Raising the bar

Stereo gets a workout, and it works out well

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

“We don’t consider Stereo a nightclub,” says Rodrigo Vergara, marketing director for the renowned afterhours, which celebrated seven years last November. “We consider it a living entity. And like any organism, you grow. You grow up, you grow older and you have to better yourself. You go to the gym, eat healthy and take care of your body.”

After all manner of ups and downs in recent years, Vergara and his colleagues are certainly giving the space a long-needed workout. For starters, they’re upgrading and updating the sound system for an increasingly digital era. “We’re still the flag-bearers for analogue sound systems, internationally,” says Vergara, flush with pride over their recent, second Club World Awards nomination for the planet’s best system. Remember, it was around that state-of-the-art, exquisitely designed system, and accompanying foam-springed, easy-on-the-knees dancefloor, that NYC DJ Angel Moraes conceived the club in the late ’90s.

“However, we’re trying to adapt ourselves as well. It’s all about, how do you marry electronic and analogue?” A valid question—the DJ realm is increasingly digital, as Sander Kleinenberg’s audiovisual “DVDJ” set on April 22 should illustrate.

There’s far more to a good club than just good sound, however. The traditionally house-centric, wee-hours-only Stereo’s explorations of new musical styles (“From every kind of house to techno by way of electro and breaks—this is what we’re here for,” says Vergara, who reminds one and all that the main room’s open for private rentals on off-nights), new party features and even new time slots (don’t forget their day-club, After 8) have lately yielded serious dividends.

Their smoothest move is at long last truly capitalizing on their adjacent Stereobar space. No longer merely a waiting room for the main events, the 200-capacity Stereobar is in fact standing on its own. “The potential of this little space wasn’t seen until about a year or so ago,” says Vergara, “when Niko Leger took over the reins of the club as general manager. His specialty was getting a business from being flaky to being strong and prosperous.” Leger’s first move was hiring ferocious aesthete Jonathan LaRouche (aka DJ Just Jonathan) as bar manager. The second was asking longtime Stereo resident XL to start a flagship classic-house night in the bar.

A year later, XL’s Infatuate Me soirées have company. Sex Appeal Wednesdays welcome straights, gays and all in between, and their monthly White Appeal cancer fundraisers have roped in five grand for research so far. More recent (as of April 7, actually) is the ROCKiT! Bi-monthlies. “They feature Just Jonathan—you can quote me on this, he’ll be a DJ to watch in 2006—and his concept is to marry music and fashion, two big passions of his which are obviously two big facets of Montreal’s artistic life. Every two months, we’ll be highlighting a new Montreal fashion designer.” Catwalk action isn’t in the cards, though—the idea is immersive, with projections, thematic décor and models mingling barside.

Beyond stretching Stereo’s weekly calendar and liberating its liquor, Stereobar allows for some experimentation. “We can test people before giving them access to the big room. After all, when a DJ touches those turntables, where the Roger Sanchezes and Tietos have played, it’s because they’ve earned it.”