Cabaret Piccolo Rialto

I’ve been to a bunch of shows at the new basement room at the Rialto in the past month and I’m definitely happy it exists. We had a shortage of rooms around this size until recently and it’s a good sign I think to see a few opening up. The entrance to the Piccolo is just a little further south on Parc from the marquis of the main Rialto. You head down a flight of stairs past a fairly big and clean bathroom and into a lounge area that’s brightly lit. There’s a bar in this area with the basic local bottled beers for $ 6, and some tables and chairs. There are doors that separate this area from the venue proper and I think it’s smart — it seems to dramatically cut down on the number of people talking during shows since they have a place to go when they aren’t into the act on stage.
The venue itself is wide and low and dark like a basement. The sound isn’t remarkable like in some of the old wood rooms around town, but it’s murky and well suited to the kinds of heavy shattering dance-​demanding acts that Pop Montréal have been booking in here. The stage is low so you always feel close to the artists, and the tech is directly across from the stage making their job easier than in some other places. There are some pretty funny lights on the stage that sort of feel like someone said «neon strobe light towers, that’s what the kids like these days right?» But what do I know about the kids. I do know I love live music in a venue this size (around 300) and I’m so happy the city is sprouting more options like this.