By Josh Hughes
As campus begins to settle in to the new school year, it’s always a good time to find a new, relaxing study spot. The Underground Coffeehouse, located on the third floor of the Viking Union, offers a combination of live performances, great coffee and food, and plenty of seating that looks out at the Bellingham Bay; a perfect place to relax, work on homework, or listen to local music.
While students rather quickly catch on to the good atmosphere of the Underground, it’s easy to overlook all the events that take place there throughout the year. You can show up at almost any given evening and find something interesting happening at the Coffeehouse. Whether it’s a full concert from a local band, an open mic event, or a club meeting, it’s an easy place to get involved on campus and find a community of artists.
For starters, every Wednesday night of the quarter, unless otherwise noted, the Underground hosts free concerts at 8 p.m. that tend to fill up all the seats in the house. Back in its earlier days, Death Cab For Cutie got their start playing small shows at the Underground, and Bellingham is still home to an abundance of talented young musicians. Ranging from bluegrass to hip-hop to psych rock, the Underground always manages to get exciting, interesting shows each quarter.
On Tuesdays, the Underground always hosts open mic events, where anyone can come in at 6:30 p.m. and sign up for the 7 p.m. show. If you plan to perform, get in line early to sign up. The slots fill up fast.
Acts at open mic range from stand up comedy to full band performances with everything in between. A typical open mic night brings eclectic styles together and gives students an easy way to perform for an audience.
In addition to the regularly scheduled open mic shows, the Underground leaves room for special events on Monday nights, which often entail poetry open mic events, as well as one-off events such as jam sessions or trivia nights. Similarly, on Thursdays, they put on AS Club Nights, where any club can host an event in the space for the evening. On some Thursdays, there are specifically comedy-tailored open mic shows.
If anyone has any booking inquiries for the venue, they can email AS.coffeehouse@wwu.edu for more information. It’s September now, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved with the Underground this quarter, whether that means drinking coffee at a cozy place between classes or performing your new folktronica song live.
