Cafe Dekcuf / Mavericks
221 Rideau St, Ottawa
Located in downtown Ottawa, Cafe Dekcuf and Mavericks are staples of the capital’s underground music scene. Housing two venues in one building allows the space to book multiple shows each night, with an emphasis on heavy music.
Patrons have remarked that the spaces are a bit sparse in terms of decor, but people continue to pack the venues every night because of the high quality shows that happen here. Lineups have included bigger touring acts such as Dayglo Abortions, Brujeria, Cryptopsy, The Faceless, Arsis, Revocation, Escape The Fate, The Acacia Strain, Black Tusk and more, but you’re also just as likely to be able to catch up-and-coming bands from around Canada.
Cafe Dekcuf is a small but cozy room and bar located in the upstairs section of the building, known for its friendly staff, great sound quality and an intimate capacity of 150. The venue puts in a lot of effort to host fresh faced bands within the genre for a reasonable price.
Housed in the downstairs part of the building, Mavericks offers performers a slightly larger space than Dekcuf and brings in a wider range of artists. This room hosts a weekly reggae night every Thursday night and has previously held comedy events, dance parties, burlesque and more.