features
Cutting Through the Noise: Blue Dog Motel
Behind the unassuming vintage swivel chairs, and the classic blue and red swirling pole of a barber shop lies the long bar, dance floor, and carefully placed stage of the Blue Dog Motel.
Frenchy and The Wiggle Room - An Icon and A Safe Space
Up a short flight of stairs, above Boulevard Saint Laurent, is one of the city’s top venues. From the outside, the only signage is plain black, but inside hides a true cabaret theatre.
Espace Joie De Vivre - MTL Venue Series
It was love at first sight, but before I saw it with my own eyes, I admit I was skeptical. When I was first invited to a comedy show at Espace Joie de Vivre, my friend's description gave me pause: it's in a basement. BYOB. The entrance is in the alley. I wondered aloud if we were going to someone's apartment, and my plus one wondered if we would be trapped in a stuffy room with cigarette smokers. Thankfully, we were both entirely wrong.
Lux Bar & Resto - MTL Venue Series
Despite opening only half a year ago, Lux has already proven itself to be a gathering place for underground Montreal creatives.
3rd Floor Comedy Club - MTL Venue Series
I was a fan of comedy before I became a comic, and that perspective primed me for a nostalgia I hadn’t anticipated. If you’re into comedy, you have probably listened to many podcasts with seasoned comics waxing poetic about the scenes in LA or NYC.
Mainline Theatre - MTL Venue Series
The Montreal FRINGE Festival Corporation was founded by Kris Kieren and Nick Morra, and incorporated in 1991. In 2000, the company’s name was changed to the MainLine Theatre, allowing for year-round productions. Most importantly, MainLine’s venue, situated above Segal’s grocery store at St. Laurent and Duluth, opened in 2005 as a centre for the city’s English theatre community.
The Diving Bell - MTL Venue Series
The Diving Bell Social Club is a space fit for the impressive collage of events it hosts. When I first went to the Diving Bell on a cold winter night, its unique nature was immediately evident. After climbing a sizable set of stairs I was through the looking glass, and into a vibrant world where drag queens host fun-filled trivia nights.
The Artloft - MTL Venue Series
To visit The Artloft for the first time is to be initiated into a secret little society—one that would have you transported into a world of passionate presence, creativity and human connection.
Bar Le Ritz PDB - MTL Venue Series
The first time I experienced Bar Le RItz PDB was this past summer; I left the woods where I now live to attend a friend’s birthday party. The venue is one big room, when you walk in you’ve arrived…it’s a place that just is, and so I felt comfortable to just be as well.