Winnipeg Nightlife

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Club Information:

Stereo Nightclub is the latest and greatest Canad Clubs nightclub to open in Winnipeg. Stereo Nightclub took over what was previously Pharaohs Nightclub located in the Canad Inn’s Windsor Park Location at 1034 Elizabeth Road (Lagimodiere & Elizabeth). Here is a Google Maps LINK.

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The club is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday Nights from 8:00PM-2:00AM. Stereo is available Sunday – Tuesday and Thursday for private events. Below is a list taken directly from Stereo’s Website which lists the weekly club events/ bar nights at Stereo.

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Wednesday: HOT 103s Viva Las Vegas Wednesdays hosted by Lloyd the Intern and DJ Hollywood Hype

Friday: TGIF with DJ Hollywood Hype and Nav

Saturday: Hot 103s Sex and The City Saturdays with Lloyd the Intern and DJ Hollywood Hype

Sun – Tues and Thurs available for private events, promoter events and special functions.

Club Website Link: http://www.canadclubs.com/stereo.php

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Review:

Saturday, April 4^th, 2009

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After hearing a lot about Stereo Nightclub, I finally decided to check it out for myself. It is well known that their biggest night is Saturday so I figured if I am going to go, I mind as well go on their biggest night. Stereo is notorious for its line on Saturday nights and some people I have talked to had even said they have waited up to 2 hours even when they showed up as early as 10:00PM! Knowing this, I made it my goal to go to Stereo as early as possible to avoid the line but as with most Saturday nights out, some unexpected delays occurred and I did not make it to the club until about 11:00PM.

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Driving past the Windsor Park Canad Inns, Stereo is located on the side closest to Lagimodiere. The side of the building is illuminated with colored spot lights. There is plenty of free parking in front of Stereo for patrons as well as the larger Cowboys parking lot for overflow. Be careful about parking on the residential side streets as I believe many do not allow hotel parking and are likely patrolled on weekends due to 2 very popular bars at the location.

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After arriving at Stereo later than expected and hearing the horror stories about the line, I expected to have a significant wait. I was very pleasantly surprised however when the line was quite small and it took no longer then 10 minutes to get in the door (despite the club being packed inside). I talked to a member of the door staff and they said that lately, they have been a lot quicker getting patrons inside of the bar due to many complaints about the line situation before. It is defiantly nice to see a club that listens to customer complaints and takes action to improve upon them.

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The security check was thorough which is to be expected at a nightclub nowadays. There was a large, walk through metal detector as well as a thorough pat down by a member of the security staff. On the Saturday night I attended the club, the cover charge was $5.00 which is in line with the going rate. The cashier taking the cover charge did not ask for a tip or have a jar looking for a tip. The lady was polite and prompt delivering her service however so I tipped $2.00. Coat check is available although I left my jacket in my car so I do not know how much it costs.

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The bar itself is very nice. The layout is very wide open and the bar feels packed, however there are plenty of sitting areas you can go if you want to get away from the crowd. The entire club is surrounded by a ring of projection screens which play music videos, visualizations and club info. It was the most impressive video setup I have ever seen at a nightclub. There was 4 full service bars in the club as well as a beer cart near an elevated catwalk. Although I felt at times the bartenders could have been quicker providing their service, they made up for it with their accuracy and politeness. The bars also had no problem starting a credit card tab which I feel is a more convenient way to order drinks rather than pay cash each time. The drink prices were fair ($4.00 for a shot or domestic beer if I remember correctly) and the mixed drinks did not taste watered down.

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The real center of all the action in this club is the dance floor which was packed the entire duration I was at the Club. The dance floor is illuminated with an impressive light show and the sound system is very strong. I also feel it is important to mention that the music was significantly better than the average hotel bar. DJ Hollywood Hype played a great selection of Top 40, Remixes, Electro, Hip Hop, Mash Ups, and even some Classic Rock. It was all mixed very fluidly and I believe he is one of the clubs strongest assets. There was never a lull or break in dancing due to a poorly mixed song or bad track selection.

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If dancing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of comfy couches, booths and sitting areas to lounge in. This is a very nice feature of the club which most clubs overlook. When you get tired, you can go sit down for a couple minutes and get away from the action where at most nightclubs, when you’re tired there is nowhere else to go so you leave. There is also a smoothie and food bar which apparently serves good appetizer type food although I can’t confirm its quality as I did not eat it.

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One complaint I have about the club was the washrooms. They are quite small and not kept in very good condition over the night. The washroom attendant was also very pushy towards getting a tip. I think it is unreasonable to tip every time you go to the washroom. If I tip the first time I have to relieve myself I think that is enough.

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I also do not like how the club does not offer the option to leave and return without repaying cover. Most bars will give you a stamp however Stereo will not do this. Their smoking patio is heated and of a decent size however often people will need to step out for a portion of the evening or grab something from their car and not allowing people to do this is not fair in my opinion.

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Overall Stereo Nightclub is a great addition to the Winnipeg Nightlife Scene. The crowd is quite young (18-21) but if you are in or around this age range, I would strongly suggest checking out the club. everyone in the club seemed to be there for a good time and it did not seem to attract to many “gangster” types or lame posers like that. I felt safe during the entire time I was at the club and could not see how you could get yourself in any trouble at Stereo unless you were looking for it. Although I can’t say anything about the other nights Stereo is open for business, Saturday’s at Stereo are defiantly among one of the best bar nights in Winnipeg.

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