By Zara Khan
Born from the vision of a cozy, nostalgic jazz club tucked away behind a secret bookshelf and up the winding stairs of the iconic Water St. Café, 2nd Floor Gastown opened its doors in 2019 – and has been part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival ever since. We’re thrilled to welcome its return, continuing a tradition that blends Gastown’s historic charm with nightly live music. Programming typically features everything from jazz legends to the next best thing in indie, pop, acoustic, roots, and soul – providing a home to an array of talents and crowds.
This year shows feature the likes of the dreamy Vancouver-based Lucy Lambert Trio, Ballads, Bossas, and Blues performing contemporary jazz with influences from reggae, African and groove music, Ruthie Ha on the tenor saxophone joined by legends Bill Coon on guitar & David Caballero on bass – among many more memorable artists.
An evening at 2nd Floor Gastown is made complete by experiencing the culinary excellence of Water St. Café. From house made gnocchi and pastas, to legendary crab cakes (on the menu since 1988), bison carpaccio and parmesan chicken, a meal is best finished with the tiramisu, an indulgent and must-try showstopper.
Check out their full Festival lineup.
