POP OPERA – grand opening review

As mentioned in my previous blog entry, POP OPERA (686 West Hastings) had its grand opening tonight.  After over an hour of waiting in the guestlist line up (ironically, my guestlist didn’t go through…but that’s a whole other story) the only reason why my group of three made it through the wait was because we outlasted the lineup, contrary to many frustrated party-goers giving up and waving down cabs on the street instead.  That being said, the lineup was one of the more enjoyable aspects of my night!  The weather was fairly warm with no rain, the people in the line-up were civilized not rowdy, the bouncers were respectful not rude and I had the fantastic opportunity to catch up with two of my friends.

Once inside, coat check was $5: a steep price to pay on a summer’s evening, but not atypical of the Donnelly Nightclubs.  Pop Opera’s interior had the same architectural structure as the old Club 686 yet modern updates, including lighting and artwork, gave it an upscale feel.  This club was made for VIP – with several roped off areas encompassing white couches and rectangular tables, on top of which were menus for bottle service.  Regardless, the club felt…cluttered…rather than spacious.  True, the wooden dancefloor was large and accommodating, but tables were too close to the bar and more often than not, we had to squeeze past people in the narrowness. 

Like any other club, the dancefloor had its moments with a jumping crowd one song and a dwindling, thinning crowd the next.  Perhaps this was due to an erratic music choice.  The featured DJs were “Flipout and J Swing” from The Beat 94.5 FM yet I found the song selection more appropriate for radio, not for a dancefloor.  Perhaps that was the sound Pop Opera was aiming for – with a wide selection of song genres – from grungy hip-hip beats to classic oldskool.

A door to the left of the DJ booth led to a smaller area enclosed in dark glass.  (For those of you who have been to the previous Club 686, this would be where the VIP seating was).  With a square-ish dance floor and rounded walls with full length mirrors, a completely different set of music was being played absolutely isolated and sound proof from the main room.

Overall, the branding of “POP OPERA” brings to mind Andy Warhol style pop- art and bright bubbly colors (ie. the Friday night posters and guest passes for complimentary colors with its contrasting bright pink and pastels) yet the actual venue was inconsistent with my assumptions.  Nonetheless, I am glad I had to opportunity to check out such a hyped-up and anticipated club :)

**Enter MMV’s first contest SHEAR GENIUS.  Application deadline August 3rd.

GUESS – reopening on Robson Street (June 19, 2008)

Be one of the first to check out the GUESS grand reopening on 1168-70 Robson Street on June 18th from 10am to 10pm. If you’re someone who likes to have everything categorized and “confirmed” on Facebook, check out the Facebook event information here. I don’t think this opening will be as anticipated as the crazy H&M grand opening but might as well check Guess out if you’re on a downtown lunch break or something like that :).

**I went to GUESS on Robson today and it turns out they’re not opening until tomorrow June 19th.

Tunnel Bar|Lounge – Industry and Media Reveal

Last night I went to the Industry and Media Reveal for Tunnel Bar|Lounge (622 West Pender Street) which was an invitation-only event to preview the club before it opens to the general public. Thank you to DJ Skilla, the resident DJ at Ginger 62 for handing me these passes while he was DJing at my 21st birthday party last week. The event started at 8pm-ish and we were given complementary drink tickets (stylish, mini, fuscha-colored cardboard squares) in the line up. By 10pm the club was already starting to fill up with groups of people who know a lot of other people from working in “the industry”.  The picture below is taken from the BACK of the club, facing the front entrance: 

The Tunnel venue is a long, rectangular club. Looking through the entrance, you could see right to the end of the club, where the DJ booth is located. Coatcheck is on the right, a small, veiled VIP lounge is on the left. Beyond that, the bar, its white counter stretched down on the left side of the club while couches were opposite it on the right. Behind the bar were wide TV screens flashing scenes of a driver’s-seat view of (appropriately) driving through a tunnel. At the back end of the room, with the dance floor and DJ booth, the walls and ceiling curved where they met to give the impression of a tunnel. The washrooms were slightly grungy with its with black walls and pink graffitti yet elegant chandelier lamps hung from the ceiling

At the event, broadcasters were there to film the progression of Tunnel club – from the planning to the launch. They intend to pitch the series to a number of networks later this summer. I have to say, you should check this club out if not for any other reason than to see what the hype is all about. From my blog stats, more people are visiting Modern Mix Vancouver from search terms relating to Tunnel than any other search query.

H&M – one week aftermath of its grand opening

On Thursday May 22, 2008, the Vancouver Pacific Center skyline was forever changed by Hennes & Mauritz, the Swedish retail chain store known for its fashionable yet affordable clothing.  It has been a week since its grand opening on the 2nd floor of Pacific Centre, in the space formerly occupied by Holt Renfrew before its relocation.  On that day, a lineup spiraled around H&M’s exterior while eager customers awaited the store’s opening at noon or hoped to score gift cards in celebration of this joyous occasion and walked out of the store with a branded, reuseable shopping bag and the H&M magazine.  My mom came home that evening from work and was a little bit too excited about her free magazine – like it was some glorious prize that wasn’t stacked up by the cash register for every person to get a free copy of. 

A week later, the madness has barely thinned out as shoppers still hurridly carried armfuls of colorful clothing – dress shirts for $20, camisoles for $6, eager to swoop in on bargains like a hunting rampage.  It’s as if the store just opened last week!…oh wait, it did.  I heard one girl exclaim to her friend, “Just get it!  It’s so cheap!”  Nonetheless, I don’t envy waiting in the changing room line-ups nor for the cashier. 

My recommendation?  H&M has a 30-day return policy, so buy your treasures now and try them on at home later!

Tunnel Bar|Lounge – opening on Pender Street

Tunnel Bar|Lounge is opening soon and is located on 622 West Pender Street. 

Keep your eyes peeled, your ears open and your liver strong with these grand opening nights:

 Traffik Fridays w/ Soulgood Events & Epik Entertainment (May 30th)
Lifted Saturdays w/ Canthrill Productions (May 31st)
Shelter Wednesdays w/ D Rock & Alan. (June 4th)

If you want to guestlist to any of the above events, email guestlist@entertunnel.com.  Their Media & Industry night is tomorrow, Wednesday May 28th, and I have tickets! 
If I end up going, I will definitely give a review of the club.

Tunnel Bar|Lounge Official Website
Tunnel Bar|Lounge Facebook Group