Cafes cook up tunes, too, at these downtown music venues

One of the hardest things about the New York City music scene is that it is so diverse that it is difficult to find any sort of comprehensive resource covering all it has to offer. Therefore, students must do a lot of the legwork to know which venues play the music they like, which venues make them feel like they may catch a disease upon entering, and perhaps most importantly, which venues are under-21. There is nothing worse than hearing about a cool hall or cafe from a friend and then going to check it out on a Friday night, only to find out that you don’t meet the age requirement.

This week, I’m highlighting three “cafes” that aren’t very well known, but which are under-21 and worth recommending to friends. After all, what’s better than eating at a concert?

Two blocks from Washington Square Park in the heart of the Village is Cafe Wha?. Though the location itself is not the original, this venue has a rich history­—the cafe boasts a past lineup of musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Kool and the Gang, and Bruce Springsteen. It was also a favorite of Woody Allen back in his musician days. Nowadays, the place is always packed with hipsters and NYU students, but don’t let that be a deterrent: The music is as good as ever.

Down on E. 35th Street every Saturday, the Peoples’ Voice Cafe, a self-described “alternative coffeehouse,” puts on incredible shows. While the suggested donation is usually around $15, no one is turned away for not being able to pay. There is always music at the shows, but there is also usually some other form of performance art incorporated into the show, like poetry, dance, or even puppetry. The audience is incredibly friendly and feels almost like a family, there to welcome you into their home.

Caffe Vivaldi, located downtown, is also a great intimate venue. The management strictly filters the musicians and sets to make sure only the best play, and they work hard to make sure the atmosphere of the little eatery is always just right. The crowd is generally a mix of people who are there for the food and pleasantly surprised by the bands, and people who are there for the bands and pleasantly surprised by the food. (And the ravioli is delicious.)

While cafes are great venues for many reasons, there are definitely some drawbacks, too. There is almost never a cover to get in, as they expect you to buy food. But that means that they really expect you to buy food. For example, while Columbians may get to see a great new up-and-coming NYC band at Caffe Vivaldi while munching on their incredible shiitake mushroom ravioli, between the plate of food and the drink on the table, not to mention tip, they could have instead been looking at a $20 ticket to a better-known band at a larger venue like Terminal 5.