Friday, June 20, 2008
Ché Café
The Che Cafe is a student-run co-op at the University of California, San Diego, but it is often used for shows and live entertainment.
This venue caters mostly to local bands; usually indie (BLARRFGHHFH) and punk rock, and sometimes electronic or what have you, but the grindcore bands which roll in from time to time are of particular interest to myself. However, the bands are usually more recreational than anything serious (as with most local bands), and typically cater to the crowd’s interest, but this will vary from band to band.
The building itself is very DIY/hippie-like, with various liberal-political murals painted on the outer walls facing the street, including one of Che Guevara, the venue’s namesake. The atmosphere is very nice and hole-in-the-wall like. The stage and crowd area is small, and there is a step near the back (or front, depending on your point of view) entrance that you may trip over if the moshpit pushes you in that particular direction. The stage is merely a step above the audience area, so you also have to beware of the moving pit behind you in case you get right up in the front.
The back patio is usually where everyone flocks while the bands set up, or if it gets too hot. Since most of the people that show up there are totally rebellious punk types, and even a few hipsters, they smoke, and you can bum a cigarette off of them in case you’re too cheap to get your own. If you don’t like smoking, you’re in dire luck. However, if you don’t mind the nice scent of tobacco (and the occasional jay), then it should be the least of your worries.
Other Facilities
The restroom is one of the important landmarks in this venue. The walls in there are entirely covered in various stickers and marker graffiti — a must-see for every newcomer. They also have a bookshelf with a collection of DIY zines, in case you’re too cool to seem like a loner, and you must pretend you’re preoccupied with something else, as an excuse for not being with your (absent) friends.
In one part of the venue, away from the stage and audience is a kitchen, where volunteers will cook and serve you food (primarily vegetarian or vegan) for a small fee. I’ve never eaten there, however.
Other Info.
Moshing is allowed (or overlooked), and people occasionally like to jump up onto the exposed wooden rafters and kick at everyone. It does get crowded easily, and if you don’t like moshpits, you’ll probably end up in the back, not able to see the band play. If you’re in the moshpit, you’ll probably be too busy dodging flailing limbs in the cramped center of the floor to watch the band at all.
Smoking is allowed, outside.
Drinking is not allowed.
All ages, always.
Location:
UCSD campus
9500 Gilman Dr.
La Jolla, California 92093
(858) 534-2311
Links
Official Webpage
MySpace
