montreal club circuit
(daome, datcha, breakglass, système)
thursday
I finish work. Oren facetimes me from New York to show me a chicken on a staircase. Nora’s downstairs. We have dinner with two strangers, then walk to Bruce, relieved to find so many friends working. It’s our first time there. We see Seven, Santi, Camille. Nora has a strong martini. I still hate olives, but I like my drink. We take a few shots, gossip, scream, and tell the man beside us to spend more money on his wife.
We go to Système. Nora does a round of hellos, then heads home to rest. I say hi to Carsyn and chat with Donna. Tony walks in. He says it’s incredible that it’s been exactly a week since we saw each other last. It’s nice to see him. I asked him to take a Polaroid later; he obliges but tells me he hates seeing photos of himself. I ask him what he thinks of the mirrored ceiling. He looks up, laughs, hugs me, and goes to set up for the night.
Everyone’s dancing. Gear heads are leaning over the booth, phone flashlight on, trying to see what he’s doing, screaming every time a new sample kicks in.
I split my time between the crowd and the booth, sitting behind Tony to get good videos for the club, taking Polaroids when it feels right, and chatting with whoever’s around the mini bar.
Later, Tony tells me about living in a haunted earthship in the desert. I don’t go back to the dance floor. We talk about how band musicians often make the best electronic music. We talk about Los Angeles. We talk about how we don’t really have a choice but to be sensitive to the spirit world. I give him two book recommendations ★ ★ before he leaves.
Not sure how it’s 4 am, but I want to sleep in tomorrow. I can’t because the skies sold out, but I have to DJ. ★ ★ ★
friday
I wake up late for an interview, someone’s asking me off the record what I do. I grab a coffee, eat a pastry, and focus on a new contract. I start to stress about what I’m going to play later, but I feel excited. The last time I DJed, I felt like I’d forgotten how, even after years of doing it. A tarot reader on TikTok says something that was blocked will become easy. I hope it’s about tonight.
At Daome, I can barely see; I’ve just put my contacts in. I get set up, the booth has been renovated, and the technics are gone. My friends arrive, about fifteen of them over the course of the night. I feel grateful that so many people show up for me.
I go on a bit later than expected at 12:30. The first DJ played to a mostly empty room, and I wanted him to have a bit of time with the crowd. I felt bad.
I remember that I love music, and that DJing is easy because I care. I play classic house, garage, ’90s house. I play Egyptian Lover. I play Tony Price. I end the night with a song I found when I opened for Nabiha Iqbal at Système a while back. “Lovely Day,” the Rio de Janeiro version by Bill Withers. It’s the perfect way to close a set, bringing us all down gently.
Julius and I walk to Datcha. Queenie put us on the list, but only his name went through. I show the bouncer my messages, and he lets me in anyway. I get a moscow mule, say hi to my friends, move between couples making out, and avoid getting pulled too far into the dance floor.
I decide it’s time to go home. I say my goodbyes. On the way back, I choose an Elliott Smith song to listen to.
I think about how I ended up at a club I wasn’t planning on going to. I find a dime, I feel lucky.
saturday
Slow morning, but eventually, I get out of bed. I FaceTime my dad, then head to Breakglass.
I run into Julien out front, we go through the alleyway. The space is beautifully set up, candlelit, and catered. I DJ the dinner, playing songs that are too slow for the club, but perfect for conversation, and for thinking about making out with someone later. My friends are all around me, from different parts of my life. It feels special.
We’re celebrating the launch of the record label. Field Note plays a beautiful experimental piano electronic set. Nora, Benji, and I go upstairs. We listen to music, talk about Miami, then head back down when Sam calls me.
Everyone looks beautiful, everyone is saying hi, everyone is dancing.
We decide to go to Doo at Système. Before getting in the car, I take Polaroids of Rosalie in the alleyway. When we arrive, it feels like the entire city is there. I’m happy to see Carsyn off duty. Someone on the dance floor calls out my Instagram name and tells me my videos helped them find community in Montreal. I try not to cry in front of them. Zoe takes a photo of us together, at first an accidental selfie, the wrong way, but it turns out really cute.
Eventually, I find my jacket in the pile of black coats on the floor. I eat a cinnamon roll, drink some water, and take time to think about how lucky I am to have so much good music and so many good friends in my life.
★ ★ Book recommendations: The goodby people by Gavin Lambert & Desert Oracle: Volume 1: Strange True Tales from the American Southwest by Ken Layne (the full edition not the pocket-size)
★ ★ ★ I have no idea what I meant by this, but I liked it, so I kept it