Mediaboss Marketing

In the early '90s, alternative rock was exploding overground, with the rave scene coming up right behind it. This beloved Adelaide Street club bridged these two movements together in a legitimate, licensed space.

Club: Catch 22 Niteclub, 379 Adelaide W.

Years in operation: 1989-1997

History: While a five-year-lifespan tends to be a decent run for nightclubs in this city, some strike a nerve and manage to go it longer, thanks to an ever-evolving community of supporters. Catch 22 was such a venue.

Located on Adelaide near the corner of Spadina, Catch was slightly off the beaten path as it lay on the edges of the then-developing club district and was a few minutes walk south from Queen West. It was opened in November of 1989 by a group of friendswith Pat Violo, Lex van Erem, and Gio Cristiano at the corein a former storage space on the buildings lowest level.

Lex van Erem had the space and wanted to build a restaurant, but I convinced him it wasnt a good idea because of its location, recalls Violo, who had been a manager at RPM nightclub. I told him it best suited a nightclub. He liked the idea and asked me to be his partner.

The original idea was to open a club that played only alternative music, and looked very underground. We wanted the music to be the focal point, and it was inspired by CFNYs format.

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Then & Now: Catch 22