La Catedral

Thanks to a certain other blogger, I now know La Catedral. I was told that I would either love it or hate it. I was told that it’s the opposite of Club Español. I was told that it was…. different. He was right on all counts. I loved it.

The structure of the venue reminds me of one of the industrial buildings in the SoDo area of Seattle. Very spacious, imperfect, with a wooden ceiling. Apparently when it rains, you can get leaked on. The decor reminds me of my best friend Alexia’s house at Halloween. On one end of the room, there is what’s supposed to be a big human heart hanging from the ceiling. Along the walls are all sorts of macabre decorations, crosses, mummies, coffins, that sort of stuff. The lighting is very dim, with a few spotlights on the dance floor, and there are shabby but comfortable couches.

A skinny little cat has made her home here. She has no problem walking into the middle of the dance floor while people are dancing. She minds the crowd and doesn’t seem to get under anybody’s feet. I saw her in the women’s bathroom (maybe that’s why I’ve decided she’s a girl), eying the sinks with thirst. She jumped up and got into one sink. “Do you want some water?” I said in my “cat voice”, as I turned on the faucet slightly. As the water trickled out, the cat drank and drank. It was all I could do not to take her home.

There were some performances, a singer with a guitarist, and later an incredible solo dancer, so flexible that he was possibly made of rubber, who danced a hip-hop number infused with tango. His dancing was beautiful. Full of soul. I was sad that he only danced one song. I could have watched him all night. It was amazing. I could feel his heart, and I was fascinated at his physical ability.

The music for dancing was very nice and traditional, but we were bummed that they weren’t playing any vals or milonga, just tango. The change in rhythm would have been welcome. The dance floor itself was tough, not smooth or very even, but Tanguillo is a lovely dancer and it soon became easier to relax.

I liked this place. It was very different, very laid back, very cool, not all Tango dancers, a lot of people hanging out. The vibe was very relaxed and unpretentious. I’d go back - with friends of course. It’s not the place to go if you’re looking for a milonga with codes. This is more of a hang-out kind of spot.

I’m glad I’m here.