It matters how it's done

I was in Montreal for an extended period recently and did something of a mini tour of some of the many clubs there. Club Wandas was one of the new places I tried. I left feeling pretty irritated, though I suppose with some distance and knowing what to expect I might go back.

First, the club is right downtown, and easily reached on foot. It's not far from the Metro stop at Peel, either, so you could get there from further afield. The entrance made me think at first it was going to be a ground-floor club, but there were stairs immediately inside like many of the other Montreal clubs. The interior of Wandas did not feel like a strip club, but more like a night club. There was a small stage. Most of the seating wasn't set up to have any real view - they were couches and chairs set up in small rectangles where a group would sit and face each other. There were no seats at all right at the stage. The space felt pretty small, though one dancer said that it was bigger than it seemed because there was more space on multiple floors.

The cover charge was a Montreal-standard $5.00. Coke and water were each about $8.00. This is all in Canadian currency, of course. The space wasn't set up to watch the stage well, but they did have dancers get up and perform. The stage dances were fine. There was one woman who was actually a good dancer, who actually used the music and had a variety of moves. I hadn't noticed how many strippers' stage dances have no connection to the rhythm of the music. Other than that one standout, though, the stage performances were all pretty typical.