by RUPERT BOTTENBERG,
SCOTT C, LORRAINE
CARPENTER and
JACK OATMON
photos by RACHEL
GRANOFSKY

L’Absynthe
1738 St-Denis,
(514) 285-1738
Tucked away just south of Ontario on the west side of St-Denis, l’Absynthe’s doorway is wedged between two walls, one featuring its mural sign and relevant info of the day written in multi-coloured chalk, the other adorned with a projected image of the show space inside. Easy chairs, a large bar, ample seating, lots of exposed brick and a banister to nowhere occupy what was clearly once the first floor of a large house. The cozy café-resto-bar features a range of world, electronic and hippie music and other performances, and they rent out their mobile studio to musicians looking to record live shows (contact olivierdecotret@hotmail.com).

GREEN FAIRY LAND: L’Absynthe

Cagibi
5490 St-Laurent,
(514) 509-1199
Formerly Pharmacie Esperanza, Cagibi changed hands earlier this year, but just barely. Two ladies from the Esperanza staff, Jess Lee and Mariev Robitaille, teamed up with Lesbians on Ecstasy’s Bernie Houde to re-open the space for DJs, live music, spoken word and more. It’s also a café and vegetarian/vegan eatery (Mon. 8 p.m.–1 a.m., Tues./Wed. 9–1 a.m., Thurs./Fri. 9–3 a.m., Sat./Sun. 10:30–3 a.m.), with 600 zines, comics and art books from the Bibliograph/e Zine Library to browse through.

WINE, WOMEN, SONG, SNACKS: Cagibi

Coda Club
4119 St-Laurent
Most clubs have one grand opening party, attended by the extended friends and associates of the place’s management, a few stragglers and maybe a representative from the local music press. Well, Coda’s had about a dozen opening parties, nearly every last one of them sold out, rammed full, thunderously roaring and envied by the kids who didn’t get there in time. Remember that place that all the older kids were talking about when you were 16, and that one time you managed to sneak in, only to wind up spewing mom’s asparagus casserole all over your kicks after just three G-and-Ts? Well, this is the joint, complete with hella-hyped guests and scenesters galore horkin’ sizzurps on the hardwood. Aspiring patrons are to note that the club has a members-only licence, meaning that, to gain entry, you have to spend 20 seconds doodling on a sign-up sheet.

Code Bar
1351 Rachel E.,
(514) 969-5527,
www.codebar.ca
Located on the enchanted stretch of Rachel opposite Parc Lafontaine, Code Bar boasts a beautifully clean and minimal design, complete with subtle lighting, lacquered exposed brick and caribou-antler lamps hanging above the bar. Along with being an ideal space to host a small art show’s vernissage, Code Bar’s popularity as a night spot continues to grow, thanks in part to the deep grooves provided by DJ Miles Moore, who can be found behind the decks on Tuesday and Friday nights. Blessed with a gorgeous extended bar, smart leather stools and low tables, Code Bar also has the capacity to entertain a small live music set-up, and has already hosted a few jazz nights in their relaxed and comfortable digs. Recently, they’ve presented artwork from Montreal artist Pierre Drury, and select pieces from Strasbourg, France-based painter Dan23.

PUNCH IT IN: Code Bar

Crobar
1221 Crescent,
(514) 866-6556
Tucked in amid the gaggle of longstanding pubs on lower Crescent, the compact Crobar’s minimalist yet inviting atmosphere—walls bare but for a deer head at the moment, handcrafted lighting fixtures and solid, bulky wooden tables—stands out in contrast to the hearty hurly-burly (or should that be “Hurley-burly”?) of its neighbours, and of its predecessor in the same space, the charmingly cluttered show bar Crescent Street Pub. While the stage has shrunk into a corner, live music is still very much on the menu—co-owner Nick Philippi, a musician himself, promises shows two or three nights a week. He also notes that despite the name, the club is in no way connected to the somewhat cheesy Crobar franchise south of the border. The second floor remains a promising work in progress, with the pool table on its way out to make room for more partiers and a second bar, and low-slung furniture to suit to parameters of the space.

ABOVE THE PUBS: Crobar

Death of Vinyl
435 Beaubien W., 4th floor,
(514) 279-9380,
www.deathofvinyl.com
In an epoch of $200,000 file-sharing lawsuits and bloated pop groups hawking PWYC albums online, little guys are also doing wild little things to adapt to a changing industry. Like Nice Music opening a record store/venue—a sick, 6,000-square-foot loft—in February after 10 years in distribution. This is the house diversification built, and it’s about to be filled with wax-heads chomping down the latest in dubstep all night long. Show up during the day for a comprehensive selection of vinyl singles from all the usual suspects and a plethora of oddballs. Specializing in house, electro, breaks, dance-punk, hip hop, disco, IDM, new wave etc., the joint has all the bass lover could ask for—and, yes they have a respectable subwoofer there for your listening pleasure. Show up late at night on Oct. 27 and get your teeth properly chattered by Brits Benga and Hatcha, who go by the philosophy that the best way to get peoples’ feet moving is to run Richter Scale-detectable amounts of sub-bass through the floorboards, rumbling bodies out of their very seat.

ALIVE AND WELL: Death of Vinyl

Delmo
211 Notre-Dame W.,
(514) 448-1869
A new option for an after-dinner drink or five on the stately stretch of Notre-Dame near the Palais de Justice, Delmo strikes a nice balance of classy and comfy, eschewing the sleek chic of comparable upscale bistros in favour of an easygoing, antiquated charm. The space is a bit illusory—what seems like a long, thin single-floor stretch upon entering reveals itself to be a dramatically split-level set-up, with a more intimate dining area on the second floor at the back. Serving as an impressive visual fulcrum for the arrangement is an immense, suspended sculpture by artist Carlito Dalceggio, its appealing oddness bringing a note of the unexpected to the decorous ambiance.

SPLIT DECISION: Delmo

Le Gymnase
4177 St-Denis,
www.legymnase.ca
When the rebels destroyed the original Death Star in a forceful blaze of glory, no one expected Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader to resurrect yet another, even more powerful battle station from its ashes. The same can be said for le Gymnase, which recently closed down due to damage caused by a nearby fire after just a few very promising weeks in operation. The venue has already seen interest from local tastemakers Ghislain Poirier, Sixtoo and Pop Montreal, so let’s hope the break hasn’t snuffed the buzz surrounding the cute, concrete retro-chic lounge. The lower floor sports a versatile low-level stage/dancefloor and some killer kitschy games tables, while upstairs lay both a solid sound system and a sweet view of the Plateau.

House of Reggae
1693A St-Denis,
(514) 223-6233
Riding on the popularity and success of the summer’s annual Montreal International Reggae Festival, producer and organizer Cezar Brumeanu opened Montreal’s own House of Reggae earlier this October. Aimed at being a home for dancehall, roots and everything else found under reggae’s cultural umbrella, you can expect to see all manner of live acts as well as DJs and soundsystems coming through on the regular. Modelling itself after the same successful template that propelled both the House of Jazz and the House of Blues franchises to international heights, the House of Reggae is looking to expand its reach to other parts of Canada, building on the long history and passion for reggae music and culture that already exists across the country. This small and centralized spot also sports a bamboo and wood decor, with Caribbean food and drink available.

DREAD SPREAD: House of Reggae

Lobby Bar
4538 Papineau,
(514) 523-1710,
www.mylobbylounge.com
If you’re looking for a place with a little bit of style to grab a drink and some great music outside of the downtown core, you may want to explore what Lobby has to offer. Located in the growing hub along Papineau making people trek east, Lobby presents a full bar of cocktails, cognacs, portos and the whole nine yards, plus tapas every night until 1 a.m. Celebrating its one-year anniversary tonight, Oct. 25, Lobby has golden hardwood floors that offset cozy red-leather chairs and a warm atmosphere. Wednesday nights, you can check out deep house and electro with Steve Gatsoul and Seb Feutaux, while Thursday evenings, Trois Filles 5@7 gets busy with Annick, Mylène and Caroline for the month of October. DJ Zo holds down Friday nights, and ladies get the VIP treatment until 11 p.m. every Saturday night, with DJ Vyktor Zaa playing jazz fusion, Afro-dub, deep and classic house. Monday nights are open for bookings and private events.

DREAD SPREAD: House of Reggae

Salon Officiel
351 Roy E.,
(514) 510-1733
Considering its clean, crisp and classy design and décor (modelled after elegant European salons of the late 19th century), it’s hard to believe Salon Officiel was once the dingy student/skater dive Roy Bar. The revitalized space opened its doors in the spring, and they remain open seven days a week from 3 p.m.–3 a.m., featuring a variety of DJs most nights (and during the day on Sunday for Beaux Dimanches), with occasional live performances by bands, burlesque troupes and other unsavoury characters.

ELEGANT: Salon Officiel

Sing Sing
77 des Pins E.
The now-defunct Kop Shop gallery on Roy was effectively “training wheels,” according to Kops krewman Sebastien Marin, for this new space a mere block away. Like Pistol and Else’s, a stone’s throw in either direction, the art-’n’-party posse’s new locale is obligated to serve no liquor without food, a snack platter at the very least. But given that Sing Sing is in the former Waldman’s restaurant space, connected to the noted Plateau fish market of the same name, you can bet that fresh seafood will constitute a fair chunk of the diverse menu. A windowed dividing wall sets the eastern side of the space apart, which’ll be nice for coffee, chess and conversation when Sing Sing’s hours extend into daytime, and could allow serious diners a little peace when the party kids start to roll in. Roll in they will—Kops aren’t out of the funky fiesta racket yet, as the DJ booth and compact dancefloor attest. Nor have they foregone the art-gallery aspect. The cement-walled garage space at the western end of the club, well lit with high ceilings, was inaugurated with works by musician/artist Joseph Arthur, followed currently by those of Kansas City’s Scribe.

LOCKDOWN: Sing Sing