Eat & Drink
Khabouth-backed UNIUN club replaces Devil's Martini
Charles Khabouth, Toronto's very own maven of real estate and nightlife, is at it again with his new club, Uniun. Slated to open November 10, Uniun will take over the space that previously housed classic clubbing go-to The Devil's Martini. The large space has given Khabouth lots of room to play with (16,000 square feet of it), and as always, the man is upping his own personal ante.
You can expect an LED-light installation that will probably not be suitable for borderline epileptics and a "state-of-the-art sound system." As for the aesthetics, Uniun will be building on the '20s factory bones of the space by adding 14-ft bronze metal arches, old-timey chandeliers and wood accents, and a scatter of throwback curiosities ranging from apothecary bottles to crystal spheres.
In a press release, designer Kenny Baird described the intended marriage between ultra-modern technology and the (irresistible to any club designer) industrial appeal of the space itself. Khabouth himself stresses that the club is set to be "the first of its kind" in Toronto to offer "multi-dimensional audio and visual imagery." Don't get too carried away, though; the space is, fundamentally, a dance club, replete with bottle service, and a VIP section with its own bar (lest you be forced to mingle with the plebs).
With a capacity that tops out at a whopping 1,500, LED lighting coating the walls and ceilings, and a downstairs lounge and bar area, Uniun is poised to become yet another Toronto clubbing institution. RIP, Devil's Martini.
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It's a garbage overhaul that will not match the atmosphere of Devil's Martini, no matter who is behind it.
I'm not looking forward to all the 20 year olds who think:
"man, guvernment is like the most awesomest night club in the world because like it's spelled with a U and hahaha you don't spell government with a u silly people so this nightclub must be awesome OMG are they related to union station because that would be awesome i dont know why its awesome BUT AWESOME oh sorry I spilled my drink on you hey wanna go outside and fool around?"
With Charles' experience this place will be an institution for as long as Guvernment has been (16 years)
kids, enjoy your party days because when you hit a "certain age", you're either a mom or you have people at the club pointing at you saying "look, it's your mom".
congrats on the opening!
I love how club-goers act like there are clubs that offer something different when the fundamental philosophy of crappy top 40's music and machismo are pretty much standard at all clubs.
...
Oh wait, first DJs are Chus & Ceballos. Let me guess, next DJ is Dubfire? Maybe then some Steve Lawler? Snore. Ink has been recycling the same tired line-ups for 10 years.
Who gives a fuck?
Oh, and as far as the person saying the club will be a mainstay for the next 16 years like Guv because it's done by Ink and Charles: you mean like This is London and Cube? Oh wait, those went tits up as well because no one cares about the same, tired, recycled music anymore. Give me a break!
Much like its patrons of days past, out with the old and in with the new!
I wouldn't say Guvernment is necessarily the "best" but I definitely find it to be more than worthy of being part of that list. The atmosphere might not be the best on the list (due to the "905" crowd) but the events, DJs and lineups are amazing. It says a lot for it to be Steve Angello's favourite place to play in the world.
Devil's was a waste of space and I'm happy that Charles took this location over. It is truly a unique spot for a nightclub but of if it is done right.
I will definitely check it out just to see what Charles had done to it.
Anyways, I went to uniun on Saturday and was very impressed with the increased size/capacity/space to walk/dance. The lounge in the basement was underutilized but very cool. The sound was alright (needs some tuning) but the music was pretty good and the LEDs give it that modern club feel. One thing I wasn't expecting is that you can only order shots in multiples of 2. WTF? I've never heard of this before and don't see how this increases alcohol revenue. This only wastes the bartender's time by having to explain to every patron the "policy" and pisses people like me off.
I see a lot of potential for this club as it seems there aren't a lot of good venues in toronto for listening to house music. The new club on college (Moskito) doesn't cut it. Too overpriced, poorly run, too hot/sweaty, small washrooms, blah, blah.
Guvernment has been successful for a long time and there are reasons for that. It has one of the best sound systems in north america (probably the best in toronto) and they can typically book the best (or most popular) DJs. With all the nice renos they've done in the last couple of years, that club is poised to stay on top for a while, whether or not you're into the "scene".