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By DEREK WALSH
Staff Writer

One of the really good places in Winnipeg to catch some great live music is at the Osborne Village Inn, right in the middle of the area known as Osborne Village.

This part of Winnipeg comes alive at night. During the summer there are some many different kinds of people walking around, there is always someone interesting to talk, watch or… avoid.

This area of Winnipeg breeds weirdness, perfect fit for a place like The Zoo and Ozzies Bar and Nightclub.

Upstairs we have The Zoo.

There is nothing fancy about this place, some pool tables, chairs and tables and a couple of stages. The Zoo has a capacity of just fewer than 400 and assaults the eardrums with sound system pushing 14000 watts in front and another 5,000 on the stage; you can literally feel the music.

This place caters to both up and coming acts and bands that have spent their entire lives on the road and it doesn’t matter whether they’re local, national, or international. The management is always on the look out for all kinds of artists, the genre doesn’t matter although rock and metal are the life-blood of this beast.

One of the best shows I have ever seen were local boys Dreadnaut (go see them if you like the heavy stuff). Being a smaller venue the energy level is insane when a band like that tears through a set literally right in your face. This particular evening as I walked into the washroom a guy stopped me just as I entered and whispered “Don’t use the far stall, there’s a timber wolf in there”.

This is the kind of thing you come to expect when you spend a night at “The Zoo”, no not timber wolves in bathroom stalls. Interesting people. Although I didn’t bother checking the stall because you just never know, maybe the timber wolf really had to go.

Some other acts that have stopped by are DOA, Drowning Pool, Gob, Inward Eye, Jesus Lizard, Reverend Horton Heat, SNFU, The Trews, and local hero’s The Guess Who just to name very few.

Downstairs the fun continues at “Ozzies”.

Every night is different here. Wet t-shirt contests on Wednesdays, to dance parties on Thursdays, 80’s night on Friday, it covers all the bases.

Every six weeks or so Ozzies hosts a little get together called “The Black and Blue Ball”. If you happen to be into domination, submission, swinger, cross-dresser, Goth or just enjoy walking around naked at a bar (and who doesn’t) this is your night to shine. (Remember people, Vaseline makes you shiny)

But be warned there is a thirty dollar cover charge if you don’t want to dress up. Besides if you don’t dress up, YOU will be the weirdo. Come on, grab that latex outfit you’ve had hanging in your closet gathering dust and come on down.

So if you’re ever in Winnipeg stop by, I promise you a story you probably won’t want to tell your grandkids.

If you would like to see what’s coming up at The Zoo or Ozzies just go to their Myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/osbornevillageinnofficial