An Ode To Nightlife in Charlottetown

by Monica Thibaudier-Ness

We’ve all done it. Gone out in downtown Charlottetown. There is the Wave, for the social University academic-atmosphere, Olde Dublin Pub for the Irish gig dancers, Baba’s Lounge for those who enjoy the more intimate atmosphere of a smaller bar, and Hunter’s Ale House for those who desire more of a bang for their buck so they may have more beer in their mug. There is also Velvet Underground, or ‘The Dirty’ as some prefer to call it, for the gyration of the hips and neon lights and also for those who enjoy staring themselves down in the mirrors on the club’s dance floor. Then there is the Gate for anyone that likes a more ‘mature’ environment. And then there are the seasonal bars that revive in the spring time at the rate of flowers blooming such as Fishbones and Peakes Quay. When it comes down to it, there is choice for everyone. So where is the appreciation?

As a bartender, I find myself far too often serving folks who lack appreciation for the bar they are dwelling and I hear complaints: “Euuuuuuugh… what am I doing here?”. What are you doing here? I often want to ask but I don’t because I want to make money. Seriously. What are you doing at a bar if you are going to complain the whole time? This happens far too often, and many complain that there is no where good to go in this town. Okay, so maybe we’re not in Berlin or New York City and our selection of places to go out are not vast like they are in larger cities but who cares! But bars and clubs are meant to be fun! Far too often, I find myself watching people, admiring the fact that they are out for the wrong reasons: 1) To be drunk and disorderly; 2) To find love in the club, or maybe to pick up would be the more honest way to put it; 3) To forget your problems and complain about life in general. There are far better reasons to go out to bars, and they go beyond inebriation, fornication, and depression.
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I am a bartender at one of the local taps in Charlottetown, therefore I don’t get many opportunities to go out. But when I do, I make the most of it. I don’t like to feel rushed, so I tend to take my time getting ready. Hair, nails, makeup. Boys, I guess you’d resort more to a good shave or trim or whatever and maybe a slick of gel and squirt of cologne. Then, I lay out my best duds; dress, jeans, shirt, shoes, whatever. Some people don’t enjoy this part, but I think most do. It’s fun, and it makes you feel good – not only good, but sexy! Most of the time, I meet with friends before I go out. Some like to call this “pre-drinking”, I like to call it “Hour of Diplomacy”, we get together, we mix our drinks and discuss all things delicate in our lives with some good background music. Most of the time, individuals prefer the get-togethers before the bars, but I also love going out for that whole social atmosphere of meeting people. You can meet plenty of interesting people when you go out with your friends. I mean, most people complain because they never meet anyone new when they go to bars in Charlottetown, but are you honestly going to meet anyone new if you go to the same bar every weekend? No. Open your horizons! And if you are not into the whole social aspect, then there are plenty of other things to do at bars too such as dance and or listen to music. It just requires venturing to different hospitable accommodations.
All the bars I mentioned in my opening paragraph offer an amazing array of entertainment in Charlottetown, which is great! St. Jame’s Gate and Olde Dublin Pub offer more traditional jams by their live bands. Olde Dublin also is much more Celtic in their vibe but their very own website says it is “Foot Stompin’ Fun!” and it’s true! Nothing like letting out your Celtic roots. Make your ancestors proud! Then there is a great selection of venues for local bands and live music such as The Wave, Baba’s Lounge and Hunter’s Ale House. I am sure many of you who have friends in a band have frequented these spots to listen to your pals strum their instruments and belt out some original lyrics.
The Wave and Baba’s Lounge, as well as The Velvet Underground, are also great for cutting some rug! Velvet Underground offers a lot of Top 40 recent favourites one may have, and the DJ is always ready to take requests, and sometimes they come out with some surprises with old classics ranging from Snoop to Michael Jackson. Baba’s Lounge has Indie Pop Night every few Saturdays where DJ Bones will pump out songs that people can come up and request. Got a CD with your favourite jam on it? Come to Baba’s during IPN and request your song. Dj Bones will play it. I said I wanted to hear Kid Sister once and he said he couldn’t play it because he didn’t have the song on his computer but if I had the CD there with me, he would of played it! And then I would have danced my rump off to Girlierock (which is, by the way, a great tune).
So you see, nightlife in Charlottetown offers a lot more than one would expect, as there is much to do. Ranging from gyrating with your pals in your best dancing shoes, to simply lounging with an ol’ wobbly pop in hand with a good friend while listening to some mellow tunes, to simply lingering on the bar ordering drink after drink from the bartender. My only message is, is that there a lot of things that you can do rather than simply retorting to just getting fucked up and attempting to score. There is the social and cultural part to going out: you get to dress pretty, meet new people, and listen to good music, and even get a dance workout! Life is not just about double rum and cokes and black outs, with the next morning topping off your night laying next to a swamp monster you went home with, but don’t recall. That can get old after a while, so appreciate what is offered.