In Search of Lost Venues is wrapping up!
In Search of Lost Venues
Thank you so much to everyone who listened and participated. There will be a new conversation in the next few months, and the occasional bonus episode. I always saw this as a finite project; there are way more stories to tell but I don't want to get repetitive in my own angle into this topic.
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Luke Meat @ The Brickyard
In Search of Lost Venues
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...
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Dennis Mills in Gastown and beyond
In Search of Lost Venues
Dennis Mills has been playing with bands in Vancouver for over four decades. He was in AKA and Rhythm Mission, and still plays with the Judys and the Jazzmanian Devils. This conversation was recorded on November 28th 2025. Venues visited: Tamara Restaurant (311 W Hastings), site of the first Jazzmanian Devils show in 1983. Warehouse show location (152 West Hastings). Helen Pitt Gallery (163 W Pender), The Lotus, In Concert, the Lamplighter, the Town Pump, John Barley’s, the Savoy, Gambados, Lanalou’s, City Space. Other venues mentioned: the Railway Club, the Commodore, PUMPS,...
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Ziggy (formerly known as Yuriko Igo) @ Blim
In Search of Lost Venues
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...
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Kristjanne Vosper @ the Black Lab
In Search of Lost Venues
Kristjanne Vosper’s current project is KMVP. She has played in Smearlord, Bash Brothers, Repukes, and OK Vancouver OK. She lives in Nanaimo. Venues visited:The Black Lab ( E Hastings) was a “DIY, collectively run, volunteer-based punk space” on Hastings Street , just east of Main, in the Downtown Eastside, from about 2014-2024. Other venues visited: Pat’s Pub, The Secret Location, Red Gate, Iron Road Studio, Fingers Crossed, Bullet Farm. Other venues discussed: Jam space at Main and Powell, Crace mountain Bands mentioned : Time Cops, Flat Bed, Shearing Pinx, Wameki, OK...
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On a short break!
In Search of Lost Venues
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Amber Webber at Pat's Pub
In Search of Lost Venues
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...
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Sydney Hermant at art spaces in the Downtown Eastside
In Search of Lost Venues
Sydney Hermant played in the bands Bonaparte, Hello Blues Roses, and the Choir Practice. She is also an artist and was the curator of the Or Gallery. She put on cabaret shows with the Hot Rod Puppet Ensemble. This conversation was recorded on July 30th, 2025. Venues visited: Sydney’s house from 2004 - 2012 at Princess and Powell (Bonapoarte, The Choir Practice and Destroyer practice spaces). Dunlevy art space at Dunlevy and Powell (1998 art and music studio with Steve Wood, Scott Morgan, Neko Case. Destroyer practice space) Art Studio at Gore and Powell. Pat’s Pub. The downstairs bar in...
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Ryan McCormick at Hoko's
In Search of Lost Venues
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...
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Ana Rose Carrico at the Red Gate
In Search of Lost Venues
Ana Rose Carrico is a grassroots arts administrator who co-founded The Red Gate Arts Society. She is the current Executive Director, a former Station Manager of CiTR & Discorder Magazine, and a lifelong advocate for the cultural life of Vancouver. This conversation took place on May 9th 2025. The Red Gate first opened on Hastings near Cambie in 2004. It moved to 855 East Hastings between 2012 and 2018. The venue was evicted from both locations before moving to its current space at 1965 Main Street, one of those rare venues which has managed to survive and create a distinct, thriving...
info_outlinePhil 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)