Viva Cantina (CLOSED)

UNFORTUNATELY, VIVA CANTINA HAS CLOSED. RIP.

This is a Mexican restaurant that features live music almost every night of the week. Types of bands include rockabilly, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, and big band. Check their website/Facebook page before going. My source says that Thursdays and Saturdays generally have the best music to swing dance to.

Here’s a great report from Swing dancer Dawn on Viva Cantina:

They have Live Music every night, almost always No Cover!

Danceable bands they feature several times almost every week include Big Bands (most Swing Dancers show up on these nights), Rockabilly, Blues, Bluegrass, & 50s Rock & Roll. They also have DJs who sometimes feature traditional 50’s Record Hops if you like to dance East Coast Swing, which is getting harder to find these days. This is a great low-key place to dance and listen to some great bands.

The food is Ok. Some Swing dancers go, it is a mixed crowd of impressed diners just there to eat who discover it is not a typical quiet Mexican restaurant (!), locals who come to hear the live bands (Lorenzo of Joe’s Bar recommended this place and likes to come here), and dancers of all levels. Some regular dancers come here, some total beginners, so definitely a chance to impress or just have fun in a non-intimidating atmosphere.

They have no cover charge, so it would be nice to order drinks or food because I would like them to embrace the awesome Swing dancing community and continue to offer Swing music regularly!

They have several rooms with live music and the styles are varied, so be sure to check the Live Music Schedule, it changes weekly and it’s pretty easy to tell which nights will be best for dancing the style you like to dance!

Big Bands and Rockabilly bands are best for LindyHop and 50’s Rock & Roll nights are best for East Coast Swing. Great for all levels, very non-intimidating crowd, would love to see them continue to offer Swing regularly at this fun venue in Burbank!

Thanks Dawn!  Anyone else go there?  Leave a comment below.  I want to check this place out now! – Brian