Dragon Jam: When music gives back
The Chinatown studio brings together artists of all levels in a space designed for connection
Arthur Kalimidis sits at the end of a black leather couch at Dragon Jam, a can of Sprite in hand. He looks right at home in the rehearsal studio that he founded, surrounded by his instruments, pedals and amps.
Kalimidis opened Dragon Jam in January 2026. Located in Chinatown, the studio serves as a rehearsal space for bands and a venue for intimate performances. Its downtown location, close to bars and restaurants, gives musicians a rare central place to rehearse and play.
The idea to create a space like this had been sitting with Kalimidis for a few years. At the end of last year, an opportunity came up that suddenly made his dream seem like a real possibility.
“No one gets into it for the money,” Kalimidis laughs. “I told myself if I break even for six months, I’m happy.”
Surpassing his expectations, the studio has proven successful, with artists booking the space from early morning to late at night. At a time when the cost of living is rising and pursuing music isn’t guaranteed to be profitable, Dragon Jam is a passion project brought to life.
Years in the making
Originally from Alberta, Kalimidis moved to Montreal with his family at the age of three.
His relationship with music began in his teenage years, when his brothers taught him how to play guitar. For him, it quickly became more than a hobby.
“If I had a bad day, I’d write songs,” Kalimidis says. “It was a healthy way to express myself and have something to do that was better than going out, drinking and getting in trouble.”
That creative outlet grew into something more serious as he continued playing through his late teens and early adulthood. While studying in CEGEP and university, he began experimenting with singing and songwriting.
“This is kind of cheesy, but I auditioned for Canadian Idol,” he says. “I made it to the top 20 and I thought ‘Oh, maybe I could sing,’ and so I started singing more.”
During that period, Kalimidis also played in various bands. Looking back, he recalls always being the “entrepreneurial” one, booking the shows for his bands and arranging to play alongside other well-known artists.
That experience led him to Concordia University, where he studied marketing. He balanced school with music and took six years to finish his bachelor’s degree.
“I figured marketing would be cool because it would be applicable to all the things I was always interested in doing,” he says.
Kalimidis continued making and playing music after he graduated. However, his passion was put on pause for nearly a decade while he worked as an event planner, organizing concerts across the country.
“I had the itch to start playing again,” he says. “I think that those eight to 10 years when I was organizing concerts for a living, I was living vicariously through them [the other artists] and probably deep down, I just wanted to play.”
Kalimidis has now returned to form, performing across the city in a cover band called The SINdicate, while simultaneously running his rehearsal studio business.
That’s kind of why I did it, because I like being around music and art. — Arthur Kalimidis
Building Dragon Jam
Dragon Jam was not built in a day, and bringing the space to life came with a few challenges.
Kalimidis says that finding a space proved to be a major setback, namely due to his difficulty in finding a building that allows for loud noises. Eventually, he came across a building in Chinatown that seemed to check off all his boxes.
“I found this place and it was kind of an opportunity to do what I wanted to do for a long time,” he says.
Dragon Jam operates out of the Chinese Community and Cultural Centre of Montreal. It sits sandwiched between soundproofed studios in the basement and a venue rental hall on the above floor.
The studio is used by a wide range of clients, from students at nearby schools to established musicians.
Glen Robinson and Taylor McCluskey perform in a band together and are friends of Kalimidis. They have worked together for the past seven years, co-promoting and running events around the city.
“Arthur has been super important and influential,” McCluskey says. “So when he opened up his studio, he asked us to come in to play and give him our take.”
Robinson, who was the chief engineer at Le Studio Morin-Heights, has worked with artists like Keith Richards and David Bowie. His past professional experience has shaped his expectations of recording and rehearsal studios.
“I lived in New York City for 12 years, working in some of the best studios in the city,” Robinson says. “Taylor just came back from recording at Abbey Road Studios. You know, we’re just spoiled, so our standards are pretty high.”
Despite this, Robinson and McCluskey say they enjoy performing at Dragon Jam and supporting their friend at the same time.
“Arthur is here, and he’s moving lights, he’s really accommodating and he’s a wonderful human being,” Robinson says. “I’ve worked with him personally in the past on many events, so obviously we want to collaborate and work with people we know and have a relationship with.”
Looking forward
Kalimidis said he already has plans for what comes next.
One goal is to introduce an automated video production service that would let artists produce audio and video content without the need to hire a separate team. He also hopes that Dragon Jam can have a long-lasting impact on Montreal’s constantly evolving nightlife.
“I’d love to expand the venue and have it be a landmark thing in the city,” Kalimidis says.
More than anything, he wants Dragon Jam to be a place where artists can connect.
“I’d love to run events that I’m producing where I book a bunch of artists that I really love,” he says. “I think it would be really fun for this to be a platform for a lot of artists that I believe in.”
The studio has already begun to do just that.
“Every week there’s a couple artists coming through that are gems,” he says. “They’ll rehearse here and end up doing a show in the venue and that’s fun. That’s kind of why I did it, because I like being around music and art.”
When asked about his favourite part of running the space, his answer is simple.
“It’s the people you meet, the artists that come through, all the different characters,” Kalimidis says. “That’s the best part.”
