Le Bleury Bar à Vinyle does it right

Music Is My Sanctuary’s 24 Hours of Vinyl event on Nuit Blanche at le Bleury
 
Let’s play a game — it’s especially fun after a disappointing night out: Picture the perfect club experience, and what that would involve. You want great sound, amazing music, good people and a few bucks left over for shawarma at 3 a.m. Doesn’t seem like a very tall order, yet here we are.

Then someone comes along and actually does something about it. And those someones are Seb Fauteux and Christel Roussy, the down-to-earth and downright charming co-owners of le Bleury, a small bar bordering the Quartier des Spectacles. The space has changed hands a few times over the years (remember Luba Lounge?), but its latest incarnation is, without argument, the greatest.

“Christel and I spent a lot of time dreaming of the perfect bar,” explains Fauteux. “Then one day she calls me and says that we may have found the perfect place to start our little boîte de nuit. We knew the history behind the space, but it didn’t discourage us because the location is perfect.”

It was a fixer-upper for sure, but so worth it. They launched July 2013, and not even a year later, it’s safe to say Seb and Christel nailed it. A go-to spot for serious house and techno (Seb previously helmed two nights at the fabled Salon Daomé), they’re experienced enough to know that variety is key, as is the special sauce that really brings a night together.

“I always knew that if I had my own place, I would not want the same kind of music all the time,” he adds. “I think diversity is the key to le Bleury.” And the sauce? “People love the intimacy of the place. It’s like a house party, as if we were inviting people into our own home. It’s crazy that you can experience Floating Points in an intimate venue with 150 people. The DJs feel at home, and can play whatever they want.”

The “home” metaphor is more than just words. When was the last time you went out dancing and got the full cabane-
à-sucre experience? Or were served a slice of sugar pie during an all-vinyl disco set? Maybe a mimosa as you hit the brunch section of a 24-hour DJ marathon? There’s no secret formula at play here. It works because, quite simply, they care… a lot. Maybe more than you.

“Le Bleury is the best ‘in-between’ bar in town,” declares co- owner Roussy. “It’s not a club, but not a regular bar either. What is awesome about it is that you will never experience the same night twice… it’s always a new adventure every night. And you never know what might happen.” ■
 
Tonight, Friday, March 28 at Bleury Bar à Vinyle (2109 Bleury), DJs Francis Oak, Sexlife and Lawrence Sim spin as of 10 p.m., $7