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noiZe Magazine Music Reviews

Divers/Cité

Montreal’s Celebration of Diversity: Magnifique!

Written by Steve Weinstein

By now, if you’re a regular reader of this magazine, you know that Montreal is the nightlife capital of North America—and this comes from a died-in-the-wool New Yorker. I readily concede the crown to the cultural heart of French Canada. Take it off, Lady Liberty, and give it up for la ville aux cent clochers (“the city of a hundred belltowers”).
You probably also know about the big shebang that occurs in October. But, as spectacular as Black and Blue is (and that’s pretty damned spectacular), there’s another event a few months earlier that deserves your attention.
Divers/Cité is Montreal’s celebration of diversity, and, like everything else here that is associated with gayness and partying, it is the bomb. I had the good fortune to attend Divers/Cité last year, and I can testify that this Pride matches not only every other Pride-type celebration I’ve been to but party weekends. (Trust me, I’ve seen many of those!) Yes, this even includes my own New York City Pride, the mother of all Pride celebrations.

First of all, there is the weather. Montreal in August is pleasant, with warm, sunny days and cool nights. For those of us sweltering in the Lower 48, this is a welcome respite from the summer heat. It’s like a long weekend on Fire Island, only with a lot more to do than sun and sex.

Second, there are the outdoor dance parties. Notice I use plural. The City of Montreal, which effectively funds this, along with the Province of Quebec, isn’t content to give partygoers just one huge dance party. No, there is a stage where DJs play throughout the day into the evening. For days on end. If you’re a hardcore dance fiend, and you’ve been very, very good, this is what heaven is going to be like.

There’s a stage set up right in the heart of the Gay Village (yes, everyone calls it that), just off the main drag of Rue Sainte-Catherine Est. There, local and imported DJs of every stripe play everything from reggae to electroclash, tribal to House, diva anthems to drum-and-bass. If there is a signature sound, it’s probably electrotribal, a synthesis of the kind of percussion-based sound most closely identified with Peter Rauhofer or Victor Calderone, and the Euro-techno that you hear everywhere in the European Union (and South Beach) these days.

The impromptu dance floor is set up in Emilie-Gamelin, a city park that is about two blocks by three blocks, so it’s big but not impossibly so. There’s a bandshell grandstand where the DJ is set up, so people can see him—and the lightperson, when it gets dark. This is good, because there are a lot of straight people, and they have that weird but charming way when they’re dancing of facing the DJ and looking at him or her.

Yes, you heard me. Straight people. This is another of those markers that distinguishes Divers/Cité and makes it so special. It’s a party that truly lives up to its title: diversity—and the play on the city’s reputation for being inclusive, that also means “diverse city.”

Montreal is so gay friendly that it goes way beyond gay friendly into gay embracing. Gay loving. Gay worshipping. But it’s also straight friendly. That is, its Pride encompasses all people. Think of it as “LGBT-plus-S.” There has been a lot of talk about how the old Circuit is evolving into something new, something for a new generation that is as comfortable partying with straight friends as gay boys. Montreal leads in this as in music and clubs. These are not only the coolest straight folk you’ll ever see, they’re easily the most gay friendly. Wait, let me amend that: gay positive. It also helps that the Quebecois men are among the best looking on the planet (chiseled Gallic faces and worked-on North American bods).

The legendary nightclubs in town all piggyback on Divers/Cité, with night parties, after-parties, morning parties and tea parties. It’s 24/7, so plan your danceathon according to the DJs and venues and be sure to pace yourself or you’ll miss out on the capper, La Grande Danse. The organizers describe this as “one of the most imposing House music events on the East Coast,” and for once, the hype is justified. Comparable to the Pier Dance in New York, this is even longer, bigger and more packed with party people of every persuasion.

The night before, there’s another mega-event, the not-to-be-missed “Mascara, La Nuit des Drags.” Yes, that’s French for “drag queens,” but don’t roll your eyes. This is to those tired bar dragathons what Woodstock was to arena rock shows. The costumes and set-ups are elaborate in that French “La Cage aux Folles” over-the-top-and-then-some tradition. The show is long, but you won’t get tired or bored. It was perhaps the most fun, the most exhilarating drag show I’ve ever seen and alone would have made the trip up North worthwhile.

Finally, I have to put in a word for the ladies. I attended “Lesbomonde,” a woman event at an old theater up the hill (the eponymous Mont Royal) from the Gay Village. I had a blast, dancing with the gals. It helped that the DJ was Susan Morabito, making a rare appearance at a woman’s event. But the vibe was as friendly as could be. It was just another sign that Divers/Cité really lives up to its name.

DIVERS/CITE, Montreal, Canada
July 26-Aug. 2, 2009

Getting Around

Air Canada flies to Montreal from most major airports in the United States and, of course, from everywhere in Canada, to Dorval; as do U.S. airlines. The best way to get to the Center City from Dorval is by cab; about $25. Nearly everyone in Canada accepts U.S. currency, usually at a 1-to-1 equivalency.

Although Montreal is in militantly French-speaking Quebec, almost everyone you will meet speaks English, usually quite well. It is a good idea, however, to brush up on your basic French phrases, if only to impress a good-looking local. Unlike Paris, people in Montreal are not snobs about pronunciation or idioms. In fact, they appreciate your attempts à parlant français.

Where to Stay

There are several great bed-and-breakfasts in the Gay Village, on or just off Rue Sainte-Catherine Est. Hotel Gouvernour is the main big hotel, right in the heart of the Gay Village. It is within walking distance of all of the main nightclubs and bars. It’s also in the middle of the Divers/Cité action. Get a room on the other side of the building from Emilie-Gamelin if you don’t want to be serenaded by dance music all afternoon. (Although that can be fun and romantic, if you’re “entertaining.”)

Where to Eat

Anywhere! Montreal is like that other francophone town, New Orleans: You have to look very hard to find a bad meal. I had an excellent lunch at the Boris Bistro (http://www.borisbistro.com) where the main business district borders the edge of the Old City. If you’re adventurous, or just feeling lucky, take a taxi off the island to the Casino de Montreal, where there are several top-notch restaurants, including Restaurant Nuance. As in all local restaurants, the presentation is as much a work of art as the food itself.

Where to Shop

The French-Canadians have that Gallic flair for fashion. My two favorite jeans—one, an ultra-stretchy brown pair that hug me while flattering my waist; the other, a sexy low-rise pair with a trestle-like filagree pattern sewn into the seat and crotch—were purchased on two separate trips.

The Gay Village is full of fabulous boutiques all along Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, although be sure to check out the side streets. Still, I have to put in a word for my all-time favorite store in the world. Priape, located in the heart of the Village, is the gay Macy’s, with slutwear, fetishwear, dance threads, workout gear, and shoes to go with them.

Sightseeing

Rent a bike! Montreal, an island city, is a great biking city. It’s compact and bike friendly with bike paths in all of the most interesting neighborhoods.

The metro has 68 stations on four lines. It’s easy to use and to navigate and is a great way to get around. Or you can walk: The city is compact enough so that if you give yourself from mid-morning to late afternoon, you can cover many of the most beautiful neighborhoods, including the Old City and the hipper sections up the hill from the Village.

Party!

Montreal has several giveaway gay newspapers and going-out guides, most of them either in English or with English-language sections. These will tell you where the big parties are and help you decide how to spend your evenings. Or days.

That said, prepare by visiting http://www.diverscite.org for all of the information about sanctioned events. And be sure to check the ads in noiZe and on this site for the latest party information!

Reader Comments

Be sure not to miss La Grande Danse.  This mega-T-Dance began several years ago with Montreal’s legendary DJ Mark Anthony performing the closing sets each year (as he has the Black and Blue most every year since it began).  In just 7 years, the T-Dance grew to about 50,000 people, filling the street for several blocks, and lined with large projection screens of the the DJs on stage.

True to Montreal custom, the crowd is a wonderful mix of stunning gay men, huber-cool women and the most gorgeous straight men you’ll ever see. This is a happy crowd, joined in their love of great music and a good time.  I think that Mark is spinning the main Twist party instead of the T-Dance this year, but both are sure to be highlights of Montreal’s week of gay pride festivities.

By Brandon on 07-06-2009

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