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A Neutreal Review of Montreal's Afterhour Clubs
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| Kendo |
Due to Turbo’s request for an update, I’m going to post my thoughts and reviews of the current afterhour clubs. My name is Ken and I’ve been attending the afterhour clubs and raves in Montreal for the past five years. I’d say on average (since I took long breaks at certain points) I attend afterhour clubs about once every week. I’ve attended most of the large commercial venues such as Bal en Blanc and the various 514 events. I began my “raving” experience with Sona and I will always remember it as my home. Over the past two years I’ve probably gone to afterhour clubs and raves about six times a month. I’m originally a trance lover, followed by techno and now house. I never liked house until I started going to Stereo over and over.
My original review was posted around February which was soon after the official openings of Circus and Gravity. I’ve attended Circus about five times since and Gravity four times. I’ve attended Aria over one hundred times, Stereo over one hundred fifty and Redlite twice (these numbers are just approximations). I know many of the forum posters and regulars at Aria and Stereo. I myself am not that talkative of an individual since I’m usually very involved with my dancing. I live to dance and love to live. I usually come at the start of the night and leave at the last track, whether it an afterhour club or a large rave. Although I mention women several times in my reviews, I don’t attend afterhours for the women, I go to dance. I’m just providing this information for those that might be interested in it. Now that I’m done giving a little introduction about me, here’s my updated review:
Aria – Home of Variety (Techno/Trance/House) and Big Names
It’s a pretty well known fact that Aria has the big $$$$$ to bring in huge DJs on a consistent basis. I give my sincerest gratitude to JFL for being able to bring such talent so that I can flavor the various headliner DJs in the comfort of Montreal. Aria is known to orient their nights on Friday towards the Techno crowd and Saturday towards the House crowd. It’s truly the place you want to go if you like Techno, Preach is an excellent Techno DJ and rising star. I find that Aria residents are probably the best for any afterhour club in Montreal. I must add that the residents at Stereo are close behind. If you like techno Aria is the place to be on Fridays. Also, whenever a big DJ is booked, Aria is also the place to be.
Club/Vibe 8.5/10
It really depends on the night you go and the DJ that’s spinning. I find that it’s quite plausible that the opening of Circus has stolen some of the clientele away from Aria. On regular nights with residents the club is usually not packed and some might feel it’s a bit too empty. Personally I go for the music and to dance, I can have a great time even if the club isn’t super full. I know others that have issues with a club that’s not 80% capacity. For nights with big headliners Aria definitely offers a fun-filled night with enough true partiers to create a vibe. The club itself is quite large with excellent lighting (no lasers) and a lighting fixture from the roof that moves up and down. The new renovations have added nice couches in small intervals along either side of the room. I’ve never spent much time in any of the afterhour VIP rooms due to the fact I’m always dancing so I don’t really have an opinion on the new VIP room. Although there’s a tinge of a warehouse feel to Aria it still feels somewhat commercial and well down in the sense that a fair amount of money was put into it. Among all the clubs I find at this point Aria has the best heat control. I know a year ago it was a big issue but they spent a lot of money on huge air conditioning system(s).
People 8/10
As I mentioned before, Friday’s are more of a tech-head crowd whereas Saturday’s are catered more to house-lovers. They do allow glowsticks inside which in turn draws a younger crowd and lots of lights. Aria definitely has the ability to attract hot women and even the skanky type from the hip hop area. Problems that I find with all clubs that have Hip Hop are the ghetto crowd that pops in every so often. This also leads to the “hawker” type males that go around looking for females to prey upon and annoy. Unfortunately these types of individuals really don’t bring any added value to the afterhour scene and can often ruin or put a damper on the fun of others. It’s annoying for my female friends to get the most retarded pick-up lines and be harassed for a good portion of the night, as well as annoying for me to have to look out for them. Another problem could be the fact that on the nights big DJs come, it draws in the “Clubber” and “Commercial” crowd that just stand around and have no real manners (pushy, etc.). In general the majority of people that come to Aria are there to have fun and they do just that. Aria’s staff and promoters are probably some of the friendliest in town. Chantal is one of my favorite female afterhour partygoers with her funky style and dance, she sometimes works the main-room bar now that Marlene quit (which is very sad). Louis is by far my favorite promoter of any club, always reliable, honest and trustworthy and a real trooper that is there every night until the end. Then of course there’s Malek, who works on contract for Aria and insists he’s not actually staff, I see him all the time there and he hangs out in the DJ booth so I consider him staff. Malek is the nicest person I’ve met thus far in the afterhour scene. I can always have a great time as long as they are at Aria.
Sound 9.5/10
After a little research on the forums and debate with some of my friends I’ve come to the conclusion that the Meyer sound system and the upgrades Aria has done have put it on a competitive level with Stereo. Although both systems are very different, Stereo being a fine-tuned customized system by Soundmanshorty and Aria being an off-the-shelf system with additional customized upgrades; both can meet the requirements of the DJs at their helm. There’s a lot of argument concerning whether Aria’s sound system can produce better quality techno, trance, house, etc… I’m not going to go into that. In my opinion the quality of sound is excellent and whether it is for House, Techno or Trance, I’m satisfied with what my ears get.
Stereo – Home of House
After I got reintroduced to Stereo after a two year hiatus from the club, I definitely began to acquire a taste for house. It’s known to many as the “Gay” club and although it does have its share of gay clientele, there’s also a fair amount of straight people that adore this club. Personally I remember a response jinpachi gave about people that are shallow, narrow-minded or homophobic being weary of coming to Stereo; he said something like Stereo doesn’t want those types of people to come anyways. Well said indeed. Stereo is a place where people go to let loose and party, as a family. It’s a rare occasion that people will go to Stereo to pick-up others, most “hawker” type guys would look elsewhere due to the larger quantity of women at other clubs. I think this is a good thing. The people that come to dance can dance in peace. If you are an open-minded house lover looking for a good time, Stereo is the place for you. There is nothing like it in Montreal.
Club/Vibe 9.5/10
The club reminds me somewhat of the old Sona in the sense it seems really dark, sketchy and dirty. It’s fairly simple, small symmetrical rectangle for the main room. There aren’t too many lights and no glowsticks; although on special events they tend to add more lights. The thing about Stereo that gets me every time is the fact that when the club opens the people that come in start dancing immediately. Nobody cares about dancing in a little circle or the fact they are the first ones on the dance floor, nobody cares about how they look; they just get on the dance floor and let go. This club has vibe coursing through its veins, through the walls, through the floor; it is the definition of vibe.
People 10/10
Honestly, if you want to pick up women go somewhere else. I’d have to honestly say even on the “straightest” nights such as Morales and Sanchez the population of straight people is probably only 50%; this in turn means only 25% of the whole club are women. Stereo definitely gets its share of hot women though, and great dancers. It’s been said by many and I’d have to agree that Stereo does bring out the best dancers in all the afterhour clubs, reason being is probably due to the fact everyone that comes to Stereo is coming to dance. Most people have a mutual respect for each other and everyone dances together as one, as a family. If you’re homophobic, Stereo is definitely not the place for you. I’ve had several people I’ve sent to Stereo leave early and complain to me about the amount of gay clientele. Personally I think gay people know how to really let go and have a good time with no inhibitions, that’s part of why Stereo is what it is. Another thing about Stereo is it’s probably the only club that brings in the same regulars every week, week after week, month after month. It’s almost like a family of people that know and see each other every week, respect each other and have fun together. I call the people at Stereo my family and Stereo my home.
Sound 10/10
Stereo was rumored to be the best sound system in Montreal years ago. After the upgrades shorty’s done, it’s unbelievable. The power and quality it can pump out is amazing and sometimes deafening. The fact he’s doing more upgrades is even crazier, I often see shorty sticking his head near a speaker during any given night to check the quality and probably think up ways to improve the already impeccable sound system. The sound system alone is enough reason for someone to at least check this place out.
Gravity – The Lost One
I think a lot of people expected Gravity to be something big right from the start. If you read my review I gave it great scores and have a blast; that was the opening night. Since then it has gone somewhat downhill. A few minor issues such as water refilling and finding their own niche have become major problems with the club. The departure of Angel Moraes and Alain Vinet also say something about the way the club is being run. I’ve gone on its opening, Derrick Carter and a couple “normal” nights. I must say on the nights that are promoted well and have a lot of people, Gravity is an amazing venue. On the normal nights, it’s definitely sub-par. The place definitely has a lot of potential, whether that potential is to be met is yet to be seen. I’ll base most my scores on the “GOOD” nights at Gravity that are well promoted and are packed with people. Normally it’s pretty dull with people just sitting around in the center circle area and no one really dancing. I’d say for normal nights at Gravity I’d rate it a 5/10 for Club/Vibe and People.
Club/Vibe 9/10
This club is the most comfortable and well thought-out club (exempt the water problem) for an afterhour club. The beanbag couches are fantastic for resting your tired body during dance breaks, the slush puppies are so refreshing and the dance floor bounces with the bass. It’s a beautiful club with beanbag couches spread throughout carpeted areas and a well-thought out design. Usually the club adds special events to the night such as women roller-skating (Derrick Carter) around while dancing or waving flags (opening night). There’s definitely a vibe similar to that of Stereo during big house DJ nights that are well promoted.
People 8.5/10
I find on the normal nights I went the club was very dull and boring. Most of the people just sat in the chairs in the middle circular area for the first hour and a half until finally some courageous souls would venture to the dance floor and dance in little circles like high school. It was pretty disappointing. On major nights I’d say the crowd is similar to that of Stereo but have more “Clubber” type individuals spread out sporadically amongst the crowd. The people on the dance floor definitely know how to party though. The staff is fairly nice and the security is pretty cool, they actually dance with the crowd.
Sound 8.5/10
The sound setup at Gravity is excellent. If Angel Moraes had anything to do with setting it up, that’s obviously the reason why it’s good. The fact you can feel the bass through the ground is pretty cool. Although it’s good, it’s nothing that blew me out of the water.
Circus – The Home of Hype
Well, it lived up to the hype. Largely in part due to its marketing and promotion abilities Circus is the new hot spot in afterhour clubs for Montreal. The Saturdays are so packed that a couple weeks ago it got shut down early for being over capacity. This is a club with a rumored capacity of over three thousand. I know for a fact the Saturdays are so packed that people are literally begging for reduced passes outside the club. They implement the old Sona-style semi-circle line and it can take hours to get into the club unless you know the bouncers or are with hot ladies. The Friday nights are more tilted towards the young techno crowd that uses glowsticks whereas the Saturday nights have disallowed glowsticks (although I’ve still seen them inside sometimes on Saturday) and have more of a St. Laurent fashion industry type crowd to it. I’ve never been on Thursday or Sunday but since www.blended.ca is promoting Sundays as a place after Parking, I assume the crowd is more gay and Stereo-like for that night.
Club/Vibe 7.5/10
The club itself is an absolute gem, large, well crafted with extravagant visuals and as many have said before – it seems like you’re partying in a mansion or loft. The washrooms are very clean, marble floors and sinks, beautiful. The ventilation is somewhat poor and the air quality is probably the worst among the afterhour clubs. The vibe varies on the night and DJ. Most of the people don’t come for the DJ and really just come to party or get high. It seems like Circus is missing vibe, even though the majority of people are there to have a good time and they do… it still seems like it’s missing something.
People 8/10
Lots of hot women on Saturdays… I mean lots; the funky type, the skanky type, whatever. Unfortunately lots of people just standing around looking cool and lots of really messed up people, reminded me a lot of the old Sona crowd. Actually the more I think of it, the more I realize that the Friday and Saturday crowd are similar to the way it was back in Sona days. Once again, the problem with “hawker” type individuals that goes about seeking out women. It’s inevitable if you put hot women on drugs in abundance that men seeking out hot women on drugs will follow. DUH.
Sound 7/10
Although the quality of the sound is acceptable, it’s really not on the same level as the other four afterhour clubs. I personally don’t think the clientele are really specific about the quality of type of music that’s played. Hence there’s really no need for Circus to put that much emphasis on the sound for now, it’s making good money as is.
Redlite – The Home of Laval
I’ve only gone to Redlite twice, the only thing that was different about each experience is the first time I was amazed by the amount of gorgeous women and the second time I was disappointed by the lack there of. Due to the fact Laval it quite far from downtown and I don’t have a car, I don’t think I’ll be returning there anytime soon. My previous experience on a Saturday the week before my last visit to Redlite revealed to me the “Hot women” Turbo and Bela spoke about. There’s really no need to go all the way to Laval in search of women, if you want hot women, Circus is for you.
Club/Vibe
As far as lighting is concerned, Redlite definitely has the best lighting if you want to get messed up on lights. There’s glowsticks galore and I do believe it’s the only afterhour club that has lasers. The lasers are actually pretty cool and quite impressive. The club itself was never too hot either time I went.
People
The most cracked out people I ever see at afterhour clubs are definitely in Laval at Redlite. People running around, people letting their glowstick fly out of their hand and into my head, etc. etc. I guess maybe only the truly hardcore people come out to party on Sunday. I’ve heard lots of hot women come out to Redlite, especially on Sundays, I can’t confirm it. The first time I went, there was an amazing ratio of women to men; at least 1:1 ratio which is better than any afterhour club I’ve attended. Lots of hot women too, not just skanky type but funky types. The last time I went I was severely disappointed, lack of women and lack of good looking ones. There was also this one scary girl that I saw both times, part of why I never want to go back, I’m pretty sure she’s a regular.
Sound
I’m not that great of a judge of sound. It was good enough. I enjoyed the music of Steve Warren more so the second time I went. Although the tracks Steve Warren and Scott Free choose were good, I felt there was never over ten minutes of continuously well mixed “make me move” type of music. Each time I went I danced in bursts for a track or two and sat down disappointed as the climax was cut or the mix wasn’t to my liking. I might add all the friends I went with on both occasions absolutely loved the music.
My order of preference in club:
1) Stereo 2) Aria (depends on night, can be #1) 3) Circus 4) Gravity 5) Redlite
My order of cost of entry to club:
1) Stereo 2) Aria 3) Circus 4) Gravity 5) Redlite |
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| fastmp3 |
nice :D
this thread can be useful if i sticky it , what do you guys say ? |
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| Dj Nacht |
| yea man this thread is really good stiky it gogogo |
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| malek |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kendo
There was also this one scary girl that I saw both times, part of why I never want to go back, I’m pretty sure she’s a regular.
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:stongue: :stongue: :stongue: :stongue: :stongue: :stongue: |
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| FunKenLouis |
| Kendo youre my favorite client too:D |
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| Kendo |
"Kendo youre my favorite client too"
Hahaha! I doubt it. You're just saying that cause I mentioned you o>_ |
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| FunKenLouis |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kendo
"Kendo youre my favorite client too"
Hahaha! I doubt it. You're just saying that cause I mentioned you o>_ |
wrong... best client doesnt mean you get the most people in with my passes...
it means you bring people when you want to and its a pleasure seing you at the club
its very sincere here
dont doubt:( |
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| habsfan |
| Excellent review! Very thorough and well thought out. Definately make this a sticky :) |
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| Kendo |
| Thanks for the compliments on the review, I hope it provides helpful insight to everyone. |
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| j@y |
apres avoir été oublié
ce thread devrai etre sticky il est tres utiles pour les personnes d'ailleurs qui vienne tripper a montreal:D |
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