The "death of fun"

It’s the end of an era. After more than 30 years of debauchery, questionable dance moves, and Canucks-related scandals, the Roxy is calling it quits.

Citing rising business costs, a soaring cost-of-living crisis, and what some are calling the “death of fun” in Vancouver, the legendary Granville Street dive bar simply can’t keep its doors open any longer.

A full house at the Roxy. Photo: The Roxy Cabaret

“It’s really unfortunate we’re having to pull the plug,” said Roxy founder and president Blaine Culling. “We’ve been a part of the city's fabric for decades, but times are tough for everyone. It seems people just don’t have the energy or disposable income to sing ‘Country Roads’ on a Sunday anymore.”

While this news is devastating for the entire city, perhaps no one was hit harder than former NHL defenseman Shane O’Brien.

Under the weather

The Roxy has a long and storied history with NHL players. The bar’s gravitational pull on visiting teams was so strong that it gave birth to the infamous “Roxy Flu”—a mysterious infection that only seemed to impact opponents playing the Canucks the next day.

But Roxy regular O’Brien had caught a particularly strong strain of this flu when he infamously slept through morning practice after a particularly eventful night out.

“It’s a real shame the Roxy is closing down,” said O’Brien. “I spent many nights there and met my first three wives at that bar. Now, where am I supposed to host my 50th birthday party?”

As the city prepares to say goodbye to one of its most iconic institutions, Vancouverites are left wondering: if the Roxy couldn’t survive, what’s next? The Gastown steam clock? Science World? Dude Chilling Park?

Dude Chilling Park. Photo: Atlas Obscura

For now, those looking to commemorate the Roxy’s legacy are encouraged to gather outside, wait in line for an hour, and then pour one out for a true Vancouver legend.

RIP, Roxy. You were too wild for this world.

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