McGill’s Open Air Pub (OAP), run entirely by student volunteers, is a quintessential Montreal amalgam of fashion, nonchalance, music, beer, and social hubbub. Held at the beginning and end of each school year—this semester from Aug. 28 until Sept. 8—OAP showcases more than 25 small bands and DJs. OAP is open every weekday from noon until 9:00 pm, with the first artists performing in the early evening on a small stage in the Lower West Field of McGill’s campus, surrounded by a charming scatter of picnic tables and tents for food and drink.
OAP finds a way to encapsulate both a daytime mellowness and the high energy of nighttime. After the sun sets, students are quick to congregate in front of the stage for dancing, lit by the flashing red, blue, and green club lights and shrouded by a smoke machine. In the hours before, however, the atmosphere is much more relaxed, with students mingling near picnic tables, enjoying a hot dog, or sipping a beer.
Allesandria Papia, U1 Arts, spoke to why students choose to congregate at the event.
“Everybody there was looking for similar things, which is to meet people and to have fun,” Papia said.
Entrance to OAP is free—any McGill student can walk in and enjoy the music at no cost. Food and drink, however, require tickets. The general consensus seems to be that prices are reasonable and quality is satisfactory, though nothing earth-shattering; attendees reported that the cheeseburgers were the best food option (though they sell out quickly), and the hot dogs are a good deal—two hot dogs for four dollars. The vegetarian options, though, are lacking. Several hopeful veggie-burger consumers complained that while well-made, the veggie options are unreliable and run out quickly, so the OAP vegetarians should not count on a meal.
OAP holds a special place in the hearts of McGill students as it is the first social event of the year apart from Frosh, which is reserved for first-year students. For upper year students, it is a long-awaited reunion and a chance to see familiar faces, while for first years it is an opportunity to settle into their new school community.
Some students, however, found OAP to be a less than ideal setting to meet new people. Addy Crocksen, U1 Arts and Science, is more hopeful for next year’s OAP.
“I don’t know a lot of people at this school, so I found it intimidating in that setting to be meeting people because a lot of people already knew each other and were in their own groups. I feel like I would have had a lot more fun in second or third year,” Crocksen said.
The buzz around OAP brings with it a line that stretches far around the perimeter of the fences. Three girls standing towards the middle of the line reported that they had been in the queue for an hour and a half. When asked what their hopes were for the event, they laughed and admitted that they would be happy just being allowed in after waiting so long in line.
Those who attended OAP in past years generally complemented its attention to sustainability and consistent high-quality music, though they also offered some improvements. The advertising of OAP as a daytime festival, for some, means that the organizers prioritize music to the detriment of offering other activities such as games or sports to keep crowds occupied.
OAP is an event that reflects the energy it receives. It is an epicentre of both beginning-of-year reunions and first-time introductions; it offers the choice of casual daytime music-listening or more energetic DJ-centric dancing; it can function as the event of the evening or as a preface to a later night out. But above all, OAP nurtures the essential Montreal fusion of community and entertainment, offering good food, drink, music, and socializing in a way that is casual, stylish, and wonderfully seamless.
