Tantra Coffeehouse celebrates Tribal Night, a gathering of local musicians and performers, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month.
Tribal Night brings many different art forms together and culminates as a celebration of tribal music and dance. Local musicians are encouraged to bring all types of instruments to a relaxed jam session and other acts such as belly dancing and fire spinning are performed to rhythm of the music. Food and drink are provided to spectators inside the coffee house while the performance goes on in the partially covered backyard area.
“We designed the backyard as a comfortable outdoor venue. We have all sorts of different music almost every day of the week and Tribal Night is a branch of that,” says Tantra employee and local fire spinner Cassandra Lien. Cassandra has worked for Tantra for over three years and enjoys performing at Tribal Night because of the exciting atmosphere and artistic appreciation.
“Expect a lot of gypsy-like people who are enthusiastic about the arts,” says Lien. “It’s a nice way to express yourself and also be inspired by others.”
Tantra employee Cassandra Lien dances in front of Tribal Night spectators.
While the most prominent musical aspect of the night is the drum circle, musicians of all types are encouraged to take part in the event and practically no instrument is off limits to the jam session. Local musician and Texas State senior Mary Duffey said that the relaxed feel of the performance is great for networking with other musicians.
“You get to meet a wide range of musicians. You can make your own connections,” Duffey said regarding the performance.
One of the most memorable aspects of Tribal Night is fire spinning. Performers light various props including chains, torches and hula hoops and perform stunts and dance maneuvers in front of the crowd. Lien began fire spinning shortly after Tribal Night started and now performs at nearly every event. She feels that fire spinning is an extension of dance and she began out of sheer curiosity.
“When Tribal Night started I was in to belly dancing. From there, another performer handed me a lit set and the smell and sounds of the fire made me want to try and spin.” Hannah Jordan, a Texas State graduate, feels that fire spinning has become her favorite staple of the event.
“I love tribal night because it’s great to see strong women do amazing things with fire,” Jordan said.
Tantra has become a popular hangout in San Marcos and some consider it a community center with a wild side. Sophomore Erin Cooper first discovered the shop during an event her freshman year and enjoyed many things about her experiences at Tantra.
“The people there look absolutely crazy, in a good way,” said Cooper. “The coffee is cheap and good and the people are really friendly.”
“Tantra is very open. We accept people from all walks of life. It’s also a community center in a lot of ways,” said Lien. “People are always here.”
Tantra is located at 217 W. Hopkins St. and operates from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. every day except Saturday, on which they close at 1 a.m.
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