A night at the

More than a few slick patrons were mingling outside, chattering away on their headset cell phones, begging entry of the steely-eyed door-folk, or just generally looking hurried despite the fact that they were standing in a line that, by all accounts, would probably take upwards of an hour to pour into the dancehall. Frankly, I go to too many clubs to deal with this genre of drear, so I slipped into the VIP line-up and shuffled quickly up the stairs, unnoticed by the masses in the queue.
 

Handgun paranoia aside, I will never understand clubs that have metal detectors and body searches upon entry, but I won’t dwell upon that fiasco. Just be forewarned. Once I got inside, I was lucky enough to encounter some of my cronies at the coat check, so things were looking good. It was not until we bounced into the main chamber that I realized the magnitude of the place. The large, stucco amphitheatre is laden with superfluous stairwells, boasts a three-storey ceiling and is embraced by a half-dozen winding mezzanines. The palatial vibe, ambitious if rather tacky, the design and the countless shady alcoves make Club Opera a roaring adventure to explore. Oodles of bartenders, a very respectable sound system and veritable throngs of clubbers place the Opera on a level above the Montreal experience.
 

By the time the night was in full swing, I was giddy enough to start climbing up over the balconies and jumping down to the couches below. The funhouse feel was augmented by a room full of teddybears and art supplies upstairs, grunting security goons downstairs and wealthy beer-donors in the middle. If you’re squeamish about aggressive security, Opera is most definitely not for you. In one night, I saw numerous violent altercations with the security. I even got grabbed and shoved by a security guard passing by for no identifiable reason. Don’t let the staff ruin your fun, though, because this place is hot.
 

Club Opera is something you have to see to believe and should check out at least once. It’ll blow your socks off, if you can ignore the obvious pitfalls of a building designed for thousands of people to get wasted in.
 

Back in the real world, Paul Keely launches his new album this evening at the SAT’s MixSessions along with a host of other DJs. Saturday night marks the launch of a “new-rave” night at Vinyl. Next Tuesday will be the next installment of the bi-monthly Feats of Strength series at Divan Orange. This week they’ll be showcasing Telefauna, the Winks and Is That the Sound of My Voice.