09/18/2006 09:47:00 PM 
Invoking the legendary salons of 17th century Paris, where educated and enlightened communities would gather to share ideas and enjoy music performed live, Starbucks worked closely with some knowledgeable locals, including curator Sebastien Agneessens of Formavision, whose curatorial work and deep connections to NYC's creative community helped add the kind of cultural relevancy to the entire undertaking that the behemoth brand clearly sought to project.
Lucky for them, savvy bookings, including readings by Jim Carrol and Jonathan Lethem as well as liver performances by artists ranging from Jose Gonzalez to Ursula Rucker and Darrel "DMC" McDaniel ensured that the Salon would be a hot ticket even if it weren't completely free and open to the public.
It's an irony of the whole undertaking that the Salon actually wound up feeling like the sort of coffeeshop that people fantasize about: a beautifully rumpled space packed with comfy places to sit, low lights and a truly compelling calendar of performers. Whereas Starbucks is typically known for being a great place for workday pick-me-up or perhaps as a wi-fi hotspot when you are on the road, there was nary a laptop in sight amongst the crowd gathered when INFLUX dropped by. Instead, we found a mellow but engaged crowd of mostly young people hanging out on a Sunday evening, raptly watching Eclectic Method demonstrate their skills as audio/visual DJs, cutting and mashing up not just music but video as well.
As Starbucks continues to delve farther and farther afield from their core business of coffee, it becomes increasingly necessary for the company to redefine it's brand, to clarify just what Starbucks really is. Now that it is a serious player in the music business, it makes a great deal of sense that they would try to bring not just that bygone coffee house vibe back to life, but become a presenter of compelling performance as well.
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