Guilt and Co

Guilt and Co

Guilt and Company is a dark, intimate space for cocktails, nibbles & a stage for live performances. Guilt & Company is Gastown’s premiere live music venue, showcasing nightly performances by the best and brightest entertainers from Vancouver, Canada, and Beyond! Guilt & Company is located on Alexander Street, directly across from Maple Tree Square in Gastown. Look for the sandwich-board signage, descend the stairs into a dark, underground bar, take a seat at one of the tables, and prepare to indulge in angelic or devilish behavior to the accompaniment of live music. The impact of skyrocketing commercial rents on Vancouver’s entertainment scene has been felt; the number of spaces large enough to regularly host live bands is dwindling. Guilt, on the other hand, is a consistent refuge for live-music fans.

Bands are occasionally local, with genre (and clientele) varying from night to night, and a typical week could include anything from a David Sanborn tribute to soul, swing, funk, and blues. Guilt has an excellent “pay what you can” policy instead of imposing a cover charge. There are about a dozen house drinks, each of which is named after a different song or band; the Femme Fatale, for example, contains Bulleit rye, yellow chartreuse, house-made Velvet falernum (a tropical drink ingredient), cardamon, lime zest, and an absinthe spritz. The food selection is limited to charcuterie, antipasti, and cheese boards. We got the impression that the cheerful, cordial employees are delighted to be working somewhere with live music. They’re excited to talk about everything, from the drinks to the performers.