If you’re walking down Main Street in Mount Pleasant, it’s hard to miss the neon marquee of the Fox Cabaret. It looks like a classic, slightly retro theater, but if you go back about fifteen years, this place had a very different reputation.

Until 2013, the Fox was the last standing 35mm adult cinema in North America. It was a stubborn, slightly sleazy holdout from a different era of Vancouver history, kinda my vibe but that’s none the less. But instead of tearing it down to build another glass condo tower, a group called the Arrival Agency stepped in and turned it into the multi-level arts playground it is today.

If you’re a music lover like me then you will love the Fox because it feels like it kept its edge even after getting a makeover. When you’re watching a band like Nobro (who are actually playing this Saturday, April 18) or catching a local legend like Jody Glenham for her EP release on April 30, you’re standing in a room that has seen some serious history.

What makes it a must mention for any local guide is that it’s not just a concert hall, it’s a community hub. On any given Sunday, you can catch The Sunday Service, which is arguably the best live improv comedy show in the city. Then, on Friday and Saturday nights, the space transforms into one of the best dance floors in the province.

Events like “Guilty Pleasures“ and their “80s vs 90s” battles are legendary and authentic. It’s events like those that help me understand how the building has stood the test of time.

Whether you’re there for a $4 “four-band showcase” (yes, they still do those!) or a sold-out international tour, the Fox is proof that Vancouver’s music scene doesn’t have to be  No fun city. It just needs a little bit of history and a lot of neon.