Coffee and Show – The Battalion

Every second Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the relaxation area in front of the Innovative Learning Classroom Building (ILCB) is transformed into a café.

This space hosts a free event called “Coffeehouse” where student artists can perform in front of an audience as part of the MSC Town Hall Student Artist Concert Series.

In recent weeks, the Coffeehouse has hosted returning artists and new students looking for a community to share their craft with, said Jillian Weeks, communications director and vice president of MSC Town Hall.

“We get original songs and covers – lots of different genres, sometimes groups, but usually solo artists,” Weeks said.

Country singer Lyle Lovett created the original version of Coffeehouse during his time as an A&M student. Originally called the Basement Committee, it began as an open mic and poetry reading organization that met at Rumors Deli, a restaurant in the Memorial Student Center, before the building was remodeled.

“At some point they merged the Basement Committee with the MSC Town Hall and it became Coffeehouse,” Weeks said.

The group offers free coffee and snacks, as well as entertainment. Iced coffee is offered in the warmer months.

“That’s what makes Coffeehouse unique,” ​​Weeks said. “It’s not just artists, it’s also a place where people hang out.”

Nathan Snyder, a freshman general mechanical engineering major, experienced Coffeehouse for the first time on Oct. 3. He said he saw free music and free coffee so he had to stop by.

“It’s a great opportunity for musicians who haven’t had much of a chance to get out there,” Snyder said. “It’s a great start for them.”

Blessing Inyi, a freshman animal science major, said she watched the event from a distance but didn’t stop by until Oct. 3.

“I really like how they created the atmosphere of a real coffee house,” Inyi said. “You listen to music, but you also get to see other people talking and hanging out — and I just think it’s really cool that they made it available.”

A link tree on MSC Town Hall’s Instagram page, @msctownhall, points to Coffeehouse’s interest form, where artists can apply with a video introducing their offering.

“The purpose is to bring entertainment to Aggieland – which is our goal as a committee as a whole,” Weeks said. “This event provides a platform, especially for smaller artists, giving them a starting point, a place to perform and a place to show what they do.”