Barrymore's Music Hall, Ottawa

The music hall in 1914 was a grand movie palace, then morphed into a strip club and a disco as times changed. In its 1980s heyday as a live music club, it showcased just about every big act that came through Ottawa, from Tina Turner to U2. Shuttered by financial problems in the 1990s, it was later revived—music lovers just couldn’t let the legacy die. In its current incarnation, it serves up live rock on Saturdays, rounded out with DJ nights on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays: retro 80s and 90s nights, world beats and more. The huge interior features a big bar and lots of faded-movie-queen glamour, including the odd chandelier. Don’t bother showing up before 10PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

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