Upcoming Shows
Artists: Southern Culture on the Skids · Poi Rogers
with Poi Rogers
| 7:00 PM show
Artists: Cousin Harley · Sinead X Sanders
with Sinéad X Sanders
| 7:00 PM show
Artists: Unsane · CNTS · DISRUPTIONS
with CNTS, DISRUPTIONS, CNTS and Disruptions
| 7:00 PM show
Artists: Elder · Blackwater Holylight
with Blackwater Holylight
| 7:00 PM show
Artists: COVENANT XI - DAY 1 - MYSTHIRMING · ABYSSAL · more
Artists: COVENANT XI - DAY 2 - RUIM · VOLAHN · more
Artists: COVENANT XI - DAY 3 - THE RUINS OF BEVERAST · SPITE · more
Artists: Judge · EARTH CRISIS · WITNESS CHAMBER · JUI...
with JUDGE, EARTH CRISIS, WITNESS CHAMBER, JUI...
Artists: The Rasmus · Saint Agnes · Death Valley Dreams
with Saint Agnes, Death Valley Dreams
| 6:30 PM show
Artists: NEKROGOBLIKON · Rivers Of Nihil · Cyborg Octopus
with Rivers Of Nihil, Cyborg Octopus
Artists: HammerFall · Evergrey · Elvenking
with Evergrey and Elvenking
Artists: Militarie Gun · Softcult · Shady Nasty · Dazy
with Softcult, Shady Nasty, Dazy
Artists: Demon Hunter · Wolves At The Gate · Bloodlines
with Wolves At The Gate, Bloodlines
| 6:30 PM show
Artists: WrestleCore: The Horror On Hastings · The Wrestlorcist
Artists: Exhumed · JARHEAD FERTILIZER · SAVAGE MASTER · MOLDER
with JARHEAD FERTILIZER, SAVAGE MASTER, MOLDER
Artists: METAL CHURCH · ARMORED SAINT · LIVE KILL
with ARMORED SAINT, LIVE KILL
Artists: Whitmer Thomas · Clay Tatum
with Clay Tatum
Artists: NERVOSA · CASTRATOR · EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY · ANGER WITHIN
with CASTRATOR, EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY, ANGER WITHIN
Updated nightly · last refreshed
From Kung Fu to Hardcore
Built in 1971 by the Shaw Brothers of Hong Kong, Sir Run Run Shaw and Runme Shaw, this venue opened as the Shaw Theatre, a martial-arts cinema that doubled as their North American film-distribution base. After lying dormant for two decades, it was reopened as a live-music venue in 2009 by local entrepreneur David Duprey and has become known as the "CBGBs of the North," a home for metal, punk, and industrial music that embraces the gritty history of the Downtown Eastside.
The "Anti-Club" Ethos
Under Mo Tarmohamed, who took over operations in the summer of 2011, the Rickshaw books mostly live performance and rarely clears the room for DJ nights. It keeps a "family" atmosphere with friendly security and an emphasis on the music itself, and was voted the Georgia Straight's Best Live Music Venue (Medium Club) in 2018 and 2019.
Sonic Architecture
The venue's concrete shell is tamed by extensive acoustic treatment and a tour-grade Meyer Sound MILO line array. This system provides immense headroom, allowing high-intensity bands like Napalm Death and High on Fire to achieve visceral volume levels without distortion.
The "Rake" Advantage
A defining feature of the auditorium is its significant "rake" (slope). Originally designed for cinema sightlines, this architectural quirk provides an "amphitheatre effect" for concerts, ensuring that patrons at the very back of the room have a clear, unobstructed view of the stage. That sightline is uncommon in converted flat-floor ballrooms.