P’tit Ours and La Toscadura bring new blood to Montreal's live music and social scenes

Casa del Popolo, along with its sister venues La Sala Rossa and La Sotterranea, have been mainstays of Montreal’s independent art and music scene since the early 2000s. Hosting both established and emerging talents from an array of subcultures and genres, each venue provides its own no-frills, hassle-free and energy-packed space that’s been integral in shaping the Plateau as the local indie hub it is today.

In response to the growing demand for music venues in the city following closures over the last few years, the Casa del Popolo family has taken two new venues under their wing: La Toscadura on Boulevard St-Laurent, and P’tit Ours reviving local musician Martha Wainwright’s venue Ursa on Parc Avenue with a new name.

While Casa has historically been known to host music events over the last 20+ years, these two new venues are expanding their programming, making the venues more accessible to book and paving the way for DIY scenes to thrive.

La Toscadura: Ideal for the neighbourhood

Outside, there’s only signage indicating there's a Spanish social club that serves tapas, not a venue. Inside, however, you’re greeted by a space draped in black curtains. A small bar sits near the entrance, with a stage straight ahead.

Chris Vargas, a multidisciplinary artist and the booking manager of La Toscadura, has worked alongside the co-founder of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and one of Casa’s owners Mauro Pezzente for many years. They acquired the venue while still completing renovations at P’tit Ours back in December 2024.

“Mauro already had a relationship with the director of the Spanish Social Club. Some 20 years ago, he co-ran the space when it was known as El Salon. The owner reached out, asking if he wanted to take it on again,” Vargas says.

Opening a new venue in the winter posed its challenges, especially when it came to spreading the word. Until recently, the space was used to accommodate overflow demand from La Sala Rossa, as it shares a similar capacity.

However, Vargas emphasizes that the venue has since evolved into a flexible space catering to a wider programming: “A lot of grassroots projects have had their start here. The venue is spacious, located on the ground floor, and in a great location. Given its size, it’s a deal for the neighbourhood,” they add.

From punk shows to queer line dancing series, art festivals, underground raves, and community fundraisers, the space has already hosted an impressive repertoire of events. 

“When I agreed to this. I did want to focus a lot on local shows because I think that’s where the community is taking a big hit. We’re lacking spaces in Montreal, especially in this part of town. There are a lot of DIY spaces that are shutting down and so my heart really extends out to those groups because I’m also part of that community,” says Vargas.

Vargas highlights the reason they’re keeping booking fees low and flexible is not only to help get the space up and running but also to give local communities a platform to make an impact, and ultimately encourage continued collaboration that enables the scene to thrive.

One of the first groups to host an event at La Toscadura is Haus of KFC, an underground community celebrating the historical art form of ball culture from the 70s and 80s in North America.

House of KFC's name is also a play on words for "ke-fanta-sia”. 

“We’ve taken something notoriously American and instrumentalized it to embody Latinx and LGBTQIA2S+ communities, reflecting our shared experiences, creativity and playfulness,” says founder Agustin Alonso.

Alonso also underlines the importance of venues like La Toscadura in sustaining the DIY scene. 

“Without spaces like this, the city’s cultural life will disappear. It’s incredibly hard to find venues that aren’t abusive with negotiations, affordable, and that offer proper soundproofing,” he says.

The intimacy of P’tit Ours

The cozy atmosphere that defined Ursa, the former venue owned by local musician Martha Wainwright, still lives on in P’tit Ours, a nod to its former name.

Since Ursa’s closure, Casa took over the venue in partnership with the runners of Pop Montreal after Wainwright reached out to them at the end of October.

“When we first started, they handed us the keys and we just ran with it. There wasn’t really any time to plan a grand opening. The programme is already filling up from late winter into the spring, and we have a few open spots for the summer, but overall, things are going well,” says Palden Khe-Changsoo, the booker for P’tit Ours and Casa’s other venues.

With a capacity of 70, the venue hosts shows almost every night, making it ideal for more intimate events.

“When I was doing independent bookings, I specifically used Ursa for quieter performances—singer-songwriters, solo artists—because it created such a warm, inviting atmosphere. It’s still very much that way, and we’re trying to keep the programming focused on intimate shows rather than loud rock or punk events, although we do host those too,” Khe-Changsoo explains.

“We also do book launches, dance parties, flamenco-inspired performances, and other community-centred events. If there’s interest and space available, I’m not going to push them away,” Khe-Changsoo adds.

One of the biggest challenges with Ursa, Khe-Changsoo notes, was the high booking fees for a 70-capacity venue, which left little budget for artists or production crews. Since taking over, Casa has made an effort to lower those costs, making it attractive for DIY events. 

“We decided to remove the booking fee from Sunday to Thursday and only charge $100 + tax for Fridays and Saturdays to cover the sound technician’s time. We felt this was more accessible. We’d like to see people try out new material and new sets during the week,” Khe-Changsoo says.

Space to breathe

La Toscadura and P’tit Ours are quickly gaining notoriety as venues  that encourage alternative programming and independent organizers, especially in neighborhoods with increasingly limited options for affordable event spaces –a trend that continues to echo throughout the city. La Toscadura is already booking festivals through 2026, including Taverne Tour, POP Montreal, and queer events. Rental fees continue to remain playable, with some “friend deals” in place due to the shortage of venues in the area and to accommodate grassroots communities.

La Toscadura will continue evolving with new bookings and investments in time, further expanding its programming and demographics to include social events like quinceañeras, art shows, theatre nights, dinner-shows, to DJ club nights.

P’tit Ours is also announcing its grand opening under their new name on April 5th. Khe-Changsoo and the team behind Casa and Pop Montreal are hoping to demonstrate that the space is more than just a venue—it’s a place where the community can “come together, have a good time and support each other,” Khe-Changsoo says.

“With more doors closing, artists are losing stages to perform on, which in turn puts pressure on existing venues. We’ve found ourselves unable to accommodate some artists whose shows were canceled, leaving them without a place to play. I do feel there is a responsibility to keep spaces like this going, just come out.”