The 193 Coffeehouse, located in the Memorial Union at the University of Rhode Island, held their biweekly free open mic night for students on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Students gathered in the eccentric haven-like coffeehouse to watch peers and local groups perform original songs, covers, poetry and more.
The majority of 193 Coffeehouse events are based around live music, according to fourth-year Allie Iaciofano, an events coordinator for 193 Coffeehouse. These events include band nights and open mic nights.
“Music kind of just brings people together from all walks of life,” Iaciofanio said.
Open mic nights help build the URI community, according to Iaciofanio. Events at 193 allow students to hear music they have never heard before and meet new people.
“Finding the people that have the same interests as you and who have the same vibe,” Iaciofanio said. “We hold these events for people who like the company of others and also like hearing live music.”
All events are free at 193. The atmosphere was created so students and others can come to relax on a Thursday, maybe after a long hectic day of classes, according to Iaciofanio.
“Everybody here is so encouraging, that is the kind of atmosphere we are trying to bring,” Iaciofanio said.
Local band Marble House performed several songs, one being an original called “Tired of Being Lonely.” The Rhode Island based band will be performing in an event for Palestine at Rhode Island College on Oct. 11.
Fourth-year Meera Raphael performed original songs from her most recent album, “Bloody Murder in a Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The whimsical folk artist sang about lunar phases and deep experiences. “Shadow Side” was the first song performed by Raphael and captivated the audience. Raphael will be performing at 193 Coffeehouse again on Halloween, performing the newly released album that can be found on Spotify.
“We really like to foster the idea that this is for anybody,” Iaciofanio stated. “We have seasoned musicians who come and do these regularly, but we also encourage anybody to do what they want to, even if it is their first time doing it.”
Many students performed covers from recent artists including Chappell Roan and Mitski. 193 also allows originals to be performed surrounded by the support of peers. The crowd that gathers in 193 can be seen waving flashlights during well-loved songs, like “Letter to an Old Poet” by Phoebe Bridgers.
Second-year Ewan Nosovskiy-Stambler performed classics from 1978 and 1994, “Roxanne” by the Police and “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal. The classics encouraged crowd interaction, participating in the chorus of “Roxanne.”
“I heard there was an open mic happening and I was like, ‘oh I got to go,’ because why not?” Stambler said. “Someone like me, and others, are relatively underground so this is a good way for us to come out and get exposure.”
The open mic nights held at 193 allow creativity to flow in a safe environment, according to Iacifanio.
“I want to connect with [people] over the love of music, because I think music is something anyone, universally, can connect with,” Stambler said.
Getting to play music for other people is all in good fun, according to Stambler. Every Thursday, local bands and artists share their art with the URI community, opening the floor for emerging artists to perform.