I had fun at Cafe Wha?

I had fun at Cafe Wha?

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov302008/sundayherald20081129103606.asp

Thomas Zacharias
11/30/2008

Cafe Wha? may still have some kind of a reminiscence effect from its
historic performances and guest appearances in the past.

Finding the right bar or club to go to and have a great time is
seemingly difficult, even in New York City. For example, there's the
typical college student's bar filled with people constantly falling
and spilling drinks all night and loud mundane music playing in the
foreground. There's also the classy expensive bar where one is
expected to maintain an illogical level of decorum within the
constraints specified. Not to forget the gentleman's bar which might
sound appealing to 'gentlemen' but is definitely not for an Indian
born-and-raised with a shallow wallet to spare. Then there's the
occasional miracle pub you come across. A place with some sort of a
character; one where people actually seem to be having a great time.

I decided that I had to find myself one such place built around and
for the appreciation of good music. To those of you who know the
history behind Cafe Wha?, the place is more than just a great party
spot; it is a legendary iconic establishment. Most 60s rock music
aficionados all over the world know the real relevance of this New
York city club. Being a hardcore classic rock fan myself and a
temporary resident of Manhattan, I made my way there to experience it
first hand.

Located in the heart of Greenwich village in Manhattan just a couple
of blocks away from Washington Square Park, Cafe Wha? at first glance
seems not too different from other clubs in its NYU neighbourhood.
Music enthusiasts, however, have been frequenting this institution of
sorts ever since the 1950s when it started out as a venue for live
bands to perform. Today, this cult of a club has three different acts
performing during the course of the week with occasional comedians
entertaining the early birds.

Perhaps the most notable claim to fame for Cafe Wha? is that it was
the original stomping ground for several very famous musicians and
comedians especially during the revolutionary Beatnik era of the
1960s. Legendary performers like Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Kool and
the Gang and Bruce Springsteen all began their careers here. So did
outstanding comedians, including Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby
and Richard Pryor. Cafe Wha? was also frequented by Allen Ginsberg,
the famous American poet and activist who fought for gay rights and
legalisation of marijuana.

Having grown up with an addiction to great music, I had always
wondered whether such a place really existed. I eventually made my
way to Cafe Wha? one Friday night with tremendous zeal and
enthusiasm. A flight of stairs down led me to the arena where history
was written and continues to be. Weekend nights usually have the Cafe
Wha? band perform and it got pretty crowded by the time the band
started playing. I was crammed into my table with five strangers (who
I eventually became buddies with) and the rest, as they say, is history.

The band played a mixture of classic rock, R&B, Reggae and Funk made
possible through the diversity in talent of its nine members. The
sheer energy that the band vibrates through its music resonates
through every individual in the crowd. Whether it was a song by The
Beatles, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Led Zeppelin or even the
club's theme song, "I had fun at the Cafe Wha?", everyone found
themselves either singing along or dancing ecstatically.

In those few hours of sheer exhilaration, I felt transported back
into time to the days when rock music had a bigger and more genuine
following. It seemed to me at that instant that the rest of the crowd
shared a similar perception.

Cafe Wha? may still have some kind of a reminiscence effect from its
historic performances and guest appearances in the past. But what
made my night at Cafe Wha? memorable was because it let me as a rock
music lover spend an unpretentious evening singing and dancing
without a care in the world. It was raining heavily that night and I
walked back home at about 2 am slowly taking it all in and completely
oblivious to how drenched I really was. After a fun night of drinking
plenty with strangers and dancing away to my favourite tunes, I woke
up the next morning asking myself, "Who? When? Where? Cafe Wha?!"

.