Tuesday Night Café Project

Tuesday Night Café is such a treasure. I made my way here for the first time two weeks ago, and was blown away by the good vibes, positivity, and community that fills this space.
It’s been voted as one of the best open mics in Los Angeles, but it’s clear that it’s also so much more than that. Even for my first time there, you can sense that there’s a very clear feeling of family, welcoming, and belonging that just fills this courtyard, and it’s beautiful.
Yes, there’s a lot of social justice energy that flows through this space as well, but even if that’s not your thing or you’re not the type to get too political, please don’t let that discourage you from attending. It’s never overwhelming, and I promise you’ll get a great show, along with an understanding of why this space is so treasured by so many people.
Some of the acts I’ve seen included poetry, spoken word, dance, short dialogues, acoustic singers, both individual and group, and instrumental, so there’s really a huge variety of what you can see here.
PARKING: Park across the street in the Judge John Aiso St. Parking Lot for $ 3. There’s no huge sign, but just drive into the parking lot. It’s automated/​ticket-​based. It’s literally right across the street from the café. Don’t overcomplicate it!

Pretty cozy gathering, free, not too many chairs but sitting on the floor or standing is always an option. It’s my first time here but it seems as though it’s usually a hit or a miss type of situation for the artists, because anyone and everyone is welcome to enter for a spot on the stage. I liked two and was impressed by one of the four acts I saw; i’d like to come here more to see the variety of skill sets.

This is one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. In fact, I credit this spot for being the main reason why I am now a poet and performer. And it’s been going on for so long — I’ve been attending regularly since 2006. If you are looking for a grassroots arts space in Los Angeles primarily serving the AAPI community, this is it.

I had a pretty good time at this place during their API LGBTQ themed day, although it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I didn’t really know what to expect in the first place but the energy was overwhelmingly positive there, which is something I’m not entirely sure I click well with being that while I’m an open minded person, I’m also a generally negative and darkly humored person. So I was a bit out of my element.
There were like 7 acts that performed that day, like 3 poets, a band, a singer, afropop musician, and a story teller. I found the story teller to be the most entertaining and fun as she had a little slide show of drawings to accompany her story and had more humor than most of the other acts which I appreciated. In between each act the host would introduce a community group that is probably associated with API (Asian & Pacific Islander) groups.
Again I’m not too sure how I feel about the night. It’s probably a reflection of my own personality that I get uncomfortable with overly positive people but I probably won’t be coming back. I mean the host would tell us to breath from our nose and then breathe out our mouth like some sort of meditative thing which I found weird doing not in yoga.
The place had a serious social justice undertone which is cool, but not exactly what I was seeking for in looking into open mics.
I recommend this place to more artistic, liberal, and positive minded sort of person. Also anyone who might want to be involved with their various community groups they introduce. Plus it’s free so it’s something interesting to do when it’s available.

Great show, though they hounded me for a donation.

Thought it was great! The vibe feels pretty awesome! Just the parking is a bit of a headache as the meters itself are a headache. Love the venue and it’s around the block from yummy ramen!!!

One of the best free venues for people to come and listen to local culture, music, slam poetry and more. Located outside of a church that turned into a theater, this place offers anyone who wants to perform a venue to be outspoken. it is open every 1^st and 3^rd tuesdays of the month from match to October.

I love that this is a creative space for freelance and amateur artists (singers, dancers, poets, etc) to express themselves and allow the community to be engaged. This event is FREE to the public both to perform and watch.
I was introduced to a great artist called Priska Neely singing a song written by her called Ode to Condiments, super fun song for any foodie! Will definitely check out more of her songs in the future.
The performance and host qualities and talent vary. It’s very open-​ended, fun, relaxing, and the crowd is generally receptive and encouraging. Some of the poems I heard were very low quality and seemed like they were unprepared, even dark, and lacked proper introductions to connect the performers to the audience. This is not the hosts/​event coordinators fault, simply a lack of presentation knowledge on part of untrained presenters. Perhaps providing potential presenters with some tips (on their website, a small notice on the sign up tables, etc) of how to properly introduce themselves or their work /​planned performance would help.
There were a few people smoking around the venue. I would suggest to the event coordinators to put up no smoking (within 50 feet) signs to minimize the crowd’s discomfort and improve the overall experience.
I didn’t see any food stalls but the location is very close to the plazas around Little Tokyo. Plenty of parking nearby ($ 5 all day). If you don’t want to pay for parking and have some time to roam around, you could park at Woori market with free validation from market/​stores and walk to the venue (15 min walk).
Will be back to check this out!

This was my first experience of an open mic and it was really cool. At first I felt like I didn’t fit in because I saw a lot of Asians but then I saw white people and got used to it. The vibe was really cool, I wish I could go back in time and gotten something from Starbucks to set the mood right. Anyways this event was all about people doing their own thing. Everyone there was really down to earth. The crowd was polite to although some of the performers were wack. The best thing about it was that is completely free. The parking was $ 8 doe that’s the only thing. Other then that Tuesday Night Café Project was something that I would recommend to everyone ! You’ll see me at the next open mic, hahha just playin I don’t got the balls. But yeah this ish is coo check it out.

This was probably one of the coolest things I have ever attended to in LA. What a perfect way to spend a nice balmy summer evening under the archway of a pretty nice building, the tall lighted skyscrapers lighting the night sky, and listening to talented poets, singers, and watching a dance crew. Plus in the middle of Little Tokyo with shops and bars open late? Hipster wet-​dream come true. Plus noteworthy to mention that attendance is free. If you are also extra ballsy, you can register for the open-​mic which I might consider doing next time I go. First and third tuesdays of every month.
This event has an Asian-​Pacific Islander cultural influence and there was also an LGBTQ emphasis on tonight’s performance.
*As this is Little Tokyo, make sure to come prepared with cash as many parking places food places only take cash. You might want to come with a friend vs. alone because my gf and I were approached by several shady individuals wishing they could «join in on us…» –_​– we could’ve done without the sexual advances tonight… but hey that’s the ummm charm of LA right??? Nevertheless, had an excellent time and I will definitely be back.

The street lights, shops and independent owned restaurants on the streets filled with long lines out the door makes little tokyo really awesome!
Waiting in line for Daikokuya was, with no expectation, an hour wait. My friends and I decided that the wait should not depress us from enjoying our time in little tokyo. So, we decided to walk around and check out the stores they had. Except, when we heard the soothing voice of someone singing. The melodic voice steered us to the other side, and brought us to Tuesday Night Café Project!
It was our first time here! There was a large crowd, so my friends and i decided to just stand outside the gates and listen in on the performers. The performers ranges from children to young and older adults. They sing, dance, and tell you stories. Its a great, free entertainment, but donations are always welcome!
I hope to come here more often! I checked out their facebook page, and apparently, they have events every 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays! :)
If you are in the LA area, stop by and enjoy a night full of smiles and laughters!

The Tuesday Night Project (TNP) showcases and supports Asian/​Pacific Islander (API) American artists, performers, vendors, and organizations. Their flagship event, the Tuesday Night Café Project (TNC), happens on 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of the month at 7:30 PM. outside of the Union Center for the Arts, home of David Henry Hwang Theatre, the main stage for East West Players, Visual Communications, and LA Artcore. TNC has been utilizing the space in front of the Union Center, a historical church that has been around since 1923 and renovated in 1998 after being damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake. By steps of Union Center is the stage and the audience, mostly standing because of limited seating, can easily be over 100 people per night, like tonight. Come as you are because TNP welcomes all: artists of all types, young (you’ll see kids running around), old, students, professionals, API, men, women, LGBTQ, far, near, etc. It’s nice outdoors in Little Tokyo facing the civic area of Downtown LA and the sound echos from the building/​structures beyond the street.
At Tuesday Night Café, you can expect to see art work, sometimes a live artist creating artwork during the course of the event, artsy vendors, and community organizations. You can expect a variety from the performers: musical performances (of various genres), improv, stand-​up comedy, poetry, spoken word, stories, dancing, deejays, open mic, etc. Some go for the featured artists, and even the open mic is quite good. Each event showcases several artists and remains highly organized, as they’ve been doing it for many years, great at allocating time to each performer (s) so they start and end within their allocated time.
Tonight was a good night because they were collaborating with FilAmARTS to promote FPAC, Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, on Sept 8 & 9^th 2012 (
) Tonight they had a lot of performers who also be at FPAC. That’s a really good example of community collaboration.
If you can’t physically attend, then check out their live-​feed on their website
. While you’re at it, read up more about them and check out their next event. They do shout-​outs to the web visitors and they get people watching locally, nationally, and even globally. At least check out their YouTube, too.
They’ve been running since 1999 so it’s considered the longest running free art series in Downtown LA. Although the event is free, but there is cost to the AV tech, lighting, equipment, volunteers (gotta feed them), the tech for live-​streaming (wi-​fi), etc. If you can, please donate to cover the cost of actually putting on the event. Support the café right next to Union Center if you want a snack or drink since the café stays open for the event; they only take cash.
It’s a space to learn all facets of API culture and even beyond. Its very existence is political and you do get a taste of that with many performers and the hosts/​emcees. It’s social because you’ll always meet somebody new whether its the organizers, the performers, the artists, the organizations, or just someone else enjoying the event. It’s excellent for networking/​collaborating professionally and personally. It’s great to make a new friend (and I often see familiar faces every time I go). Tuesday Night Café brings the community together through art.

LA’s longest running PUBLIC art venue takes place every 1^st and 3^rd Tuesdays of the month. Taking place on the steps of the David Huang Theater/​East West Players, TNC guarantees you to have a good time. Grab a Sapporo and a spam musubi from the café adjacent to the performance space (or take a walk around the block and grab dinner from many of the local businesses near by), come back and enjoy a curated show of both emerging and established artists ranging from spoken word, theater, music, dance and visual art.
TNC is all about supporting the arts and building community. I myself have found new artists I have become fans of. I might also add that I am an artist as well and TNC has given me the space to share my words and now my visual art to the public and I am thankful for that.
PS. PARK ACROSS THE STREET! $ 3 parking after 5pm. Take advantage of ample and cheap parking!
PSS. There are chairs available but sometimes it gets pretty crowded. Try to bring your own camping chair if you can!

TNC is simply amazing. i’ve been coming to TNC since 2003 and i always feel at-​home in this space. you can find great live performances such as music, poetry, spoken word (a form of poetry), dance, theater, art (yes, live art!) and much much more.
folks here are down-​to-​earth, and more often than not, socially/​environmentally/​politically/​many things conscious.
if you’re looking to be inspired by local artists and want to see the BEST of what LA’s got to offer, you HAVE to come check out Tuesday Night Café on the 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday when it’s in season.
PARKING: there’s a lot of FREE parking all around TNC. i find a lot of spots on Alameda and Temple. don’t let parking discourage you! it’s easy to find parking. manifest them!

From music to poetry, live artist to worldwide broadcasting, this is a true LA Gem.
It gets cold so bring a jacket. It can get crowded so come early if you want a seat. Also, some of the performances are not the best, but that is what make this project so extraordinary.

I remember some dude singing at a Tuesday Night Café event about how girls are like baby cheetahs and that he’s trying to catch them but even cheetahs when they are babies would run away from him.
5 stars baby.

After a year dying to go to a Tuesday Night Café, I was finally able to convince someone to go with me!
Parking is $ 7 at the lot next door. I love the set up of the event. It’s outside, under the summer sun, in front of a church.
It’s slightly ironic how the host was drunk… in front of a church. HAHA but nonetheless, I enjoyed the show. The host reminded me of Rev Run by the way he walked and talked. So much swag haha. It was a really cool event but I wish the acts were a bit longer. There were around 7, having 3 minutes each. I would definitely like seeing more artists who sang, instead of mostly just poems. BUT everyone was definitely talented!
I do eventually want to be on stage one day… hopefully by the end of summer when I move out from LA. We’ll see if it happens!

This summer, while planning to visit K in NY, she suggested we attend Sulu at the Bowery Poetry Club. She asked if I had been to Tuesday Night Café. I asked, «What’s that?» and she asked, «What’s wrong with you?»
Of course, I remember during the winter hiatus which means I have to wait until April. The first night back, I’m there with Diana T. (who conveniently forgot her wallet!) after having dined at Daikokuya around the block.
I hate Google Maps yet I continue to use it. Diana and I took the most unnecessary and roundabout way to get there when it was only a few steps away. San Pedro turns into Judge John Aiso so if you’re on San Pedro and 1^st, head north on San Pedro and it will turn into Judge John Aiso.
I like intimate venues but I think this could be setup to provide additional seating. As of now, it’s pretty limited so make sure you show up early and don’t get lost (you have no excuse now) if you don’t want to spend the night standing. It’s also held outdoors and even though it’s spring, it can turn mighty windy at night.
The acts were eclectic. There was spoken word, original songs with instruments, comedy acts, and arias were even performed. It was a fun night with a great vibe and it’s free!

There ain’t so many free things in life. No such thing as a free lunch in Hollywood. No freebies at the minibar fridge. But this my friends, is truly a good free thing. Now you gots to be down with the Asian Pacific American tribe so be cool if you’re not a part of the diaspora (i.e. no skeevy creepers please who ruin the night) and if you are cool the crowd will be friendly and welcoming. The music is usually way past excellent. The spoken word ain’t my bag of tea but you can just walk over to the little café where they sell Japanese snacks and beer. Sometimes there’s sketch comedy, sometimes there’s a b-​boy crew or even short films.
If you’re in Little Tokyo on a Tuesday night, check them out!

I’ll be honest. I cringe whenever I see the words «open mic» at an event. It’s the same cringe I have when someone invites me to see «their friend’s band.» I know I shouldn’t react that way, but I’ve been burned too many times by having to pay a high cover or for expensive drinks only to have my eardrums raped by people who have no business being on stage with any kind of amplification system. And I always get pissed when I’m at these events cuz I’m usually just wanting to hang out with my friends, but it’s too flippin’ hard to hear anything with your ears bleeding. I know I can’t be the only one who has experienced this!
Let me tell you how Tuesday Night Café is NOT like that!
1) No eardrum abuse here! They’ll stay nice and un-​violated with the high quality of excellent artists who are lined up for each night. Don’t believe me? Come check it out for yourself and if you’re not convinced, come a different night– it changes up often, so don’t judge based on any single evening. Read the other reviews for examples of some of the different acts to take the stage here. Sure, there is an open mic section, but I promise you, it’s really short. Only 10 minutes and it’s good to let new acts have some brief stage time.
2) It’s free. Seriously, no cover, no drink minimum. Just optional cheap eats and drinks, if you want them. Come when you want; leave when you want. If you Metro into Little Tokyo, you don’t even have to pay for parking.
3) Cool vibe makes it a great place to hang with friends or even bring a date. So maybe you don’t know anyone else who comes regularly– bring your friends! The courtyard is so lovely in the evening– under the stars– it’s not too loud to talk to your friends or if you decide you’re not «feeling it,» then just go around the corner and grab some yumz in Little Tokyo. Either way, you’re in for a nice night with a very low risk of wasting your time or money. And it’s a great way to entertain a group of people.
I attended my first Tuesday Night Café in the late 90s, when they were first starting up. Tuesday nights are hard for me to clear because of other obligations, but if I ever have a free night, this is where I’m at. I try to go at least once a season and every time I’m there, I just wish I could go to more of them.
What more could you want for a cool, fun, cheap, non-​eardrum assaulting evening?
It’s really hard beat everything Tuesday Night Café has to offer!

Tuesday Night Café is one of the last few grass roots projects involving artists from all over — from kids, seniors, teens, students, thirty-​somethings, activists, volunteers… ALL colors of the rainbow, ALL ages are welcome at TNC. It has always been a safe space for musicians, spoken word artists, actors, comedians, painters — name your medium! Get there EARLY to land an open mic spot, or just help set up (they feed you WELL with Parks Finest if you volunteer). A few excellent artists I’ve been lucky enough to see LIVE include Shin Kawasaki, Dawen, Sue Jin Kim, Durwood, Esna Yoon, Andrew & Albert Chiang, The Fighting Cocks, Alison De La Cruz, Alfie Numeric, Keiko Agena, Jenny Yang, MidTones Arkestra, 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors… and more. If you’re not from California, you can watch it live streaming at
!!
8−21−13 Update:
I just wanted to add an update since so many people are complaining about the $ 7 parking next door.
There is a new parking lot right across the street at the Aiso Street Parking Lot and its only $ 3. Just make sure you move your car out of there by midnight!