Arbutus Founder Seb Cowan Opens Système - Montreal’s Newest Nightlife Venue
Système by Sarah O’Driscoll
As we welcome Système into the neighbourhood, it only feels right to reminisce on the venues of previous years that helped shape Montreal's scene into what it is today. From Torn Curtain to Poisson Noir, La Plante, Silver Door, Cyberia, and of course the iconic Durocher lofts where Arbutus first had their HQ, venues and shared spaces have always acted as incubators for the scene, allowing creatives to find each other.
We spoke with founder Seb Cowan (Arbutus Records, N10.as) about the space, his experience in Montreal from the late 2000s to now, and his inspiration for this new venue.
Système by Sarah O’Driscoll
Malaika for Also Cool: Tell us about the space and why you wanted to open a club.
Seb for Système: It's a 1700sqft space located at the confluence of Little Italy, Villeray and Petite-Patrie. It has the feel of a wine bar in the front with a dedicated dance floor in the back. I wanted to open an establishment like this for a few reasons.
The inspiration first came when I moved here in 2007. Montreal can be a transient city, and many people move away. It can act as a springboard for creative talent, and especially if one sees success, they often move to larger cities like New York and LA.
I noticed that those who did stick around put back into the community in tangible ways by starting venues, labels, festivals, etc., the foundation of which in turn helps the next generation of artists. I was conscious of that and made a point to do the same with projects like n10.as radio and now with Système.
I also, like many others, moved to Villeray a few years ago and felt a sincere lack of a bar with a musical offering. There's Le Ritz, of course, but you tend to only go there when you're interested in a particular show, so it doesn't function as a social hangout like Casa del Popolo or Datcha does. There are plenty of fun bars in the neighbourhood, but most don't really have late-night music as a core part of their mission.
Also Cool: What can we expect IRL? What kind of shows are you interested in book, and what's on the menu?
Seb: I'm trying to decentralize the booking, or, to be more specific, I'm looking to find people who will then make the bookings. This way, rather than the bookings reflecting the sole taste of the person doing them, they can incorporate the diversity of all the different people who, in turn, are putting together the evenings. Also Cool presenting a night is exactly that! There will also be a full food menu, but we've only started piloting and testing a few items. The idea is it'll be a snack bar :)
Système by Sarah O’Driscoll
AC: How have other spaces in Montreal (or elsewhere) influenced your decision-making with Système?
Seb: My decade-plus of throwing loft parties at Lab Synthèse, La Brique, the Arbutus loft on Durocher, etc have all given me the education I needed to pull off a good party. I have to say it's been incredible to have the cops come, and then leave, without the party getting shut down or me getting a fine. It's a first for me!
Places like Nowadays (New York) and Brilliant Corners (London) are incredible, and I'm sure contributed to the concept either directly or indirectly. I'm also a big fan of architecture, design and urban planning, and the chance to plan and design a space from the ground up was a real privilege. I love seeing how people interact and use it in ways I never thought of. It's going to continue to evolve and remain flexible. I think it's important to learn, adapt and change when new ideas present themselves.
AC: During a time when many of our beloved spaces have closed down, what's something you hope that Système brings to the community?
Seb: I want to develop a space that performers will use to try out new things and experiment. Not to worry about making the perfect set, but rather just focusing on playing great songs and having fun trying something new. I hope the space is a little extra-ordinary (certainly the sound setup is!) to help catalyze this.
I'd like the patrons to have fun, make memories, and find new friends from which new collaborations and projects will emerge. I want it to be the kind of place that you'd go to, even if you have no idea who's performing that night. In the future, I'd like to also incorporate more live music than we currently do, but our sound setup isn't versatile enough to do more complicated live acts at the moment.
Système by Sarah O’Driscoll
AC: How can someone get involved with booking a night at Système or in any other way?
Seb: Get in touch! We'd love to hear new show or event proposals, but please be patient as we're a very small team and have a lot on our plates right now trying to just get this thing off the ground. We're even trying to set up a Google form where the bill could be selected by the crowd for one night a month. We'd have to control for those who are already booked and any spammy submissions, but I think it could be a great way to get people more involved with the space and have artists play that maybe wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do so.
Come dance at Système this Saturday, July 23rd, from 10pm-3am. Free before 11, $10 afterwards. It'll be a disco-themed night curated by DJ Flleur B2B Revlux, Sperdakos (Cyberia, Disco Troopers), and Transpacific Express (NGL Flounce & Frantz Lin), VJed by Amelia Scott.
Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.
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