We will be in Vancouver for 4 days in August and were wondering if there are any good rock clubs or bars worth going to,as well as any good cd/dvd store's. Cheers.

bigstevie, check out www.straight.com/ and make your way to the Georgia Straight's club listings.

A&B on Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver is, for me, hands-down the best cd/dvd/music store - extremely knowledgeable sales staff, great selection, etc.

Cheers,
L

Virgin Records at the corner of Robson and Burrard is a big store that will surely have something of interest. Future Shop probably would too (I know there's a downtown location, but can't recall where).

I second the Georgia Straight recommendation. You can also pick up a free copy when you're here - look around in newspaper boxes or newsstands.

a&b sound, Future Shop, and Virgin are great for brand new CD's and DVD's, but if you're looking for specialty shops or independent record shops, Zulu Records is my favourite for new/used/vinyl/etc. It's located on W 4th Ave and Maple in the neighbourhood known as "Kits" (Kitsilano). Definitely one of the best shops in the city.

As for rock clubs/bars, it depends who's in town and what you're into, but pick up a Georgia Straight newspaper.

My favourites in terms of local rock venues:

The Commodore Ballroom
The Railway Club
The Media Room
The Brickyard
Richards on Richards

If you want a real interesting local pub experience, visit Pub 340 or the Cambie. Also, if you're into as gritty as it comes, drop by the Cobalt for hardcore punk.

Carmanah: My family and I are also going to Vancouver, and wondered if you can name some other good used CD stores besides Zulu Records. Since we won't have a car and are very limited on time, we plan to stay within a few blocks of the Skytrain, with one jaunt planned up to North Van. Can you recommend any used CD stores within this area, or is Zulu so good that we should go there by cab?

dwoodliff:

Whether Zulu Records is worth it or not is really up to you. I'd say it is, but, only if you really love music. It's located on West 4th Ave in the heart of Kits, which is well worth visiting anyway... lots of shops/restaurants and Kits Beach is down the road. Zulu's my favourite record store because of their good selection of indie rock. Most, if not all their staff work in the music industry, promotions, media, etc... and they're one of the few places around town that sell concert tickets without the Ticketmaster "extortion" fee.

Here's Zulu Records website: www.zulurecords.com. It'll give you a taste of what to expect. You can easily hop on a bus there from downtown.

Otherwise, if you're just looking for used CD's only, a really good place (even though it has a pawn-shop atmosophere) is Charlie's Music City on Granville Street downtown (between Robson and Smithe). The decor is a gawdy bright green and gold (and I think neon red?) but they've got a huge selection.