I spent the last few days in beautiful Montreal because we needed to film some more shots for my first videoclip and I decided to go there earlier than needed to enjoy my friends' company. We went bouldering and then they took me to a place of surprises and good vibes: l'Escalier.
Of course I'd been there before during the time I was studying Jazz Vocals at the Cégep Saint-Laurent but it's one of those gems that fell into a memory hole maybe because the last time I hung out there I had a crush on a guy that never kissed me or a similar disgraceful story that the brain will quickly erase (and I am thankful for it!).
The name of this welcoming place, which literally translates to "The Staircase" is derived from it's location on Ste Catherine St : You'd never expect to find such a vibrant universe behind the small, almost unnoticeable door in the heart of Downtown , leading to a flight of staircases taking you straight to a maze of different rooms (the venue has kept it's apartment-like dimensions and you can decide if you'd rather hang out right in front of the band playing or in a quieter, more remote room with sofas & comfy cushions!).
But the thing that makes this place truly amazing - and probably unique, is the variety and abundance of it's musical calendar. Each day of the week, they have at least two different artists playing. From jazz duos to acoustic folk singer songwriter, hiphop, celtic jams, you-name-it. I love how diverse their programmation is and how accessible the bar feels. If you are somewhat ready for a pleasant surprise, like beer and tasty vegeterian food (and/or cheesy nachos) , chances are you'll have a great evening at l'Escalier and that you'll make new friends while dancing to whoever is playing.
Your turn now :
You probably can think of a wonderful venue that, after all these years, has remained a really good place to go to when you want to discover an emerging artist in a relaxed environment.
Share it with us in the comments!
Disclaimer : the stairs that you are looking for do look a little different than the ones I used on the thumbnail.