By Midnight, the party had begun. By 1 A.M., they squeezed between tables to dance. At. 3 A.M., ushers forced them out the door, so ending a typical night at Cafe Wha?-The New York Times

“Just got here from the West,” the gangly 19-year-old told Manny Roth, owner of the Greenwich Village nightclub “Cafe Wha?” “Name’s Bob Dylan. I’d like to do a few songs? Can I?”

Sure, Mr. Roth said; on “hootenanny” nights, as he called them, anybody could sing a song or two, and this was a hootenanny night, a bitterly cold one, Jan. 24, 1961. And so Mr. Dylan took out his guitar and sang a handful of Woody Guthrie songs.

The crowd “flipped” in excitement, Mr. Dylan later said.

He had hitchhiked to New York from Minnesota, and after showing up at the Cafe Wha?, he mentioned to Mr. Roth that he had no place to sleep. So Mr. Roth later asked the audience “if anybody has a couch he can crash on” — and somebody did.

It was at the Cafe Wha? that young performers like Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor got early chances to hone their talents. Folk singers, artists, poets, beatniks and anarchists came to the club, and so did far greater numbers of tourists, eager to observe those exotic breeds. (The club’s odd name was a shortening of the word “what,” intended to convey incredulity.)

Who We Are Now
Today, the Café Wha? hosts a vibrant and diverse calendar of music with one guiding principle - that no matter the style or genre, exceptional talent and music always shines the brightest. Whether it be international jazz superstars, homegrown rock bands, or soulful artists with stories to tell, they all can be found performing on stage at Cafe Wha?

What about the Café Wha? House Band? The "Best Damn Band in New York City" rocks the stage Thursday through Sunday covering all the classic hits of motown, rock, pop, funk, hip-hop, soul, Latin, and more, as can only be done in the melting pot that is New York City.

Every night at the Café Wha? is a party. You never know which famous musician will show up and sit in with one of these incredible bands. The New York Times raves, “Power house talent - you'd be hard-pressed to find a more exhilarating evening out." The Café Wha? is a stop you have to make whether you are living or just visiting New York City.