Students choose java over beer, enjoy the nightlife of local cafes

Coffeehouses and cafes are ubiquitous on campus. Turn down any street, any alley and you will find one nestled among the party stores, surrounded by addled twitchy java-junkies.

Typically, a campus cafe offers desserts, bagels and a plethora of caffeinated beverages. One cafe may have a different name for their triple mocha cappuccino or iced coffee drinks, but all in all, one cafe is little different from another. The only way a coffeehouse can truly distinguish itself is by its nightlife.

The majority of campus cafes offer very little, if anything, by way of extracurricular activities. Being accessible on campus, one assumes, brings in enough business without

DANA LINNANE/Daily Cafe Felix provides a nice, warm study atmosphere for those late autumn nights.

having to offer additional fun. Some cafes, however, do offer more than just java.

The Espresso Royale Cafe located on the corner of Packard and State Streets, for example, offers an evening of open mic poetry on Fridays and constantly showcases art from the Ann Arbor Artist Society. As for the North Campus folk, there's Espresso Royale in the Pierpont Commons. Always at no cost, there are student bands performing on weeknights and specialty bands on weekends.

The farther a student travels from campus, it seems, the more events a cafe offers. Cafe Zola, located on Washington between Main and Ashley Streets, has live music - free live music - on Fridays from 9-11 p.m. From flamenco, jazz, ska, to a little bit of contemporary, it offers a style of music to please every taste.

Also located on Main Street, a few blocks down the street from Cafe Zola, is yet-another Espresso Royale, with free tunes on Friday and Saturday nights, often Celtic and

swing, as well as many others. Joe and jazz, what could be better?

The Gypsy Cafe, a "sanctuary for the soul," located on 4th Avenue between Ann and Catherine Streets, offers some form of entertainment nearly every night of the week. Tuesday night is Salaciously Intellectual night, with open mic poetry and hip hop jams for a mere $5. Wednesday is open mic night, showcasing many local acoustic and plugged-in artists. Local bands and artists play every Friday and Saturday night, from Poignant Plecostomus, Lisa Hunter or Amon to the psycho-puppetry of the Gepetto Files. Weekend shows at the Gypsy Cafe typically start at 9:30 p.m. and cost either $4 or $5.

One of the odd advantages of the layout of the Gypsy Cafe is that a patron can sit in the cafe section, sipping tea or chugging joe, and still listen to the bands rocking out free of charge. Also on Fridays and Saturdays, for those of a more mystical mind-sets, one can have their Tarot cards read by resident psychic Kathy. The Gypsy also offers a Go card-playing club and a Wide Open Screen night, an open mic for independently produced films.

Cafe Felix, located on Main Street, currently offers nothing by way of night life, but when they get their liquor license in November, they plan to offer live music.

If it's refills you want, and plenty of them, Denny's or Big Boy's, located on Washtenaw, is your place. Bottomless cups and long hours make these a favorite among students looking to cram before an exam or just hang out. The only drawback is that they aren't exactly walking distance, like our friendly, neighborhood, coffee-bars.

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