At a time when the Memorial Union had a bowling alley and held mocktail drink fests, 193 Degrees Coffeehouse was establishing their presence on campus.
After being founded in 1994 by former URI student Adam Naftalin, the Coffeehouse quickly became a center for students to gather and hold events. Their present-day open-mic nights are one main example of how the student-run coffee shop continues to honor tradition and attract a tight-knit community.
On a biweekly basis, students walk into the nighttime venue and have the choice of signing up to perform or to support their friends.
“It’s more of a sacred study space where people come and socialize, but then at night it turns into a venue,” said Fin Maloney, an employee at 193 Coffeehouse.
This tradition has been ongoing for over a decade now, according to William Frederick Beazley, another employee at 193. Archival pictures show students singing karaoke in front of the Coffeehouse’s blue fireplace in 2000.
After hosting these open-mics on Thursdays, 193 Coffeehouse has now decided to switch them to Wednesdays to accommodate the students in the Musician’s Guild on campus to attend.
“We want as many people, musicians, to be able to come,” Maloney said.
Performers and audience-members express their interest in the atmosphere as a whole, gravitating toward a space that has stressed the importance of community since 1994.
“It’s nice because a lot of the time you’ll get the same people doing the same sort of stuff, so you get to look forward to that and see how they grow,” Maloney said.
With a space that has been passed down for generations, decorated with art and pictures from those who came before, the students running the coffee shop preserve the energy from its establishment.
Fourth-year student Leah Popovic began performing at 193 Coffeehouse’s open-mic events last spring, after considering doing so and pushing through their nerves after two years.
“Once I sat up there and looked at everyone, it was the most comforting community and I felt really comfortable,” Popovic said. “At the very first moment, they make it so inclusive and they make sure that everyone knows that whatever they create should be heard on stage.”
They stressed that while the idea of performing in front of a large group may seem intimidating, the Coffeehouse fosters a welcoming environment for anybody where it doesn’t seem scary at all.
“Everyone up there is nervous whether it’s their first time or their fifth time, like me, but it always feels great afterwards because everyone always applauds and makes you feel happy with your performance,” Popovic said.
The open-mic events hosted by 193 welcome anybody wishing to return to the stage or try it out for the first time.
193 Coffeehouse will be hosting a concert event on Thursday where bands Appala’s Eclipse and 8th Grade Slow Dance will be performing at 7 p.m.. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and anybody is welcome.