Postsecret
exploring columbia’s unmapped music venue
On Saturday nights, while some students can be found roaming frat row or bar hopping in Brooklyn, others are going to church. St. Paul’s Chapel, to be exact.
Every Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight, a humble yet charming room in the basement of Columbia’s St. Paul’s Chapel is bustling. Postcrypt Coffeehouse, an acoustic performance venue that features mostly local musicians, opens its doors on weekends to students and locals looking for good music and good company.
“Postcrypt gets a great mix of musicians, we have all these local guys who’ve been playing the ’crypt for decades sharing our stage with kids coming up from Brooklyn with their harmonicas,” says Nellie Bowles, CC ’10, booking manager of Postcrypt Coffeehouse.
Postcrypt is run by a student club of the same name. Founded in 1964, members of the club run all aspects of the coffeehouse, from booking the musicians to selling the beverages on the night of the performances.
The vibe of Postcrypt is decidedly low-key, with a room capacity of just 30. Julie Raskin, CC ’08, a volunteer with Postcrypt for three years, says it is precisely Postcrypt’s mellow mood that makes the place so unique.
“It feels very homey,” she says. Raskin, who transferred to Columbia as a sophomore from Haverford College, was attracted to Postcrypt for the comfort it provided in her transition to a new school.
“Columbia felt really overwhelming, and [at Postcrypt] it always feels like coming home.”
Contributing to Postcrypt’s coziness are its walls of unpolished stone and the 10 charmingly aged wooden tables and chairs that are scattered about the rectangular room.
“It doesn’t feel like I am at Columbia. It makes me feel like I’m in a cellar in Paris or something,” Victorine Lamothe, BC ’11, says of the place in between sets last Saturday.
Lighting is kept to a minimum at Postcrypt. Dim Christmas lights line the wall that features the wooden “box” that is Postcrypt’s unimposing stage.
“The stage is small, so it’s a good place to play because it is so intimate, and the acoustics are great,” says Ellen Kessel, CC ’09, Postcrypt co-president.
The shows are completely free of charge, and Postcrypt sells refreshments for relatively low prices. Its major sales are beer (one of which is organic) priced at $4 and coffee that sells for just a buck. But, in true folksy fashion, Postcrypt also offers cheap homemade brownies and hot apple cider bought from the farmer’s market. Postcrypt enthusiasts are aware of one other major food draw.
“It’s a cheap and chill place to hang out, and importantly, there is always free popcorn,” Kessel says.
Income from refreshment sales helps fund the musicians, who get paid $50 for playing about an hour-long set. Aside from the money, however, the Columbia space is attractive to the musicians who play there for its uniquely laid-back approach.
“Everything I heard about it was that it was warm and welcoming. And after being here, I see that it has a nice vibe,” says Jason Wilder Evans, whose first performance at Postcrypt was this past Saturday night.
“I e-mailed and e-mailed, and after a while finally got a response,” Evans says.
The lag in response time is not a product of Postcrypt’s disorganization. Instead, Postcrypt get hundreds of booking requests per month. Bowles goes through the varied group and decides who plays, but said she is particularly interested in featuring more student performers.
“Coming up this semester, we’ve got three of my absolute favorite Columbia performers, Ginia Sweeney, Reni Laine, and the Kitchen Cabinet, each sure to make for good times. I’m also looking for more student performers to play our final months,” Bowles says.
With over 40 years of performances, Postcrypt has played host to a fair share of talents. Ani Difranco, Jeff Buckley, Lisa Loeb, and Dar Williams have all graced Postcrypt’s stage, and every year the renowned jazz musician Suzanne Vega plays a secret show.
“The place is always really packed when she comes,” Kessel says. “People hear about it from word of mouth.”\\\