The Wheel Club: New pastures for NDG's country music stomping grounds

The Wheel Club is both a destination and hidden gem you don’t want to miss, but easily can. Its subterranean location sits between a karate studio, daycare, and office building in NDG, marked by a backlit sign hugging its dusty brick exterior: 'Wheel Club La Roue'.

“Honestly, I’ve lived in NDG since 2005, and I had gone up and down Cavendish hundreds of times without noticing the club,” admits the club’s director Clifford ‘Cliff’ Schwartz. He loves how much this adds to the charm, as though it were a scandalous secret.

It’s special to be in the know. I’d hear stories about the Wheel Club from both sixty-year-old pubgoers in the area and my thirty-year-old friends from music school. Once I walked into its dark basement illuminated by glowing red and green sconces and strings of lights, I quickly understood that these were more than stories.

This was a place of legends and deep lore.

Setting sail

The club got its sea legs as a veterans’ social club after the Second World War, a name from Navy veterans alluding to a ship’s wheel. Today, on top of hosting the oldest open mic night in Montreal, the Wheel Club has evolved into a performance venue for everything from country and bluegrass to 80s new wave punk, ska, and everything in between.

Cliff has been a key player in producing the Wheel Club’s 'in with the old, in with the new refrain' since 2019 as a director. He doesn’t view himself as such, though; he sees himself as more of a custodian.

“That’s because it’s got a life of its own,” he says.

Cliff believes that the club has sailed upwind for over 70 years because “there’s so much history there that the club’s spirit propels it forward.”

These walls can talk

The Wheel Club’s history is plastered on every inch of its wood-panelled walls: black-and-white snapshots of a Montreal once forgotten, Rat Pack posters, assorted 45s, retro Quebec license plates, a plaque from the fire house.

Cliff sheds light on this last relic: “Dick Hearn, who took over in the 1980s, was a retired firefighter for the city of Westmount. He expanded the old veterans club to service workers: policemen, firemen, EMTs.”

After speaking with Cliff, I take a seat at the bar and watch him nail hit-after-hit of dance-worthy 70s tunes onstage. Cliff is a musician first and foremost, just as much of a frontman as he is someone who works behind the scenes. He has played with Cirque de Soleil and various Quebec artists, composed music for the CBC, and still gigs today.

His partner Cindy, a bar manager adorned with peace sign earrings and a matching necklace, asked what we wanted. I noticed the Harvey Wallbanger August special on the bar top. The man seated beside me was sipping a strawberry daquiri. Even the drinks haven’t aged.

Ghosts of the Wheel Club’s past

History flows through this preserved venue's details. In his earlier years, Cliff would come in to clean up at the end of the night. Every second or third time, he would find a dime on the floor. He claims that, to this day, if he ever finds money that’s been dropped, it’s always a dime.

“It’s peculiar. It pushes the mystique that this place has a life of its own. In this case, the dimes speak for themselves. A sort of dime a dance.”

Then there are the two cardboard cut-outs of 60s-era, mini-skirt-clad women on either side of the stage.

“We found them in the old office tile ceiling when repainting,” Cliff says.

“They must have been used for some promotional purpose back in the day. They're our guardian angels, watching over us, watching over the club. They've survived all these years, even through the pandemic, where we turned the place into a TV studio to livestream local entertainment. They want to stay.”

Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor

The Wheel Club’s a place of nostalgia, and its weekly country open mic is at its core.

Originally founded by Bob Fuller in 1966 at the Blue Angel on Drummond Street downtown and moved to the Wheel Club years later, Hillbilly Night is as authentic an experience as it gets for anybody who likes country and bluegrass music.

Going strong for more than half a century, it’s not just for old-timers, even if a wall of framed photos that spotlight regulars might suggest as much. It’s a blast for those who may be less familiar but curious.

“You’ve got three generations of country musicians onstage and in the room all partying together. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” Cliff says.

The rules are simple and steadfast: No electric instruments. No drums or piano. No songs after 1969 either, as that’s reportedly when country music took a turn for the worse with the widespread adoption of electric instruments. When the crowd loves a performance, a cowbell rings out.

Rumour has it a musician was stopped midway and asked to leave the stage after singing Jolene, a song released in 1973.

So, what’s a country jam doing in the middle of Canada? Americans thought that at first, too. Hillbilly Night has since gained a strong international reputation with people coming from the States, especially the South, to take part in the Wheel Club’s longstanding weekly celebration, a gathering space for musicians near and far.

History repeats itself

Cliff jumped on board about five years ago after seeing a story on CBC that the place was going to close down. That’s when he called the place up.

“I felt as if I was sucked into a strong current or undertow. The club pulled me in and all the doors flew open. One guy immediately said they had money to invest. The media was contacting me. Everything that needed to happen, happened.”

Since coming aboard, Cliff’s ongoing mission has been to blend musical acts that promote nostalgia while also drawing a younger crowd.

He was surprised to see tribute shows, and 70s and 80s-themed spectacles casting a line for those who were born long after these songs made the Billboard charts.

“I’m always amazed that my 18-year-old son loves Tower of Power. But, at the end of the day, undeniably great music stands the test of time for a reason. I encourage the nostalgia because it has quality. It turns out every age is interested in that.”

“I make sure to keep things open and accessible to any kind of music, as long as it’s good. As Count Basie once said, ‘There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.’"

"But I will never turn anyone away."

Forever young

Before taking over the Wheel Club, Cliff spent years at pubs like NextDoor and Brass Door with weekly shows through his 90s band, Soulvation. While the band eventually split ways, his passion for that era never faded.

He's eager to incorporate the 90s into his future lineup for the Cavendish dive, and soon enough, the 2000s will pass as retro, too. He’s also appealing to younger crowds every Wednesday when people flood in for karaoke.

“I want anybody to be able to get on stage regardless of their level of talent or experience. Anyone can be a live entertainer. Everyone should get the chance.”

The same goes for their newest venture, Club Choir, a singing party where audience members are taught to sing the different parts of their favourite pop songs in a choir-like setting with an introduction to harmonization.

Cliff’s other lineups include jazz or funk bands made up of Vanier college students, album releases by new groups on the scene like Clan Destiny, live electronic music, and others. There’s also the occasional trivia night to keep up with pub trends.

On my way out, passing new Pac-Man and pinball games alongside other paraphernalia, I caught a seasoned club veteran idling by the Wurlitzer JukeBox, circa 1950. She gave me a big hug, welcomed me to the family, and summed it up beautifully:

“The Wheel Club is not a venue; it’s an experience.”

The Wheel Club is located at 3373 Cavendish Boulevard.