As things have been heating up with only two weeks of school left, a venture to an out of the ordinary setting was due. The pursuit for an exciting activity lead me back to a place that some outright shun or visit only once in a blue moon, while on another extreme, others chronically hang around.
A Montreal scene that definitely stirs up mixed reactions, it’s indeed the city’s infamous gentlemen’s strip clubs that have been condemned as often as they have been celebrated. However, whether you love em’ or hate em’, the fact is that they are an indispensable aspect of Montreal that distinguishes the city’s vibrant nightlife and even adds a little flavour and spice to it. These innumerable, notorious strip clubs that adorn every street corner are popular tourist attraction-to a certain extent they are the reason for Montreal’s wide-reaching reputation as being one of the most sexually liberated and open-minded cities in the world.
So for those who are ready and interested in a little enjoyment or self-expansion, Club Wanda’s is the strip club recommended. It’s a ‘refined people’s club’ where according to Tony Moutsios, one of two managers at the club, “people can walk in with their head up high.”
This is because since its opening in 1977, the club owners have implemented a no contact policy, which means that the girl strippers can perform table dances but customers cannot touch them. Club Wanda’s is one of the few strip club’s left in Montreal with this rule of conduct, which in my opinion, sets it apart from other clubs that can almost be described as brothels.
Another nice feature about the club is the large and varied number of girls it employs; 30 to 50 “Wandafied” strippers perform each night and are varied in terms of ethnic background, height and measurements, which is something to appreciate. This place is also the most lounge-like strip joint in town; it has three floors, each with its own little stage, mirrored walls and comfortably padded seats.
Still, here are the downsides observed: like every other strip club, you must tip the bouncer; purchase mandatory drinks; though students are always welcomed, the main targeted customers are business men; and lastly, there were a number of striking girls that stood out as great stage performers, but otherwise, it would have been more compelling to see additional strippers with pole dancing skills on stage.
Overall though, Club Wanda’s, with its doors open to couples and its no cover charge policy, comes out on top with a positive and engaging atmosphere that can make for a good time.
On a final note, it must be warned that the exploration of the gentlemen’s strip club by unacquainted females is an excursion into a new world that can awaken hidden insecurities; fears; and demons, while at the same time unveiling secret fantasies and wells of desires.
Accepting such an experience can turn out to be a very therapeutic and mind opening affair, therefore it is totally worth it to put aside preconceived notions for one night and check it out. Ladies and gentlemen, let your senses be tantalized, enjoy the moment, and take it in as a demystifying experience. Whether it is with a group of friends, with a significant other, for a special occasion, or for no reason at all: as Moutsios suggests, “don’t be shy, give it a try.”
CLUB WANDA’S
1458 Blvd. De La Montagne
Phone: 842-8825
Opening hours:
MON-SUN 4:00 p.m.- 3:00 a.m.
www.clubwanda.com
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