Mec Plus Ultra returns

Parallels
 
When Mec Plus Ultra was founded back in 2008, gay club nights outside of the Village were rare, and le Belmont was more sports bar than nightclub. How things change.

By popular demand, Mec evolved from a monthly to a bi-monthly event, and this doubling of the workload, not to mention the departure of co-founder Julien De Repentigny, created too heavy a burden for partners François Guimond and Antoine Bédard to handle. So last December, their third anniversary party was also their grand finale — or so they thought.

Bédard told me what the night was about and why it’s being resurrected this weekend.

Lorraine Carpenter: What was the concept of MEC Plus Ultra?

Antoine Bédard: The idea was simple. François and Julien asked me if I’d be interested in helping them organize a gay night outside of the Village. It really seemed like the Village had less and less to offer, and many gay and queer people just didn’t find any interest in going out there anymore, especially because the music was the same everywhere. So we decided to find a location for it and le Belmont was definitely the best spot. It had screens for François’s projections, a great sound system and nicely divided rooms with the dancefloor on one side and a pub on the other. The first night was a success and it became more and more popular with time. It’s something we’re very proud of.

LC: Why did you want to bring the night back this weekend?

AB: [Toronto band] Parallels played at Mec Plus Ultra in January last year, and it was such a great event that the band asked us if we’d be interested in booking a night with them for their summer 2012 tour. We liked the band and they seemed so keen to work with us again that we thought: “One more Mec Plus Ulta? Why the hell not?” The timing felt right and we were just starting to miss le Belmont, too!

LC: Do you foresee other one-offs like this?

AB: Who knows? I’m pretty sure there’ll be more occasions. I mean, we are still on the mailing list of all major booking agencies and they still write to us constantly to offer us gigs. I feel like it’s exciting to have a night that could come back at any time. It’s exciting for us and the fans.

LC: Is nightlife in the Village really in trouble, or is this more of a hipster phenomenon?

AB: It’s hard to say. There has definitely been a shift: since Mec Plus Ultra, there’ve been more and more club nights outside of the Village, but there’s definitely a lot of kids who still go to the Village. I think the best thing is that there are options now. You want mainstream gay nights with vocal house? You got it. You want a queer slightly glam and hipster night? You got it. You want to listen to the latest electropop gems surrounded by good-looking people? You have Mec Plus. Or Audio Porn Club, another monthly event that François and I organize at Royal Phoenix! There’s something for everyone, all orientations and music preferences combined. Things are changing fast, new bars are opening, new club parties are thrown all around town, and it feels great to be part of that. ■

Mec Plus Ultra with guest DJ Mary Hell, Parallels (live) and residents Frantastik and Montag at le Belmont (4483 St-Laurent) on Saturday, July 28, 10 p.m., $7 before 11 p.m., $10 after