Coffee shop expanding outreach with nightly music

By Kristina Chiapella

Down The Alameda off the southwest corner of campus, Mission City Coffee Roasting Co. may be the perfect spot for a new local nightlife venue.

While the artsy atmosphere and tantalizing scent of roasting coffee beans have given Mission City the reputation of a prime spot to pick up your morning cup of joe, some recent changes being made are sure to turn it into something more than just your average local cafe.

Stephen Michael, concept creator and live record producer, first had the idea of turning Mission City into a live music venue.

After discussion with and gaining support from Mission City's owner Jae Koo, Michael began the project of bringing music to Mission City, with the goal of catering to acoustic musicians.

"This is about a great listening room for acoustic music," says Michael about what inspired the idea. "The room has been recently renovated and has already been booked from now through December."

By taking this new approach, Mission City hopes to respond to and satisfy local interest by providing a comfortable environment along with music that is appropriate for all ages.

From its high ceilings and well-worn black leather couches down to the paint-splattered concrete floor, Mission City is just the right place for this project that began in March.

Renovations to the building have included taking out posts to completely open up the back room and adding a stage in front of the far wall.

Plans involve a regular schedule of open mike nights, which take place every Wednesday and Thursday, in order to provide a showcase for local talent.

Also on the agenda is the featuring of more well-known bands, such as Ian McFeron from Seattle who performed on October 13 and Jason Turtle of San Diego who will be performing on October 20 at 8 p.m.

For local and on-campus bands, Michael mentioned that there is a constant need for singers and songwriters to perform.

Also being offered is "Sundays at Seven," which is a weekly open mike poetry night.

While most of the music shows are free, occasionally some will be ticketed.

In this case, Santa Clara students have the convenient option of paying for their ticket with Access card Flex money.

The variety of music shows offers a unique opportunity for students to get their live music fix while enjoying the coffee-infused ambiance of Mission City, or as it has been nicknamed, "The Mission."

In the early stages, there is already something going on almost every night of the week.

Mission City offers free Wi-Fi Internet services, so for those bogged down with homework, this could be an opportunity to enjoy live music and study for midterms.

They will soon have a Web site available for viewing upcoming music events, but until then just stop by and pick up a hard copy of their music schedule for the month of October.

A major point of the new music focus, says Michael, is "to emphasize that there's a tremendous amount of talent coming through here, both local and touring."

This new feature of Mission City could prove attractive for students and locals alike, and if all goes successfully, there is no doubt that the live music will continue, becoming an essential part of what Mission City is all about.

Contact Kristina Chiapella at (408) 551-1918 or kchiapella@scu.edu.