performers reads like a Who’s Who in the blues world. John Lee Hooker, Gatemouth Brown, James Cotton, Honeyboy Edwards, Koko Taylor, R. L. Burnside, and Pinetop Perkins have all performed there, as have John Hammond, Coco Montoya, Candye Kane, Duke Robillard, and Canada’s own late, great Jeff Healey. All in all, the Yale deserves its reputation as one of the best blues bars in Vancouver.

      The Yale Hotel
      1300 Granville St.
      Vancouver BC
      V6Z 1M7
      (604) 681-9253

    The Railway Club

    • Raucous fun has been part of the Railway Club scene since it was a private, members-only hangout for railway workers in the 1930s. Today, blues music can be heard rattling the rafters of the Railway Club on any given night. The atmosphere is perfect for what you would expect from blues bars-smoky, noisy, crowded, and energized. Their calendar is always full, and blues artists share the stage with other styles of music that somehow fit in with the overall “mojo” of the club. An small annual membership fee is still necessary to hang out in the Railway Club, but if it’s the authentic feel of blues bars you’re seeking, this is where to find it in Vancouver.

      The Railway Club
      579 Dunsmuir St.
      Vancouver BC
      V6B 1Y4
      (604) 681-1625

    The Cottage Bistro

    • One of the lesser known blues bars in Vancouver is nonetheless equal to the task of satisfying any blues lover’s thirst for down-home, uptown, all-around blues tunes. Saturday night is the regularly scheduled night for local blues stars and road acts alike, starting at 8 P.M. Yet every Friday evening the blues takes over the Cottage Bistro, with an early show featuring Arsen Shomakhov from 7 to 9 P.M. Arsen understands the blues, and his soulful interpretations set the stage for what follows, which is, nine times out of ten, a blues-oriented act. Blues bands even appear on a Sunday evening about once a month, and who knows what will happen on the Wednesday night open-mic? Like many Vancouver music clubs, the Cottage Bistro opens its doors to all styles of music, which only enhances the chemistry and ambiance that have been part and parcel of blues bars throughout history.

      The Cottage Bistro
      4470 Main St.
      Vancouver BC
      V5V 3R3
      (604) 876-6138

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