The Classical Joint Coffeehouse
in Vancouver's Gastown district   1968-1991

Full house with up to 90 people squeezed
into a small place illuminated by candle light.

A venue for jazz, folk, classical music, poetry readings and chess players. The famous dark coffees (potent Irish Coffees) led to lively conversations deep into every night. Additional Jam sessions started usually long after midnight. There was a ping pong room in the hidden basement and also a little radio station for life broadcasts on Co-op radio for the popular radio show ' The Joint is Jumping '.

But in the Joint there were absolutely no drugs, except occasionally in the mysterious backroom where philosophical discussions got really intense. That's were Greenpeace and Co-op radio found its early forum.

The club was full of earthy authenticity and got never busted, but - eh - that was the Bohemian sixties.

In 2010, a  Reunion of the Classical Joint, featured in many newspapers across Canada, was a great success. (See several  photos  from the Reunion.) A review of the great event. A newspaper review Back to Author