Campus Mackay
by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
JOHNSON CUMMINS and JACK OATMON
It’s that time again—the Mirror’s biannual rundown of bars, clubs and concert venues that have popped up in recent months:
Black Dot 2035 St-Laurent, www.myspace.com/blackdotmtl
Only a stone’s throw from Katacombes are the new kids on the punk-rock block, Black Dot (say that three times fast!). This tiny venue’s bookers are open to most genres off the beaten path, including monthly no wave and garage rock DJ nights and frequent shows—Black Dot recently hosted Toronto’s psychedelic warlords Quest for Fire, but for a real taste of what this space is all about, check out the crushing sounds of Cursed and the Black Ships this Saturday night, April 5. Best of all, Black Dot can also serve as a much needed all-ages venue. Rule of thumb: better show up early, because most shows have been crammed and, with a capacity of only 130, this place gets to be all asses and elbows pretty quick.
Black DotTabu Lounge 1401 MacKay, (514) 842-5571
For a half-decade, this space at the corner of Ste-Catherine near Concordia University functioned under the beatific moniker Boodha Bar, but this past February, the club had a facelift by way of serious renovations, and now targets a slightly older and more together clientele. Evidence lies in the format for Thursday nights, dedicated to swank R&B and old school. Tabu announces itself as a lounge, and it certainly has the cozy corners, comfy seating and carefully concocted cocktails such a boast demands, but with its spacious raised platform that can double as a stage for performances (fashion shows have occurred, and live comedy is an option under consideration) and an elevated dancefloor, few possibilities seem genuinely taboo at Tabu.
Tabu LoungeCampus Mackay 1260 Mackay, (514) 759-9398
A year ago this month, a downtown institution since 1984 closed its doors after almost a quarter-century. The happy news is that, though not presently operating under the name Cheers, the popular downtown club is back in action as of last month. It’s divided neatly into three sections, with a lounging area upstairs, a dense dancefloor section in the middle and a classic bar area—with room set aside for occasional live music sets—on the ground floor. And in the tradition of the TV show whence cometh the name Cheers, it’s even got its own “Coach” behind the bar—Ian Stevenson’s been handling his duties there since the start in ’84, so you can count on the utmost in professional savvy from this guy. Actually, given that manager Chris Natale also runs the Absolute Bartending Institute, exceptional standards of service from the staff are to be expected.
Théâtre Telusl’Étoile 6000 de Rome (Brossard), (450) 676-1030, www.letoiledix30.ca
Some good news for South Shore residents: you won’t necessarily have to haul your asses over the bridge to catch a good concert in a quality venue anymore. The fine folks responsible for such downtown and Plateau staples as Cabaret, la Tulipe and le National have put down stakes in the Brossard’s Quartier DIX30, surrounded by decent restaurants, a hotel and spa. Depending on the particular setting—concert, cabaret, dance party or dinner show—l’Étoile can hold between 730 and 940 patrons. This new hall is already shining as brightly as its name might suggest, with concerts happening already since mid-March. The programming leans to the Québécois side of the equation (Richard Desjardins tonight, for instance), but it’s diverse nonetheless, with Omnikrom there April 26 and Zachary Richard’s zydeco fun on May 2.
The KremlinKremlin 1015 Beaver Hall, (514) 876-0555
By day, Kremlin is a Russian restaurant with a buffet of hearty fare for the hungry in the financial district above the Old Port. But come evening, it has a history of Russian karaoke and disco nights, capitalizing on an ample dancefloor and party lighting, décor in the vein of Russian nostalgia with a wry, ironic wink at the Soviet era, a geared-up stage with DJ booth and of course voluminous vodka at prices that embarrass a number of their posher neighbours. The karaoke nights are slow to return after their deep-winter hiatus, but Kremlin’s good-natured and competent management are wide open for events from outside the Russian community. Party posses seeking a novel space for good times would be wise to get on the red phone and ring up the Kremlin.
La MoucheLa Mouche 1284 St-Denis, www.lamouche.ca
Clinically dapper Maxim subscribers and prospective condo-dwellers alike can enjoy bottle service to the tune of $150–$1,100 in this amphitheatric renovation of the former Aria space. Ten comfy luminescent private booths finished in pleather and Plexiglas overlook a lively dancefloor with gorgeous spotlighting and a rather unfortunately laid-out sound system that blasts well-mixed corporate pop concentrically inward to the centre of the room while the proverbial rafters get washed in echoes. The clever layout and impeccable coke-fantasy interior design make for surprisingly smooth and entertaining navigation around the large, open club, which will surely be touted by both the terminally privileged and weekending wannabes as The Place to Be. Nice DJ booth.
Théâtre TelusThéâtre Telus 1280 St-Denis
The proposed quartier des spectacles in the area between St-Laurent and Berri metros just got a bit more spectacular. This month sees the debut of an exciting new concert space for a city that apparently can’t get enough of them. Filling the 12,000-square-foot space that formerly housed the Berri cinema and Aria, Théâtre Telus offers room for a crowd of 1,200 and superior sound and lighting, and facilities for proper, pro video recording and broadcasting are part of the deal. In other words, it’s the perfect thing to ease the heartbreak so many felt at the boarding up of the dear old Spectrum.
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