even rocky had a montage

city beat reported last week that club montage had closed, marking the end of a long run of gay nightclubs in this warehouse part of middletown. i always wondered why a big gay club would be located in such an out-of-the-way spot - why not concentrate the clubs in hillcrest?

montage had closed briefly a couple of years ago when its 31-year old owner, john mccusker, died of a drug-related heart attack. you might remember the controversy that soon ensued when a local catholic bishop initially refused to hold his funeral - love thy neighbor apparently not applying when it comes to the gays. after several months of costly renovation, montage re-opened under new ownership, but always seemed half empty when i was there. we'd go when our friend bryan pfeifer would dj there, but he hadn't heard from the owners in a while - an early sign that things had gone south?

the owner comes off as kind of sketchy in the article - blaming the introduction of a black-oriented night at the club and the resulting police pressure as the cause of the club's demise. but it seems they just weren't pulling in the crowds and cash required. i'm guessing that montage was a victim of the dying circuit scene, populated largely by 45-year old shirtless guys rolling long into the night (disclaimer: i'm 36, no spring chicken either). that translates into a whole lot of $3 bottled water sales, not $30 rounds of shots. while the new owners made an effort to curb drug use in the club, including installing cameras in the VIP elevator from what i heard, it still felt like everyone in the place was e-d out, tweaking, ghb'ing, etc.

i'm not a big fan of the circuit scene, specifically the trance music that's played (sorry bryan). does every remix have to have exactly the same beat? i'd rather be the oldest guy at numbers so i can at least hear music relevant to a crowd other than a bunch of tired old circuit queens - and apparently the younger generation agrees. yet even numbers and rich's seem to be quieter than in the past - victims of all the internet has to offer?

my favorite memory of montage was new years eve 2004, when the countdown started several minutes after the new year had actually chimed in. in honor of the club's passing, i've included a clip of "montage" from team america (sorry about the subtitles), especially if you recall how the main character proves his loyalty just prior to this scene.