Six Feet Under rising from the grave

Once upon a time, deep within the cavernous basement of Calhoun, Six Feet Under existed as an informal setting where music-starved students could escape from the stresses of Yale life, and musicians in search of venues could strut their stuff for a small gathering of Yalies. As knowledge of this open and welcoming performance space spread, and the crowds flocking to Calhoun's basement grew, Six Feet Under gradually came to include a more eclectic mix of folk, jazz, indie-rock, poetry, and visual arts. Founded in the fall of 1995 by Adam Swire, CC '95, the event was soon taken over by Noah Enelow, CC '99, and Darby Saxbe, TC '99, who worked to expand its repertoire and attract an eclectic crowd. By the spring of 1996, Six Feet Under had become a salon of sorts, where all forms of artistic expression were welcomed.

But all was not roses and sunshine for long. Soon, a dark cloud came to settle over the Calhoun basement. When Saxbe and Enelow grew busy with other commitments and were unable to find another student to take the reins, Six Feet Under suffered. By the spring of 1997, it existed merely as a loosely organized jazz-and-drum circle, and by the following fall it simply ceased to exist.

All of that is about to change.

After a year-and-a-half hiatus, Six Feet Under is making a comeback under the leadership of two ambitious freshmen, Jill Ruchala, SM '02, and Bidisha Banerjee, SY '02. When Ruchala and Banerjee first set foot on campus six months ago, they found the extracurricular artistic performance scene distinctly lacking. They liked the Lit Mag's biannual student poetry readings, and the occasional shows staged by the growing clump of campus bands, but they were bummed not to find more regular opportunities for experimental and less polished artistic expression. After learning from Enelow about the former glory days of the defunct Six Feet Under, the freshmen decided to revive the deceased event.

They're not the only ones excited to see Six Feet Under return. From Enelow's advice on how to apply for grant money to Nicholas Szydlowski's, CC '02, overhaul of the Cabaret's lighting design, to Max Rosenblum's, SM '02, Bill Marino's, TC '01, and David A. Moore's, MC '98, poster designs, to Calhoun Master Sledge's support, help of all kinds keeps pouring out of Yale's dark and ornately-carved woodwork.

Ruchala and Banerjee hope to create a Six Feet Under more inclusive of poetry and the spoken word than it has been in the past, since organizations like the Musicians' Cooperative have eased the need to focus on music. "We want to showcase whatever it is that people really want to do and really need a place to do," Ruchala said. Above all, their goal is to promote freedom of expression and performance of all sorts, and to encourage students to come out and share whatever they have to say.

If the opening performance that shook the walls of Calhoun last night is any indication, Six Feet Under looks like it will be just the sort of venue that Ruchala and Banerjee envision. With a few killer bands, a featured visual artist, and more poets and spoken word performers than you can shake the proverbial stick at, the new-and-improved Six Feet Under of 1999 seems to be alive and kicking like a Clydsdale with an invol-untary tic.

Graphic by Sara Edward-Corbett.

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