OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 17, 2009 · 26 Artscene By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE Less than Level seeks to fill musical void Live entertainment the foundation for mother-son operated club Nightlife of the rhythmic variety is a crescendo building on Kerr Street. The cornerstone venue is called Less Than Level, a live entertainment club created by Stephanie Joseph and her son John, 27. It's filling a void previously lacking in town. Prior to embarking on their business venture, the duo's market research revealed that residents craved a music-filled outing but had to head out of town for such social time. When Joseph and her son saw the stage in Less Than Level, they "fell in love with the place," she said. The 3,500 square-foot club is complemented with leather lounge chairs, pool tables, arcade games, dartboards and, of course, a dance floor. Club a hidden treasure After extensive renovations to the incarnated basement grotto, located at 381 Kerr Street (at Speers), Less Than Level has become a groovin' hotspot, said Joseph. Business has doubled since the lounge opened nine months ago. "But we still get people walking in who didn't even know we were here," said Joseph. Ironically, Less Than Level's relative obscurity is deemed an asset, rather than a detraction. This current seemingly secret, hard-to-find venue creates intrigue and gives it an edge, said Joseph. Live music four nights a week What started with live bands only on Friday has now expanded to Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a variety of rock, jazz and NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER blues sounds. SING US A SONG, PIANOMAN: Michael Keys performs while Less than Level owners John and Stephanie "We're trying to catch everyone in Joseph look on. Less than Level, located at 381 Kerr St., has increased its live music performances to four nights a different age groups, anyone who week, Thursday through Sunday. Stephanie Joseph said the 3,500 square-foot club has doubled its business since wants to hear live music from estabopening nine months ago. lished performers to untapped ones," said Joseph. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER CHEERS: John and Stephanie Joseph stand in front of the stage that sold them on the Kerr Street location for Less than Level as Michael Keys (piano) and Bruno Farr (drums) perform. With help from a seasoned musician, the Josephs have been searching out bands and disc jockeys for its locally-spun weekend concerts and now demo CDs are coming their way, as interest in playing at the venue builds. John comes from a hotel management background, experience that was garnered after he graduated from the program at George Brown College. He is the hands-on manager who also does the cooking on site. Less Than Level has an extensive menu of handmade burgers, pizza, wings and appetizers. Stephanie also has experience in the hospitality field but is currently a registered practical nurse, who flies to remote communities in northern Ontario every other month. As well as revitalizing and adding to the eclectic scene of Kerr Street, Less Than Level "has the potential to be the Queen Street of Toronto," said Joseph. For a list of scheduled performers, log on to www.lessthanlevel.ca.