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Notes from the Road
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date: Feb 18, 2000
locale: Columbia University, NYC
In many ways, the folk music revival started here - not just
in the college coffeehouses around the country, but specifically
here, in the basement of St. Paul's Chapel on the Columbia University
campus. One of the longest continually running coffeehouses, The
Postcrypt keeps
its caché as one of the great listening rooms. David
Bromberg and Jerry Jeff Walker played there in the 60s and groups
like the Five Chinese Brothers made their start there, gaining
a huge and loyal following. The Postcrypt is completely acoustic
- no mics. And the sound in this subterranean stone crypt is terrific.
Anywhere in the audience you can hear a whisper from the stage
or the soft fingerpicking of a ballad.
Nowadays, The Postcrypt is a haven for singersongwriters who just want to have an audience in NYC. The nice thing about the Postcrypt is that, barring bad weather, a school vacation, or other hard circumstances, a smart, enthusiastic crowd is nearly guaranteed. The downside is that it barely pays the gas money. This makes it ideal for up and coming writers and old local folkies who don't play music as a career. And for pros who simply love the room and feel a fierce loyalty to it.
On a recent night, I was on a bill here with relative newcomer Kyle Shiver and old-hand Andy Polon. Every table has a candle in a bottle, and the cast-iron chandeliers above the audience also run on candle-power, giving the whole thing a medieval feel. Normally the cafe is full from 9pm till midnight, but on slow nights the crowd begins to grow around 11pm. Students who have finished studying, couples on dates who find themselves wandering Upper Broadway after a late dinner or early movie, singles whose dates have ended at an awkwardly early hour, all find their way down the steep stairwell to hear something you can't hear anywhere else in New York. Songs.
Kyle Shiver at the Postcrypt.
The only other venues that really focus on folk/acoustic music in New York City are well-hidden rooms like the Sun Music Company on 71st St. and the People's Voice Cafe in Washington Square - and at these venues you really have to bring your own crowd. Other venues like the Living Room and The Fez and the Mercury Lounge generally present the urban/young/"hip"/folk-rock end of the music spectrum when they dip into folk at all. They are also smoking environments in the SoHo/East Village neighborhood where many folk fans simply do not go. Of course the Bottom Line is a huge club presenting exclusively national touring acts.
The Postcrypt stands among a handfull of really well run college venues of its kind. The college coffeehouse tradition is generally spotty these days. Many of them are run by Student Government functionaries who go to NACA Conferences (National Association of College Activities boards, I think) and generally hire overpriced entertainers with slick presskits. Student turnout is usually low. I've played to half a dozen RA's in a closed Student Center snackbar on more than one occasion.
But some college coffeehouses are fantastic. Ideally, as at St. Lawrence University and SUNY Fredonia, students are in charge, learning about the folk scene and educating the student body. They have a long-standing tradition of hiring the best new songwriters and generate a high level of undergraduate involvement and attendance. They are also open to the public, creating a cross-generational understanding. Some of the best that I know of are in New York - and they have great websites:
The Postcrypt,
Columbia U.
The
Unicorn, SUNY Fredonia
St. Lawrence University
Hamilton
College
If you have other votes, let me know.
Andy Polon, one-time student of the Rev. Gary Davis, digs the
chance to lay some classic blues licks on a new generation of
listeners.
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
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