Vancouver, BC Donnelly Hospitality Management, the company behind Vancouver’s finest nightclubs, bars and pubs, will celebrate the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in unparalleled style. Throughout February, DHM nightclubs Modern Dance Club, Pop Opera, Bar None, Republic and The Granville Room will welcome guests with the city’s most high-end nightclub events, while DHM Pubs will be the most exciting places to watch athletes from around the world vie for gold.

Throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Donnelly Pubs will be the coolest locales for catching all the Olympic action, thanks to flat-screen TVs and full-service food menus—printed in French, Spanish, German, Russian and Mandarin—available from 10 am until 3 am. After the evening’s sporting events have come to a close, The Calling, Library Square Public House, The Lamplighter, The Metropole, Smiley’s Public House and The Academic will ease into nightclub-style parties, complete with vibrant atmospheres and DJs spinning into the wee hours.

Pop Opera, the most luxurious destination in Vancouver’s high-end club scene, welcomes legendary urban music producer and DJ Jermaine Dupri on February 23 for his first show in Vancouver. The rapper and Grammy-winning songwriter has worked with Usher and Mariah Carey and has a celebrity fan base that includes Jamie Foxx. Pop Opera welcomes a number of special guest DJs throughout the Olympics. Pop Opera, 686 W. Hastings Street. Open daily from 8:30pm – 3:00am.

Republic, Vancouver’s premiere nightclub, toasts the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and  Paralympic Winter Games with Opening Ceremonies and Closing Ceremonies galas on February 12 and 28. After walking the red carpet and having their photos snapped in front of the media wall, guests will dance to tunes spun by DJs Coki, Matty C and Kenya and sample Olympic inspired cocktails created by renowned Vancouver mixologist Trevor Kallies. Tickets are $30 tickets and available at Clubzone.com. February will see Republic’s usual stellar talent, including DJ Supafly, Trevor Risk, The Boyscouts, Matty C and others. 958 Granville Street, Vancouver. Open daily from 8:00 pm – 3:00am.

Award-winning Modern Dance Club is a discotheque for the new millennium and Gastown’s premier spot for club music – from big electro to blog house, drum n bass to classic hip hop. The Modern is housed in a heritage building and equipped with two floors of state-of-the-art sound and light systems, finished with dark smoked glass, multi-coloured tile and sleek neon lines. Special DJ-hosted events will be held from February 12th to February 28th, including DJ Fashen, Goodlife, and DJ Spider. 7 Alexander Street, Vancouver. Open daily from 9:00pm – 3:00am.

Bar None, the epicenter of nightlife in Yaletown, hosts a rotating lineup of Vancouver’s finest DJs, including Zak Santiago, Hedspin, P.Luv and DJ Marvel. Vancouver’s only true New York night club boasts a Soho attitude and feel, from its innovative cocktails and brick and wood interior to the impressive lineup of international and local DJs and live talent, including live reggae and retro classics from Mostly Marley. 1222 Hamilton Street, Vancouver. Open daily from 9:00pm – 3am.

The Granville Room, the Vancouver entertainment district’s true speakeasy, gets into the spirit of the games with Olympic Inspired Cocktails crafted by Trevor Kallies. Each cocktail is inspired by a great Canadian Olympic moment and showcases Canadian liquor and ingredients: The Winner Take All, Lord of the Oval, The Gold, Silver and Greene, The Double Lucky Loonie. An oasis of good taste and casual elegance, the Granville Room focuses on excellent service, quality craft cocktails, a boutique dining menu and DJs spinning nightly. 957 Granville Street, Vancouver. Open daily from 8:00pm.

Donnelly Hospitality Management (DHM) is a creative, diverse management company. DHM owns and operates award-winning nightclubs: Pop Opera, Republic, Bar None, and the Modern; popular pubs: Biminis Public House, The Calling, The Library Square Public House, and the Lamplighter; the cocktail lounge The Granville Room, and the Metropole. The company’s attention to detail, impressive entertainment calendars, modern designs, community and charity support, and strict policies on patron safety have earned them a reputation as an industry leader in Vancouver. For more information please visit: www.dhmbars.ca

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Media Contact:
Tiffany Soper
Hawksworth Communications
604-783-0013 / tiffany@hawksworth.ca

By Shawn Conner

Beginning Jan 12, up-and-coming local bands are going to have a new room in which to rock out.

A dearth of live music venues is a common complaint in Vancouver. But downtown nightclub Republic is opening its second floor to groups like Free City Collective (Jan 12), Familia (Jan 19), and By Starlight (Jan 26).
Nate Sabine, marketing director for the Donnelly Hospitality Management Group, says that the club tried out the live-music format for a couple of weeks last year “just to see if the bands could get their fans down. And it went quite well.”

The group has contracted Graham Pence to book the room. The format calls for three acts, the first up at 10:20 and the last one over by 1:20 a.m., in the upstairs section of the two floor bar. A DJ plays 20 minutes in between bands. Cover charge is six dollars.

“It’s to try and get some true exposure for these guys,” said Sabine. “The Roxy has been doing their Canadian content thing for years, and I think that does really well. But there are some bands that won’t necessarily work there. We want people to come down and be in an environment where they want to stick around and have a couple of drinks and hear these guys.”
The emphasis is on bands rather than singer/songwriters, says Sabine. “It’s just not the right vibe. We’re going for everything from dance-rock to garage-rock type of sound. But Graham pretty much has free reign. I don’t ask to see who he’s booked beforehand or check out their Myspace. I trust his judgment.”

Interested parties can reach Graham at graham.pence@gmail.com

Republic Showcase Tuesday schedule for January:
January 12th:
Free City Collective
Right
Paul Gibbons
January 19th:
Familia
Tara Lett
Young Pacific
January 26th:
Stars of Boulevard
Timothy
By Starlight

But it was DJ Eclectik who pulled out all the stops – great mixing and programming, fun crowd interaction and top notch turntablism added up to him being the unanimous choice as the MEGABLEND 2 champ – congrats!

Check the video of his winning set or to download an MP3 of it HERE

Megablend 2 winner DJ Eclectik from Cheylene SharkEye on Vimeo.

Thanks again to all the DJs who competed, and all the fans who cheered them on. It was another great event and we can’t wait to do it all again in the spring. Until then be sure to look out for the Red Bull 3 Style in early 2010, where Eclektik will go up against 7 of Vancouver’s best for the chance to represent in the national finals in Toronto.

The 8th Annual Toy Drive ensures a special Christmas for children in need across the Lower Mainland. DHM is giving a $50 Toys ‘R’ Us gift certificate to each employee, along with suppliers, close industry partners and VIP customers —over 400—to buy gifts for underprivileged kids of all ages. Gift certificate recipients are encouraged to get into the spirit and go beyond the $50; DHM will match all donations added to the $50 gift certificate. With sights set high, the caring company is aiming to donate over $30,000 worth of toys this year.

The Toy Drive is the most anticipated event of the year for DHM and includes a chic and cheerful Christmas Cocktail Party at Republic, where the goods go to the kids. Party goers will bring their unwrapped gifts, receive Christmas cocktails and complimentary appetizers, and enjoy live 80s synthpop hits from house band One Night Stand. As the party plays on throughout the night, the gifts continue to pile high from DHM staff, partners and friends who come out to support the kids.

For more information about the Donnelly Fund visit:Donnelly Fund

The Salvation Army is one of the world’s largest and most trusted providers of social services, ensuring donations go directly to those in most urgent need. DHM conducted the first annual Christmas Toy Drive in 2002, benefitting the Salvation Army and children in need. The Annual Toy Drive has become one of the largest in the city, in which DHM challenges other companies to support this highly anticipated event and promotes goodwill within the company by encouraging staff to celebrate the holiday spirit of giving.

Donnelly Hospitality Management (DHM) is a creative and diverse management company. DHM owns and operates award-winning nightclubs: Pop Opera, Republic, Bar None, and the Modern; popular pubs: The Bimini, The Calling, The Library Square Public House, Smileyʼs Pub, and the Lamplighter; the cocktail lounge The Granville Room, and the Metropole. The companyʼs attention to detail, impressive entertainment calendars, modern designs, community and charity support, and strict policies on patron safety has earned them a reputation as an industry leader in Vancouver.