Vancouver night clubs from the 60's 70's and 80's

[blackhawk]

Hey Blackhawk, I PM'ed you.

I didn't receive a PM AJ.

[crazyoleme]

Holiday flash back....
I remember a New Years eve at the old Blackstone on Granville and they served a whole suckling pig.... now that was a party!

[HunterMann]

Hello? Anyone still here?
I realize I'm arriving late at the round table, but wanted to chime in.

I had searched for information about Frank Baker's Attic and found this discussion of Vancouver night clubs, supper clubs and other hot spots from the good old day.

I grew up in Bellingham in the states, a sort of weekend shopping suburb of Vancouver BC...

Though I was only about 10 years old when I first visited Frank Baker's Attic in-person. Impressionable at that age, I was so amazed when my parents took me there for dinner and to see the Aston Martin car, the Tiffany lamp shades, the mismatched dinnerware on the tables and of course the lively, wild and beautifully eccentric Frank Baker. I recall him conga-lining around with others there, trumpet pitched at a high angle in the air, blowing some hot swing jazz.

My folks usually went up to Vancouver for dinner dates without us kids. Besides Frank's Attic, they also loved a supper club called Hi's Encore(High's Encore?).

Another place they took me to when I was about 15, and somehow able to get served in the establishments around Gastown: LaBatt's Blue and Irish coffee's(Make the next one a double, please!). One place in Gastown that I really loved was in an alley, an old brick building with a simple entry door, I think called Jazz Cafe. It was a coffeehouse that served desserts and good coffee while a jazz trio played kind of bee-bop and people sat in on horn, I think one night the horn player was Chet Baker. The cool thing about this coffeehouse was that it was a bit of a speakeasy. The hip cats knew they could order a "dark coffee" and they'd be served a clandestine cup of coffee and Canadian whiskey, yes sir!

I think it was on the occasion of my 17th birthday, I treated myself to a most memorable evening at The Cave, where I heard the impressive soul vocal group The Stylistics. They wore light blue tuxedos and had an 18 piece band with them called The Philadelphia Sounds. Man, that was a great era. Few groups these days travel with a big horn section, instead cutting corners by employing one of those darned synthesizer keyboards that tries(and fails) to sound like a brass section(boo!).

I also recall that car dealership in Vancouver that was supposed to have one of the largest neon signs in North America(well, maybe not including Las Vegas).

Thanks to all who have posted memories here so far. Such a warm wave of memories come to mind, thanks!

[Jo]

Welcome to the board, HunterMann, and thanks for the good memories! I was thinking about Frank Baker's place just last night, it was great at this time of year.

[blackhawk]

Hey Blackhawk, I PM'ed you.

I didn't receive a PM AJ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZMFeubb_o
This band and song may bring back some mammaries from the late 60s! :nutzoid:

[averagejoe]

Welcome to the board, HunterMann, and thanks for the good memories! I was thinking about Frank Baker's place just last night, it was great at this time of year.

Frank Bakers on Cambie or West Van?

[mountainmama]

Izzys on Georgia
New Delhi on Main st.
Red Robinson's band The Stripes
Calgary Shades with Tommy Chong :sleepdeprived:

[marvin gardens]

Vanouver Night Clubs...
A few more to add to the list.

Smiling Buddha; Arctic Club; Bunkhouse
Over in New Westminster there was the famous Hollywood Bowl.
As some has already mentioned, the Dufferin was a pub, likewise the Cobalt...Yeah and it is still there

[bigbawwm]

Does anyone remember "The Egress" I saw Tim Buckley there and it was amazing?

[twinenginebomber]

I worked at Izzy' for a couple of years (underage)and loved it. At he end of my shift I would go out the back door, up the street and turn right and there I would be.....at Oil Can Harry's ....a really cool place back in the day. I really miss these old clubs. I miss the mid-late 60's and the early 70's. The music was awesome. Did any of you ever get a chance to see a group called the MOB from Chicago when they first came to Izzy's. They later came to The Marco Polo and one last time to The King of Clubs. I have googled them but they faded out of sight by the 80's.

[zudnic]

I skipped a lot and not sure if mentioned. The Town Pump was in gas town and a owner passed away last month. His memorial service was last week. He owned the building and left the running of the pump with his two sons. I knew the owners, so on guest list and was in that place pretty much every night in my early 20's.

[Kits]

Was that the BOWMAC sign, 1300 West Broadway? Someone fell to his death during construction, no?

[gopp]

....and some of the gay clubs...playpen south/gandy dancer/faces/Bj's.

[RE66]

A couple of clubs and bars that I don't think have been mentioned:

Retinal Circus - where Celebrities is now, on Davie

Crown I, a bar in N Van. It was in a hotel that I believe was named the Imperial, but the bar was nicknamed the Crown I.

After hours clubs: Mr. Toast. Pumps and Power, Basin Street.

Gary Taylor's Rock Room, same block as Sugar Daddy's.

The Warehouse, on Beatty between Robson and Smithe. The Anchor in Gastown, near Gassy Jack's statue.

A club on Cardero off Robson, the Go-Between, as I recall

[grammafreddy]

Frank Bakers on Cambie or West Van?

I remember Frank Baker's Attic in North Van. Crazy toilets in the women's room, (and a fig leaf well-placed on a statue in there, too :D), all those antiques hanging from the ceiling. Good times. Wasn't that the place that had John Lennon's car out front - or something like that?