Sugar

The music was TERRIBLE, but the people in there were friendly. It was very very hot in there. I had been drinking elsewhere before I went there to dance, so I don’t know what their drink prices are like.
I would try this place again for dancing, but if they STILL have terrible music I’m not going back.

As a venue, Sugar seems A-​Ok! Not the best but not the worst place i’ve been to either! The staff were nice, the venue was clean, and i liked how it had a bit of character without having the dull look places get when an interior designer meticulously planned every detail of it.
The venue got bonus points for having the back of the main floor raised up from the area about 30 feet in front of the stage in front of stage. Shorties like me have a hard time seeing otherwise when they’re in the back of the audience! The drinks were decent and average price, and at least they poured well since i got pretty tanked!
I always bring a jacket to music venues since i find them to be a bit chilly before the crowd gets bigger and i get more liquor in my system, but i could check my jacket immediately upon entering Sugar! It was a good thing for me, but the boys i was with were sweltering! I’m not sure if it’s always like that, but just in case be sure to dress light if you come here. I’ve heard the sound in this place is hit or miss, and my boyfriend said the guitars should have been louder, but honestly, unless it sounds like a band is singing through a tin can, i don’t really notice. If you’re the kind of person who does pay attention to these kind of details, i suggest doing what my boyfriend did: three shots of Jäger in under 30 minutes. He didn’t seem to mind after that!

«Noooooooo … Dude! Don’t do it. You go into the vortex and you never get out. That place is HELL!!!» That’s what a young prophet on the streets of Victoria told me when I mentioned that I was going to see Dinosaur Jr. play at Sugar later that night.
Naturally, I thought the kid was on drugs or perhaps a schizophrenic. It turns out that he is a modern day Nostradamus. The only thing sweet about Sugar is its alluring name. Its like candy in a pedophile’s hand and whatever you do, I beg you, don’t get in that van. You’re in for a rough ride.
As another reviewer mentioned, the sight lines suck. The stage is buried in a hole in what can only be described as an extremely narrow and confining space. Not only had we heard that the sound system is awful, but it was pretty clear that due to the low, cascading ceiling that the acoustics were going to suck as well. In an awful venue, your only hope is to get close to the stage, so we figured out best bet was to make our way to the front. After all, Dinosaur Jr. brought several stacks of Marshall amps. All our problems were theoretically solved.
With only minutes to go before Dinosaur was set to take the stage, we were ready to bask in the waves of crunching guitar. Unfortunately, to add to their claustrophobia-​inducing layout, the venue has absolutely no circulation and it was so unbearably hot that each step closer to the stage was one step closer to the heart of hell. The band hadn’t even started and I was growing faint.
Having never fainted before, I tried to fight it, but alas, it was a battle I was destined to lose. I blacked out before the show even started. Now I know what it was like to be a 14 year old girl at a Beatles concert. I was back on my feet in no time and my friend got me to the hallway that leads to the street and in a few minutes, I was seemingly fine. Unfortunately, each time we tried to make our way back into the crowd (i.e. the Vortex), I was overwhelmed by the heat and had to retreat. We eventually gave up and went back to our hotel without having heard a single note.
Thanks Sugar for the good times. Not only have I gotten a glimpse of hell, but I’ve also seen a preview of what it’s like to die. In the scheme of life, this isn’t exactly unwelcome knowledge to have … but I really would have just liked to have seen Dinosaur Jr.

I’ve been waiting to see Dinosaur Jr. in its original lineup since they reunited. And I’m ecstatic that they’ve decided to make Victoria a stop on their next tour. However, I’m tempted not to go as Sugar is easily the worst venue I’ve ever seen a show. And I’ve been to some pretty cruddy venues.
I should admit that I’ve never been so lucky as to make my way to the inner bowl of the venue, which may offer decent sightlines, but a live music venue should offer decent sightlines throughout.
But not only can you not see the performers at the venue all that well (if you’re not in the inner bowl — the performers are at eye-​level), the sound is always horribly tinny and distorted, and not in a good way. I don’t know if this is due to a soundman who really does not know how to figure out the acoustics of the room, or if the room is just a disaster in itself. It’s long, awkwardly shaped, and the sound of chatter in the back carries forward to the front.
Do not see a band whose vocals carry them here — they will be drowned out in fuzz.
There’s also a barrier which separates the audience from the stage by about 5 feet.
Thankfully, unlike Element, they serve beer on tap, but the choices are restricted to some Granville Island beer (ok), Olde Style (no way!), and something else I don’t like all that much for way too high of a price.