Drinks and conversations flowed last weekend at the Queen’s Pub.
The Queen’s Pub (QP) celebrated its grand reopening on Sept. 19. The celebration’s centrepiece was a performance from DJ Slim, who students may know from his often sold-out “And Then There Was House” series at Trinity Social. He delivered a relaxed set that perfectly set the tone for the semester.
This style was perfect for QP’s event, explained Head Manager Greyson Martyn, Sci ’25. “Slim’s been wanting to do a lounge set, and I thought he did a really great job of fitting the vibe. It almost felt like a speakeasy,” Martin said in an interview with The Journal.
DJ Slim said his focus was on QP’s audience. “[The] vibe I was aiming for was to set the mood and create a positive atmosphere without having people too overwhelmed by the music,” DJ Slim said in a written statement to The Journal.
Slim’s set consisted of chill electronic-pop beats seamlessly blended as a backdrop for pub food and dinner discussions. Slim read the room well, keeping the energy alive without playing anything too loud or distracting, allowing everyone to enjoy the music and their own conversations at the same time.
Audience members seemed to feel the same, nodding their heads along to the music while engaging in their own interactions. Martin also praised Slim’s work. “He’s a great guy, a really talented DJ who’s put a lot of hard work into his music career,” Martyn said. “Hearing that he wanted to try out a live set, I thought this was the perfect vibe for him.”
Slim felt positively about the experience. “The Queen’s Pub crowd was great; everyone was very open to different music styles. I had a bunch of people come up at the end to say thank you and compliment the music, which is always great to hear,” he said.
QP, which closed in 2019 during renovations on the JDUC, has long been a student gathering place. For Martyn, live music like Slim’s set is central to restoring the pub’s identity. “We’re a student-run business, and we want to promote student artists as much as possible,” he said. “Eventually, we really want to have other live artists here. Live music is something I personally am such a big fan of and a big advocate for.”
If it maintains the positive energy from Friday night, QP is likely to become a Queen’s staple for live music. After DJ Slim’s set at the grand reopening, the pub is already on its way to becoming a student favourite once again.
Tags
Arts, DJ, DJ Slim, House Music, Music, Queen's Pub
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