Upstairs

Classical music is breaking out of the dark auditorium where you walk in alone, watch artists from a distance often without a word, applaud at prescribed moments, and leave. Which instrument is following the other’s tune? Is knowing what a raga is enough to talk to the person next to you? 

It’s questions like these that led Sukanya Banerjee and Tejas Jaishankar to start Upstairs. The two, now partners, met in college, and Sukanya recalls a conversation where Tejas asked her, ‘Why doesn’t classical music have group meets and fan merch?’ It’s this sort of curiosity that they now seek to stamp under the tabla with their series of baithaks.

At Upstairs, in living rooms lit up by lamps, the musician speaks to you. Hell, they might even get coffee with you. Stupid questions and asides to other audience members are encouraged. They swap elaborate musician bios and theoretical tid-bits for a simple explanation of what you’re about to hear, guiding you towards having that discerning ear. You will catch the smallest details in how faces change, how someone will start tapping their lap. The easy chemistry that the founders have with their audiences and performers is commendable. The music itself is best left for you to discover, and in Sukanya’s words, form your own vocabulary for. 

Upstairs began in the third floor of their DDA Flats apartment in Vasant Kunj, and as they expand slowly to other venues, they’re successfully maintaining a good balance of intensity and accessibility, which is seemingly so often difficult to find in performances. 

They typically host two baithaks a month, tickets for which drop well in advance, besides their weekend immersives, which have tickets for longer and are hosted in another small venue. Those are paired with even more in-depth performances-cum-lectures and fun sessions. They also have breathable breaks, and either meals or catering with their performances. At one, I remember tabla performer Aditya Singh calmly taking multiple questions shot at him one by one, from how the table skin tears to why he has to use a hammer to tune it. 

Attend one of these if you’re looking to get into classical music, obviously, but also if any form of music has ever moved you at all. I would recommend you go alone or with one or two friends – this is best experienced when you let your curiosity get the better of you and get into conversations with strangers. Wear the nice kurta or block-printed skirt you’ve been meaning to debut. 

How to book: Via their website.