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Blues On Whyte
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Jazz & Blues Nightlife Jazz & Blues Nightlife Bars Dive Bars Jazz & Blues, Dive Bars [Edit]
10329 82 Ave NWEdmonton, AB T6E 1Z9
(780) 439-3981
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
9 reviews for Blues On Whyte
9 reviews in English
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Review from Brennan W.
Edmonton, AB
4/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great music. Check listings to see if you're missing something good.
Old-school vibe.
Decent bar. -
Review from Joanna F.
Blues on Whyte is my most frequented watering hole. Why? THE MUSIC. As Edmonton's main live blues venue, the place is sensational. Okay, it's a dive bar, but that's part of it's charm in a way, as it's completely unpretentious, laid back and relaxed. You get a lot of bikers, and it looks less than salubrious, but I always feel comfortable inside, no matter how small a group I'm part of.
The staff is relaxed but good; they're happy to bring you your drinks or have you wander up to the bar, and they don't bug you about buying multiple drinks even if you're there for the entire evening.
And the music... the music is simply incredible. It's free on weeknights, and only $5 cover on Fridays and Saturdays. And for this, you get some of the top blues acts out there! The music ranges from original 20's blues and jazz, to big band, to late 60's/70's blues/funk to 'modern' jazz and the recent retro blues.
What I especially love is the dance floor: As a swing and blues dancer, it's often hard to find venues that are a) receptive and b) have enough room to actually execute swing steps. The floor here is big enough for about half a dozen couples and anyone else who feels like dancing, in good condition, and I've never heard a complaint from the staff about the crazy dancers who come in so frequently and order tons of water but very little liquor (swing dancing and drinking mix as well as driving and drinking). Everyone also seems to understand it's a real dance floor: no one takes their drinks out there, so it remains in good shape and I never have to worry about what my dance shoes are going to encounter (well, at least not until I head back to my seat).
Yes, it's a dive, yes, some of the clientele are dodgy, yes it most DEFINITELY needs a good scrub, but it's a blues bar and the edge BOW has makes the perfect backdrop for listening to music that was always supposed to be gritty, raw and real.Listed in: Whyte Ave & Old Strath favs
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Review from shawnna p.
Edmonton, AB
9/26/2011
We lucked out and hit this place on a lively Friday night. We usually balk at the $6.00 cover charge, but when legendary blues man Jimmy D Lane is in the house, you fork it over gladly. We never drink the beer on tap here, because there may be repercussions the next day. A bottle of Keith's and we are squashed into table at the back for the night. Aside from world class blues and cheap beer, I like coming to the Commie because I get better looking as the night progresses. I also turn into a really good dancer. You have to watch out for your husband's wallet as there are occasionally a pick pocket or two around. The doormen are nice and really, really big! The bathrooms are not great, but the girls will hold the door for you if necessary. It's a real experience that you should not miss.
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Review from Roman K.
Edmonton, AB
7/16/2011
You won't get shot if you come to the Commie. Or stabbed. You may very well get hit on by a drunk 47 year old woman from Red Deer dancing up a storm, and see some awkward white-person dancing from men in work jeans and hiking boots. You will avoid eye contact with the VLT players in the other room, and you will observe more than one middle-aged man in leather chaps trying hard to be a badass biker but really more likely just an accountant out for drinks. But you won't get shot. Or stabbed. Blues on Whyte is more blue collar than dive, a non-pretentious atmosphere in a slightly unkempt and cavernous location. There are two excellent reasons to come here: 1) Great live blues music every night with a large, non-judgmental dance floor (well, the people are non-judgmental, I assume the floor is as well); and 2) Off-sales for those desperate nights.
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Review from Jack G.
Edmonton, AB
12/31/2009
Blues on Whyte needs to be redone. The place looks old inside and out. While many places on Whyte Ave have changed with the times, Blues on Whyte has not.
Inside everything seems old and worn out. The crowd is usually people who have come just for the music and not anything else, other than drinking. I am not really a huge blues fan but I don't mind it.
The place could be cleaned up, renovated and made into a real attraction. Many people just pass on this place because of how old it looks from the outside. -
Review from Maria F.
10/29/2009 1 photo
Even though I love blues, Blues on Whyte is not my cup of tea. While the music is always great, whenever I was at this club, I couldn't help but wonder why the owner couldn't clean up and spruce up this place a little. There are plenty of tables to seat at, and there is a pool tables area, but everything is extremely worn down and looks millions years old. This place could use a total overhaul.
The crowd at Blues on Whyte is made up of relaxed and drunk people who crave some blues. I will stress again that the music played here is fantastic! Nothing makes me feel more at ease and puts me in a good mood than blues, but only if I am enjoying it in clean surroundings while breathing air that is not "soaked" with beer. -
Review from Paula K.
7/11/2009
I finally stepped foot in the "Commie" (as regulars sometimes call it). Whether you call it Blues on Whyte or the Commercial, this is a quintessential blues bar. Lighting is dark, the air smells like beer, there are lots of biker-looking dudes walking around, the music is loud and often live, people are dancing, people are drinking, and people are generally looking like they are having a good time. The live music area has plenty of table seating, as well as a dance floor. A separate gaming room is full of VLTs for those who happen to be into that sort of thing. People come here for the music and to socialize. It is one of Whyte Avenue's most popular bars. If only the walls could talk . . .
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Review from Jason S.
Edmonton, AB
3/28/2011
Are you looking for the best drinks in town, cleanest bar, highest class clients, and hottest waiters/waitresses? Then go somewhere else. Are you looking for the most laid back atmosphere and BEST local music for cheap? Then look no further. Blues features some of the best blues musicians, cheap drinks, and an overall good time. No douch-bags, no prosti-tots, and no problems. It's client base is mostly older, so look homeless, some look sketchy, and some seem to be high on everything and anything you could find. However, it's all apart of the atmosphere that makes Blues the place that it is. Drinks are cheap too and usually pretty well made also. However, be aware that you can't start a tab there so have cash on hand at the ready! Come in, sit down, and absorb the atmosphere and the music, just try not to touch anything!
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Review from Jennifer P.
Edmonton, AB
10/4/2008 1 photo
Also known as The Commercial, this bar is legendary. Great musicians have played here and new bands have gotten their starts on the same stage. A long-time landmark in Old Strathcona, this blues bar (Edmonton's only, as far as I know) draws an eclectic crowd of people who come for the beer, music, amicable crowd, pool tables, slots, pinball and ever-changing vibe. This is the kind of place to let down your hair, and dance, dance, dance because even if people are watching, no one cares. You could do the Funky Chicken, or cut the floor with Running Man all night, and no one would judge. I expect Blues On Whyte will be a steady fixture in this neighbourhood for many years to come. It's a plain-spoken, good ol' time without the frills and airs of the swank clubs and martini lounges cropping up in urban centers. Mind you, the carpets haven't been changed since before the smoking laws were revised, and once the air cleared, believe me you, it wasn't pleasant. I don't know how much brew has been spilt, and vomit spewed, on that shag over the years, and I don't want to, but my nose suspects it's time to reupholster. Despite the dank, old shoe feel of BOW, it will always have a place in my heart.
Listed in: Things to do on a rainy day in…, The Places I Go Out
