MTLover

He would spend his afternoons/early evenings at Campus (that's when there was something actually happening at Campus in the afternoon) and then move on to Stock.  He had a stable of retired dancers who would come out of the woodwork to sit at his table and enjoy his generosity.  I once struck up a conversation with a couple of other out-of-town visitors at Campus and mentioned the DL and how he behaved...the guys laughed and said "that's our friend (name)".  We compared enough details to convince me they knew him.  They had lots of stories about him, most of which I've long since forgotten.
Although I initially found his presence annoying, I came to enjoy watching him interact with the dancers...and miss him and those Campus afternoons.

Long-timers (like @Luv2play and me) know that the "winner" in the eternal Campus/Stock competition cycles and recycles over the years.  What I miss are those years when both places (not to mention Taboo) all had large stables of dancers worth spending time with, and not just on the occasional weekend night or two!

Just got back from Montréal a few days ago. Always a good time. I only made it out to the strip clubs the Saturday night of my visit. I checked out both Campus & Stock (each will hand-stamp if you ask, so you can leave & come back the same night).
Both were pretty busy and entertaining but the dancers at Stock were more my type looks-wise. I could definitely see the Campus men appealing to some customers, though. The Stock dancers were generally a lot more aggressive in trying to get me to go in the back for some private dances.
I did go in the back for a few at Stock with handsome, hairy Fredi (Freddie?), who wasn’t aggressive out front (but friendly in the back!). He’s not on their website but he does show up briefly in another dancer’s video sample (23 seconds into Gatuso’s). https://www.stockbar.com/en
Gatuso & Santiago each gave me their pitches to go in the back, and I suspect either would have been a lot of fun. I was just getting tired & didn’t want to go crazy with spending on my first night of the trip. (I thought I’d be back the next night, which unfortunately didn’t work out.)
Bbuck was also there and looking HOT too. He had some facial stubble and was quite acrobatic during his turn on the pole. I think he also had some chest hair (a plus for me). 
I didn’t notice much panhandling or apparent junkies in the Village that Saturday night, despite what I’ve seen in some other Montréal posts on here. 
The ArriveCAN and U.S. MPC (Mobile Passport Control) apps each made getting through the Montréal airport faster. (MPC is only for U.S. passport holders, I believe.)
The 747 bus into town was packed on Saturday night but had plenty of room Tuesday morning going to the airport. If you buy a 3-day pass for C$22, that’ll let you ride the 747 ($11 one-way if you only buy a ticket for that) as well as the metro unlimited for 3 days. For the 747 back, I bought a 1-day anywhere-Zone-A pass for $11, and that includes use of the airport bus.
(And besides being a quick, affordable way to get around, the Metro seems to have a lot of hot men riding it most of the time. Including some hot Middle Eastern guys in case you like them, which I do.)
The botanical garden is wonderful as ever, but I would eat elsewhere unless you’re a hardcore vegetarian or vegan. Their restaurant has gone all-veggie & I didn’t really care for the items I tried. 
   As for money: The exchange rate is great right now if you’re American. Hardly anywhere takes Discover, so make sure you have Visa or Mastercard.
 

I guess @Poppie is no penny-pincher and treats others as he would like to be treated. A gentleman!
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Thanks very much for the report.  Pretty much tallies with my experience in June.  The same nostalgia that you spoke of will keep me going back, too, though I am cutting back to once a year.  Previously I was going every June and August (and when I first discovered Montreal, and on through the great years around 2006-7, I could be found there 3-4 times a year!).

My buddy Dane Scott had the perfect two reactions when we watched it together:  1)  Applause, 2) "Finally, somebody wrote a good Gay rom-com."  
I haven't seen The Inheritance.  But kudos to Matthew Lopez for being able to go from a six hour Tony-winning AIDS drama to a light and sexy fantasy in which Gay woke always wins. I'm all for being versatile.  😉
When I like a movie I tend to read lots of reviews.  This ending to the LA Times review summed up what I thought was so fun about the movie, from the perspective of a Gay man:
And Galitzine:
He's always fun to watch.  Can't wait for Mary and George. 
I think this probably proves that it is less important whether the actor is Straight or Gay, and more important that he is just sexy and hot.  Galitzine as a Straight actor who actually played rugby playing a Gay rugby player in Handsome Devil was very hot and sexy to watch.  Galitzine as a campy Gayish Prince Charming in Cinderella, much less so.  But whatever went wrong with that Prince Charming, Prince Henry has now redeemed it.
There's been a lot of speculation about Galitzine's sexuality.  I like the way this podcast interview with Gay critic Marc Malkin handled it.  Just matter of factly talked about what it's like to be a Straight actor trying to do a faithful job playing Gay roles.   It's nice if we are now at a point where we can have talented Gay writers doing rom coms, hot Straight men playing Gay Princes with "voracious and animalistic" sexual desires, and hot Gay men in real life swooning women in movies off their feet.  

Agree across the thread… cute, cliches, tad tiresome and unsurprisingly predictable. But couldn’t stop watching and didn’t regret it 2 hours later. Just wish there was some below the belt skin!

I still maintain that the homeless (sorry....'unhoused') sleeping on the heat grates directly outside the Gouverneur front door during my stay there added a bit of charm and culture to the city......oh, and the guy on St Catherine who tried to sell me some cocaine, cool!........poutine, bagels, smoked meat sandwiches - icing on the cake!!........

Do you ever have a single nice thing to say about a person who has died?

You are right.  I was just in Montreal and spent three nights around the village.  I felt completely safe, saw very few homeless people, and never got pan-handled once.  I would say The Village has changed compared 20 years ago.  However, to me, it's basically the same as it has been for the last 7-8 years.  So I would say it's pretty stable now.   
Like you, I don't seek hotels in The Village any more.  Been there done that 30 years ago but not now.  Obviously, to each his own.

Some pictures of Stock & Soda and Stock Easy

Just back from a  four night trip to Montreal.  Weather was mostly good with the exception of some storms on Sunday and showers today Monday.   I noticed no smoke smell during my time there.  Things were active in The Village with lots of foot traffic.
I visited both Stock and Campus.  I was at Stock Thursday and Friday nights.  Stock is looking great with all the renovations.  Stock & Soda seems to be successful...at least now during the summer.  Plenty of folks sitting on the patio part on the street.  The inside VIP room (Stock Speakeasy?) was inaugurated on Friday.   Somehow, I managed not to check it out.  Oops!  I saw the new owner, Danny, who I remember from his bartender days.  He seemed really upbeat about everything.  DJ Anthony also made an appearance on Thursday for his hosting duties of the Studio Show.    Stock currently has more employees than I have ever seen previously.   The current level of business seems to support the increased number of staff.  Although, Thursday was relatively slow.  Things didn't really get going till after 11:00pm.  Note the weekly summer fireworks have been moved from Saturdays to Thursdays.  As a result, dancers and customers don't really start showing up to Stock till after 10:00.  They had 10-12 dancers there on Thursday and some didn't turn up till after 10:00pm.  So it was fairly slim pickings before 10:00pm.  Alex the bartender was on duty at the main bar by the shower stage.  He is always good fun.  I ended up hanging out with Jasper & Eric most of the evening.  It was good fun.  The crowd was mostly gay men.  Although there were a few ladies there, they did not make for an overpowering presence.
Friday was a very different night.  It  was, of course, much busier at Stock as a weekend night.  Also, the women were present in force.  It felt like a ladies night.  In fact, when I arrived around 8:30, I was advised that there was a special bachelorette-type party going on and that it would be over by 10:00pm.  It must have started at 6 or 7 cause at 8:30 it was already well underway.  Former Stock dancer Parker was the host and he had 2-3 non-Stock dancers plus Gatuso performing for the ladies.  Several of the bachelorettes were brought up on stage and given lap-dances.  It was kind of fun to watch from afar and I assumed they would clear out at 10:00pm.  Well this pre-show did end as scheduled  and the ladies were told that if they wanted to continue on at Stock, they would need to go out and pay the Stock cover-charge and re-enter.  It seems most of them did that and the female presence just grew larger as the night progressed.   All the chairs closest to the stage were occupied by females.  Men seemed to be in the minority in the bar.  The dancer line-up consisted of many attractive guys (Jo, Jasper, Vinny, Gatuso (from Tunisia), Barack (from Costa Rica), Bran, Denzel, Miguel, and Santiago).  There were a few others there as well which I would consider duds...at least for my taste.  Former Stock dancer Tyler also made an appearance as a customer.  We had a quick chance to catch-up since I had not seen him since before COVID.  He is not currently dancing anywhere.   I had fun both nights. at Stock.  
Thursday, I stopped in briefly at Campus between stays at Stock.  I seemed to be there during the transition from the day talent to the evening talent.  The daytime boys were largely forgettable in my view.  A few of the nighttime guys coming in looked interesting but I did not stay long enough to see any of them perform.  A couple of the daytime dancers were overly-aggressive which I did not appreciate.   Campus had roughly the same amount of clients on Thursday as Stock so , due to its smaller size, Campus appeared busier.  There was only a token presence of ladies at Campus on Thursday.
I returned to Campus on Saturday and what a difference.  It was packed with a whole lot more dancers.  Two very big body-builder types.  Also there were multiple muscular younger guys at Campus that seemed to be lacking at Stock.  I hung out with three dancers Saturday night and had great fun.   The bartender John was a hoot also.  He enjoyed gradually removing his clothes while working.    The former dancer red-headed Manager (I don't remember his name) was working Saturday and I had an opportunity to speak with him.  I told him I first saw him dancing way back when at West Side on Beaver Hall when they had strippers.  That's quite a few years ago now.  There were a few more women at Campus on Saturday than on Thursday but it did not feel overwhelming to me.
I did not go to the clubs on Sunday so nothing to report there.
My conclusions overall:
*  The Stock renovation looks wonderful and is bringing in increased business to Stock & Soda and also the main strip club.
*  Stock still has to work on getting the guys naked on stage.  There are multiple guys (mostly the newer ones) that do not get naked.  Some don't even flash their goods.
*  The dancer talent at Stock has improved over the last few months.  This is partially due to getting back some of the former Stock strippers that had stopped stripping or had moved to Campus.   That is all good, (and kudos to Stock management for achieving this) but Stock also needs to get some muscular younger talent .  We need to have some fresh younger faces to go along with the veterans.  
* Stock needs to get more dancers to come in earlier.  Many dancers not arriving till 10:00 or even 11:00pm  just doesn't work for me.  I like to start fairly early.  I really want to see most of the guys by 9:00pm so I can decide who to spend time with.  I would guess that most older customers 45+ (with bank in their pocket) would much prefer to have most dancers around  by 9:00pm rather than have to wait till 11:00pm to see the top guys.
*  The Women at Stock.  Something needs to be done about this.  I know it's a difficult issue as one cannot discriminate.   But the women on Friday (after the earlier bachelorette event)  were the dominant force for the entire night.  I wanted to tip one of the dancers on the stage and found it very difficult to even get close.  I was told Saturday night was similar at Stock.
I hope to return to Montreal this summer.  I really really don't want to be spending my gay dollars in Florida if I don't have to.  I am happy with the great progress at Stock in just three months but look for further improvements on the items highlighted above.  I really want to return more regularly if possible.
 
 

Just hire hot dancers who dance butt nekkid -- the rest is gravy.

Exciting news awaits the patrons of Stock Bar, the beloved establishment known for its vibrant atmosphere and impeccable service ( new administration ). Brace yourselves for the upcoming novelties that are set to elevate the Stock Bar experience to unprecedented heights.
 
Firstly, the anticipation builds as the grand opening of Stock’N’ Soda draws near. This modern and cozy addition is designed to capture the essence of contemporary elegance. Located at a prime spot, it boasts a captivating ambiance that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces. The bar is thoughtfully adorned with chic furnishings, and the carefully curated selection of spirits and cocktails is sure to impress even the most discerning connoisseurs. However, it is the spectacular outside terrace that steals the show. Offering an idyllic setting for socializing, it allows guests to bask in the charm of the surrounding street while savoring their drinks. Stock’N’ Soda promises to be a haven for those seeking a trendy and sophisticated experience.
 
But the surprises do not end there. Prepare to be awed by the unveiling of the highly exclusive VIP room within Stock Bar. This intimate sanctuary has been meticulously designed to cater to the needs of the most discerning clientele. With a limited capacity of 20 persons or less, the VIP room ensures an exclusive and personalized experience. The room features its own private bar, serving an array of premium beverages that are sure to delight even the most discerning palates. Additionally, a state-of-the-art HD TV offers entertainment options for those seeking a touch of diversion. The VIP room at Stock Bar provides the utmost privacy, allowing guests to unwind and indulge in the company of their select companions.
 
The great news is that both spaces are set to open their doors before the end of the month, much to the excitement of loyal patrons and newcomers alike. Whether you are looking for a vibrant social experience in the open air or an intimate setting for a VERY private gathering, Stock Bar's novelties have you covered. Mark your calendars and prepare to be enthralled as Stock’N’Soda and the VIP room redefine the standards of elegance and exclusivity in the realm of bars and lounges.

Hi Guys.  My name is Anthony, Dj at Stockbar for more than 22 years and founder of its live broadcasting website. 
We would like to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for your active participation in the comment section of this platform. Your insightful comments, valuable feedback, and diverse opinions make a significant impact. We want you to know that we read all the comments with great interest and consider them an integral part of our decision-making process.
Your opinion matters to us. We understand that you take the time to share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns, and we want you to know that we value every single contribution. Your comments help us gauge the pulse of our clientele, identify areas where we can improve, and discover new perspectives that challenge our thinking.
Trust is a vital aspect of any relationship, and we want to assure you that you can trust the new management to react appropriately. We have worked tirelessly to assemble a dedicated team that is committed to providing the best possible experience for our clientele The new management brings fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a steadfast commitment to excellence.
We pledge to maintain an open and transparent environment where your voices are heard. Our commitment to you is to listen attentively, engage in meaningful conversations, and take prompt action where necessary. We understand that trust is earned through consistent actions, and we are determined to demonstrate our responsiveness and dedication to your needs.
As we move forward, we are excited about the future and the opportunities it holds for Stockbar. We are committed to fostering a vibrant and inclusive space where every opinion is valued, respected, and considered. Together, we can shape the direction of the bar, and your participation plays a vital role in that process.
Once again, we express our sincere gratitude for your active involvement. Your comments inspire us to continually strive for improvement and provide you with the best experience possible. We look forward to continuing this journey with you, listening to your feedback, and building a stronger, more vibrant Stockbar together.
We should be all done with the renovation of the bar by the end of June 2023. Lots of dancers are coming back for the hot season. A new lighting system will be installed in the next coming days that will improve the quality of our live show. New policies about women in the bar and total nudity will soon be put in place.
Warm regards

Three nights in Montreal starting last Thursday. Took AA First TPA/CTL/YUL. Awesome service on each leg. Admirals Club in Charlotte has a nice breakfast buffet and great Bloody Marys. Immigration was FAST and without any of the attitude I used to get pre-pandemic. Checked into the Hyatt Place (formerly the Gouverneur). WOW what a change. I can say that they literally gutted the place. It looks beautiful. By 4pm I was at Campus.
Daddy's Corner is the remodeled Shooter Bar. They did a great job. FUN bartender, used to work as a near by Karaoke Bar. 4-5 dancers working the pole, the bar and the customers. Haven't had afternoon lap dances in years. Stayed busy throughout the night.

Stopped into Stock around 10pm. Haven't been in YEARS. I did not recognize the place. They have done a lot of work and it looks really good. Stock was busy too. Plenty of hot men providing sexy quick dances and slow, FULL ON INVITING dances. Stayed until about 1am. After being up for almost 24 hours, time to pass out.

Similar experiences on Friday and Saturday. Late night St. Catherine St was crowded with pedestrians. Restaurants and Bars that have already built their Summer Terraces were PACKED. So good to see great energy.

Planning another trip this fall ahead of the cold winder weather. It was a FUN time!
 

Thursday 25th:
I arrived at Campus at 9 pm, and it wasn't too crowded, just about 3 or 4 dancers. On Thursdays and Sundays, the club charges $6 and offers a coat check. On the following day 4 pm at Daddy’s Corner, it looked mostly the same, except for an additional bar on the right side. I think it has always been there, but it opened at 3 pm. The area in front of the stage was now dark.
back to Thursday night:
Then, there was a stunning young goth-like dancer, who could pass for . He had dark black hair, beautiful pale skin, and a tall, slender figure. We had a great time together. As the night progressed, more dancers appeared, about 12 dancer la by 11 :30ish pm. One of my favorite boys was a short, muscular blonde hottie, around 21 years old. As expected, he was in high demand, and it was hard for him to make it past the entrance to the lap room. But we managed to spend some quality time together. Another new dancer, who was also quite popular, caught my attention. By 11 pm, the place filled up, but it wasn't overwhelmingly crowded. There was a contest for the best upcoming stripper, although I don't think it was for this weekend. Malik announced it, and he presented the amateur stripper with an olive wreath /olive leaves crown. As a winner I hope he is included in the dancing schedule. Gorgeous Mediterranean 19/20ish  what a masterpiece of a guy or  at lest from far  
Next, I visited Stock Bar, which had also undergone some changes. They now had a $6 entrance fee and moved door entrance to the side, where the coat check was located. The layout of Stock is now narrower, and the large left bar is much smaller. At that time 11ish Inside, there weren't many people, and I only saw one new dancer, along with two others I recognized from my previous visits.
you are going to see a lot of 11insh PM but it was between 9 and 1:00 am
I then headed to Taboo, but it was quite slow, with only a couple of patrons. I spotted one hot young blonde dancer, and there were two more that I hadn't seen before. They seemed to fit into the fem twink category, which isn't really my type. It was better to stay at Campus where there was a nice atmosphere and a variety of dancers to suit different tastes.
Later, I went to Expose, but it was nearly empty, maybe just one dancer outside talking. So, I decided to go back to Stock Bar. It was still empty, and the only dancer I recognized was my old friend Casper. We decided to have a dance, but he seemed distant, so I chose to leave. As I walked outside near the Unity club, I came across two hot young guys smoking. They offered me a smoke since I had a couple of drinks i  was bold enough to talk to them, well, it. was also in the Stock / Unity club sidewalk, with plenty of people and the bouncers for each club. The boys said they were from Afghanistan, and we planned to meet up later for some drinks.
Eventually, I found myself back at Campus. There were a few dancers, but none of them caught my attention. Instead, I decided to have another drink. Around 1:00 am, a new dancer caught my eye, and I patiently waited for his performance. He turned out to be fantastic, possibly Italian-Canadian. All in all, it was a great Thursday, and I'm eagerly looking forward to tonight. I'll post more about how it goes!

I was surprised to read on the FB page that Stock would be sold.  I wish the new buyers well in this business venture.  I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank current owners Steven and Bobby for building such a great club for us all to visit over the years.  They really did turn Stock into an institution and quality establishment that set the standard for male strip clubs in North America.  I spent many nights there over the years and developed friendships with dancers and employees alike.    It felt like going home when I would enter Stock.  
Best wishes to Steven and Bobby with whatever opportunities they wish to pursue!!

A quick report until I have time to give more details from my trip 
Right now. This is the Campus moment - the place to go if you are planning or want to visit the Montreal strippers club.  Campus was always crowded, and features at least 10–12 hot dancers on a Friday and possibly more on Saturday. First thing, there are many new guys,including several very young  ones,19–20-year-old handsome boys, with a muscular bodies and rock–solid ass. Some of them, popular ones, were so hard to catch always inside the back room giving dances. I had a blast and rarely went to Stock or Taboo (they were mostly empty except on Lady’s night at Stock)
Campus backroom now has plexiglass doors for the lap dance room. I don’t want to jeopardize anything that happens there so I will say this: ask the boys because you may get it 
At Campus there are guys for all tastes. Pretty boys, build-up guys, the boy next door, all races. Blonde, brunette, red head. tall and short. You name. Is candy shop
On Friday I had at least 6 dances and then repeated my favorite ones. The new guys are there temporarily so I enjoyed them as much as can in case they won’t come back again or they are just doing it for summer. 
beautiful weather, they reopened and upgraded my to-go hotel, hotel St Andre, affordable and with the best location, at least for me that go there for the clubs. The hotel is still getting renovated but the rooms are nice with a terrific shower and new AC system. 
To be continued... 
Just a reminder that it was my experience on a wonderful night and that other people's weekends and tastes may differ.

I don't know where anyone got the notion that all drag queens do is lip sync.  Even the ones that focus on that in terms of their performances also put together their looks.  Part of a drag show is the visual.  Beyond that, however, there are many drag queens who have started making music.  To my ears, most of them shouldn't be singing but that's true of many people making pop records.  Others focus on their comedic skills.  I saw Ru Paul's Drag Race Season Six winner Bianca Del Rio in person and she had me laughing nonstop for over an hour.  San Francisco based drag queen Peaches Christ has long been doing drag parodies of cult favorite films. 
Of course, if someone is "tired of" drag queens the simple solution is to change the channel or go to a different bar if what's on offer is a drag show.

For many years I stayed in top-level downtown hotels, getting excellent rates by bidding on priceline.  I liked the ambiance and it was a very short hop on the metro to the Village.  If I stayed out too late, taxis were relatively cheap if I didn't feel like walking.
More recently I've been staying in airbnb's, mostly in the Village. Hotels have become quite expensive and I get more, and more attractive, space in an airbnb.  I find that the metro works both ways and I can easily get out of the Village to the other parts of the city that I love.  
Bottom line, as already posted multiple times, is that public transportation is quick and efficient and will get you where you want to go with minimum fuss.