Nightlife Discussion

[SpongeG]

I was in the lineup to see Florence and the Machine while next to us was the lineup to see Conan OBrien - it was quite interesting how different the lines were

Conan O'Brien brings travelling roadshow to Vancouver; draws sell out crowd

By Sunny Dhillon, The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER, B.C. - As he embarks on a new career with a new network, former "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien says it's thanks to Canadians he's still on the air at all.


O'Brien brought his "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour" to Vancouver Tuesday, where he was greeted by a raucous crowd, many of whom showed up in their finest "Team Coco" T-shirts.

O'Brien, whose eight-month stint as "Tonight" host came to an end in January, said Canadians saved his bacon when his first program, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," was struggling to find an audience and looked poised for the scrap heap.


"In 1993, when I first got started in television, just about everybody in America hated what we were doing," he recalled.

"The first people to embrace us were Canadians."


O'Brien told the boisterous Orpheum Theatre crowd he could always tell when Canadians were in attendance in those early days because his jokes actually landed.

"You saved my life and we've gone through a lot of weird stuff in the last three and a half months," he said. "The support that we have had from all of you online has been absolutely extraordinary."


O'Brien's heartfelt signoff capped a night that was far more silly than serious.

He took the stage to a thundering standing ovation and didn't wait long to poke fun at the locals.


Dressed in a dark suit, purple shirt, and Canada hat, the former "Simpsons" writer said he knew he'd arrived north of the border when someone congratulated him on his wicked "hockey beard."

"In America, we call it a beard. Here, everything's a hockey something. 'Hey, you got a hockey coldsore."'


O'Brien also said he was startled by all the cheers and applause inside the theatre because he didn't think it was very Canadian to make so much noise.

He joked he spent his day touring the city and somehow ended up in the notorious drug-riddled Downtown Eastside.


"Today, I saw three of the Olympic mascots in Pigeon Park. They looked pretty strung out," he said.

"'Can you help me? My name's Sumi. I don't know where I am, man. I'm all screwed up."'


O'Brien hosted New York-based "Late Night" from 1993 to 2009 and moved to Los Angeles for the "Tonight" gig last June.

But his time on NBC's landmark late-night program was short-lived. He exited the network after he refused to move his show back half an hour to make room for Jay Leno.

O'Brien was barred from appearing on TV until September because of his settlement agreement with NBC and announced the comedy tour last month. He has another Vancouver performance set for Wednesday, and makes stops in Enoch, Alta., on Saturday and Toronto on May 22.

Just hours before the comedy tour kicked off in Eugene, Ore., on Monday, O'Brien announced he's inked a five-year deal with TBS to host a late-night program that's expected to hit the air in November.

Tuesday's performance was cheered especially hard by long-time Conan fans.

Familiar characters like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and the Masturbating Bear made appearances, though for intellectual property reasons the bear was instead called a "self-pleasuring panda."

...

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100414/entertainment/tv_conan_s_tour

[delboy]

Originally Posted by s211

If becoming "liquor central" is your definition of soul, then have at 'er.

do me a favour.......

Nightlife in Vancouver is terrible and there desperately needs to be mature, licensed options beyond the miserable excuse that granville is.

I swear to god, north americans define going out for a pint as chicken wings and a pitcher at some crap sports bar while they watch grown men either roll around fighting each other half naked or grown men fighting on the ice.

I detest tv screens in bars, at least everywhere in the bar. the places opening in gastown are a million miles from this and seem to be in touch with what grown ups like to do when it comes to social time and drinks. to me its more about socializing and less about drinking your face off.

the gastro pub, a long time staple in the UK and Oz has finally landed in Vancouver - thank god! I like the fact that vancouver is growing up - it has sure been a hell of a long time coming. I just hope the momentum keeps up.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

I'm curious to whether you've been to any of these places? Gastown has turned out an amazing number of tiny, ridiculously good restaurant/bar/tapas spaces. Cobre, Salt, Pourhouse, Diamond - all are reasonably priced and you should feel the wonder as you watch someone make a drink in front of you that doesn't involve pouring vodka out of a hose. Even if you're a teetotaler these places have hands down something to offer over the generic hotel bars/tapas and the sh*t they call restaurants/public houses on Granville.

Even cooler, they're often owned by local Gastowners 'with a dream', to be so cliche, rather than by Donelley Group, Caprice, or Glowbal. It hasn't become 'liquor central', it's become quality central. Thank goodness.

[jlousa]

I argree with the above assessment, what I disagree with it that Vancouver has finally discovered it. It's been here all along people either don't know where to look or they weren't looking for that type of place. Gastown certainly has improved over the last 3 or so years but it was still here with similar places before that, just not in the same number.

[s211]

Originally Posted by delboy

do me a favour.......

Nightlife in Vancouver is terrible and there desperately needs to be mature, licensed options beyond the miserable excuse that granville is.

I swear to god, north americans define going out for a pint as chicken wings and a pitcher at some crap sports bar while they watch grown men either roll around fighting each other half naked or grown men fighting on the ice.

I detest tv screens in bars, at least everywhere in the bar. the places opening in gastown are a million miles from this and seem to be in touch with what grown ups like to do when it comes to social time and drinks. to me its more about socializing and less about drinking your face off.

the gastro pub, a long time staple in the UK and Oz has finally landed in Vancouver - thank god! I like the fact that vancouver is growing up - it has sure been a hell of a long time coming. I just hope the momentum keeps up.

I like where you're going with things. Enough of the thug-ingested booze-n-puke barns!

[98fb]

Originally Posted by s211

I like where you're going with things. Enough of the thug-ingested booze-n-puke barns!

The last thing I want in my bar is a guy that drinks one beer and socializes for 2-3 hours. Think before you speak.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by delboy

do me a favour.......

Nightlife in Vancouver is terrible and there desperately needs to be mature, licensed options beyond the miserable excuse that granville is.

I swear to god, north americans define going out for a pint as chicken wings and a pitcher at some crap sports bar while they watch grown men either roll around fighting each other half naked or grown men fighting on the ice.

I detest tv screens in bars, at least everywhere in the bar. the places opening in gastown are a million miles from this and seem to be in touch with what grown ups like to do when it comes to social time and drinks. to me its more about socializing and less about drinking your face off.

the gastro pub, a long time staple in the UK and Oz has finally landed in Vancouver - thank god! I like the fact that vancouver is growing up - it has sure been a hell of a long time coming. I just hope the momentum keeps up.

Size and economy have a lot to do with all this. Fifty years ago Vancouver wasn't much more than a very large logging town. It has grown in spurts, population-wise, since then, but the economy is still largely labour-based, or young high-tech yuppish. When it matures culturally, the night-life scene will differentiate, and there will be much more variety and style of choice.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by 98fb

The last thing I want in my bar is a guy that drinks one beer and socializes for 2-3 hours. Think before you speak.

Ahh the location says it all.

Its a good thing for everyone here that there are a variety of bars. There are nightclubs for the younger party crowd, and lounges/gastro pubs for the mid twenties and up, sports bars for catching a game, after hours for the ravers, and strip clubs for... well ya know.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by jlousa

I argree with the above assessment, what I disagree with it that Vancouver has finally discovered it. It's been here all along people either don't know where to look or they weren't looking for that type of place. Gastown certainly has improved over the last 3 or so years but it was still here with similar places before that, just not in the same number.

fair enough, the heather and steam works being two such places. Either way you slice however, the bar scene in vancouver has been very mono and too samey.

It also doesn't say much about the place when you had to make a real effort to find such places. Most other major cities. it's pretty easy to figure out fairly quickly where to go and make your way there.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by 98fb

The last thing I want in my bar is a guy that drinks one beer and socializes for 2-3 hours. Think before you speak.

i was generalizing you know.....point being that those of us well into our forties need somewhere a little tamer! If you feel the need to douse yourself in booze...be my guest, it's a free world.

happen you should 'drink before you speak' or better yet don't bother unless you have a valid point.

[Delirium]

Originally Posted by delboy

I swear to god, north americans define going out for a pint as chicken wings and a pitcher at some crap sports bar while they watch grown men either roll around fighting each other half naked or grown men fighting on the ice.

wow. what a gross generalization. All north americans? Hmm..typical Euro trash talk. Bring your nose down a little okay?

sounds to me you just have no idea where to go or what to do but rest assured, the scene here is far beyond chicken wings and a pint of cheap beer. No need to generalize your statements so much.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by Delirium

wow. what a gross generalization. All north americans? Hmm..typical Euro trash talk. Bring your nose down a little okay?

sounds to me you just have no idea where to go or what to do but rest assured, the scene here is far beyond chicken wings and a pint of cheap beer. No need to generalize your statements so much.

No need to resort to Ad hominem, had you quoted the entire post, you would have seen that I gave accolades to gastown and it would have been apparent that I was generalizing to highlight a point, the point being that it was good to see night life here maturing.

[Ilsaz]

Vancouver people:

I need to find a bar / music venue that caters to 20- to 30-year-old hipsters. Any recommendations?

I'm not really too into the scene myself, so I promise not to be offended by hipster jokes this request is sure to bring. Cheers.

[vancityrox]

Hmmm try out Club Five Sixty. I heard they are catering to an older crowd.

[jlousa]

You are missing one of the most important pieces of info. For how many people?

[Ilsaz]

You are right. That is an important piece of info. I guess it would be a venue in the 200 to 400 range.

Googling Club Five Sixty now, thanks.

[LeftCoaster]

What kind of hipster? Electro, indy etc...

[Ilsaz]

Folk rock with bluegrass instruments. A little country. A little punk. The band typically plays dive bars that sell cheap beer.

We have shows lined up in Seattle and since I used to live in Vancouver, I'm supposed to find a venue. But it was brief and a long time ago. Stuff changes fast.

[SpongeG]

that bar on kingsway the biltmore is hipster heaven

[LeftCoaster]

Haha amazing, I was just about to suggest the Biltmore.

Its probably exactly what you are looking for, they host a lot of smaller acts and has a very hipster crowd.