Caffeine-fuelled addiction and late nights are about Going Live Now At Kim Haus Loft Campbell Street Penang.
The café nightspots in Penang’s alternative night scene.
If what you have in mind is a place where you could bring your mom or even young children in pajamas on a night out to town, then you’re in the right city.
Since its inception on 7 July 2008, George Town World Heritage Site has morphed into a vibrant heritage city.
The inner city, taking over deserted streets and binging in the locals and tourists literally down the road less traveled, known for being “dead” at night.
No Longer Dead At Night
Godowns have opened up.
Narrow and inhabitable shophouses become relevant and aesthetically appealing in an eclectic, shabby chic manner.
Tourists and locals look forward to sitting on some discarded furniture hammered in with a few new nails for good measure.
Eat off mismatched plates with ergonomically challenged utensils.
Forks too long, spoons too short? Drinking out of canteen mugs. Not a problem.
Some find it cute!
So, does shabby chic rock? Is there prose in peeling paint and plaster?
Tenderness and love bloom in young hearts on many date nights like these.
I don’t know the difference.
But I appreciate the effort to spruce up with a clean design that is well thought out and works.
Indeed, a small firm No, to an ensemble of discarded furniture passed off as seating.
Spot the difference.
Captain Jack Sparrow is the mural guardian to all gold and silver.
A little kitsch, but this “billboard” with its paper signage secured with wooden clothes pegs onto black metal mesh is picture-worthy. Wooden crate furniture, now did I see that on Pinterest before?
Pop Culture Takes Over George Town at Kim Haus Loft
The days of pop culture referencing the beauty of George Town’s tangible and intangible heritage values, conversing with heritage buildings now refurbished into quirky or swanky F&B joints, have arrived.
With aplomb.
But of course!
Take a drive or a slow walk down Chulia Street at night, and the scene is one of bars and booze, with girls and boys staying up late for the party.
We’re not talking about school-going children in pajamas here, either.
But on the parallel street, Campbell Street, which unfurls like a tailor’s measuring tape from Penang Road and ends up Buckingham Street, the atmosphere is well-mannered and different.
The crowd is quieter. Scrubbed clean. Mom will approve. Yayyy!
The street is best known for its cloth merchants and goldsmith shops; Campbell Street was the darling shopping street of Penang before Komtar was built, and shoppers developed a sophisticated mall culture and migrated there.
The interior of Kim Haus has the same plastering hacked off. Discarded wooden crates are used as tables, and chairs in different colors are used. Overall, the look is pulled together. Neat!
The Changing Streetscape at Kim Haus
The street culture changed with the first quirky café in August 2013. The once trendy and faddish Moustache Houze, which had a good following, has since closed down.
Sugar Honey is a café in the same row that sells food, drinks, and some crafts. Next to it is The Safe Room, which offers the slightly pricier Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream in addition to Mains, Cakes, and Coffee.
The trend changes as new owners have replaced and refurbished two other old shophouses across the street.
Café Lagenda, with iconic poster boy P. Ramlee’s mural, serves up Malay-Western Fusion food.
We are introducing the new kid on the block, Kim Haus.
The writer asked for sampling portions to share with the artistes during the morning interview before the EP Launch party. Good nerves were going on. But great vibes with friendships built, Penang style. Photo: Paul Ang
The good news is that with the opening of quirky cafes, the music scene on the island is changing from jukebox musicians at beer hangouts to coffee powerhouses that encourage youths and musicians to hang out.
With young professionals on their Saturday night Open Mic slot, many singers and musicians live out their dreams by playing and jamming in the chillax atmosphere.
Recently, two Malay artists launched their EPs to showcase the musicians’ versatility at Kim Haus, a hipster café, bar, and bakery housed in a refurbished goldsmith’s shop.
Fingerstyle guitarist Andy Ngew opened the show before the EP launch. Photo: Doris Lim
Fingerstyle Guitarist
It was led by international fingerstyle guitarist Leon Thum, who mooted the idea to help highlight bold local talents.
The Open Mic slot happens every Saturday from 8 pm onwards.
Leon is a musician at heart and plays a soulful guitar, stepping in whenever needed to fill in the gaps since the café started their first session.
“It was a jam session with some friends; just enjoying ourselves, picking up a guitar, and passing it around started this,” he said.
Leon is helped by saxophonist Felix Quaik and guitarist Brian Gan from the boutique The Guitar Lair, who doubles up as the soundman.
Leon Thum is seated with musician friends L to R, Mike MY, Sheila Julis, Nick Choong, Victor Ng, Brian Gan, Andy Ngew, and Yasunari. Photo: Doris Lim
THIRTEEN HUNDRED
Bald and powerful Penang boy Ariff “The Spoiler” Ismail has played gigs with his band since 2007.
Called Thirteen Hundred, the four-piece band composes their songs in English and Malay.
“Satu,” one of the songs released in this EP launch, is Ariff’s take on spirituality and his move to unify humanity through music that is not pegged to any religion per se.
This song is a personal journey for Ariff, who searches for the open spaces in his mind for the Creator.
Doing the Swamp Thing!
“When we wanted to record our song, we went to the mangrove swamp areas on the mainland where there are fewer developments to feel closer to nature.
We used a drone to film our debut music video,’ Follow My Lead,’ uploaded to the band’s official YouTube channel.
This track is featured on their new release, ‘The Nigh Near EP,’ which will be included in the upcoming full-length album, which will be released later this year.
“We wanted to capture just that one moment in time,” said Ariff, who is the son of a musician father.
The rest of the band consists of Vinoth Mohan on Lead Guitar, Emmanuel Blemin on Bass, and Lewis Liau on Drums.
Thirteen Hundred performed both songs on their EP. Photo: Doris Lim
Azwi Zulkefli
Not your typical Penang Indie artist who not only sings solo. Azwi doubles up as frontman and guitarist in Penang’s underground progressive metal bands.
In 2001, Azwi played in Predicate Not Defined. In 2014, he started with Penang’s Radical Death Metal band, Cakerawala.
As a rocker, Azwi undertook recording and launching his EP as a personal side project to share his songwriting in pop and ballads.
Do drop by Kim Haus. The nosh and coffee are good.
The music is something else. What are musicians and rock stars like?
They are cool folks who live by passion, which is good.
Not every day do you get to meet a Rockstar in the house!
AZ Azwi Zulkefli shows a softer side of himself, singing ballads. Photo: Doris Lim
Az Samad Getaran Jiwa – Solo Malaysian Fingerstyle Guitar
5 May 2016
Shree Sadagopan of Quadraphonix from Honolulu
26 May 2016
30 April 2016
This story appeared in Malay Mail under “Indie Scene Thrives in Penang.”
If you enjoy a bit of live indie music with your cup of coffee or tea or fruit juice, then head on down to #kimhaus for some Open Mic action every Saturday at 9.00 pm
Kim Haus Loft
Address: 9 & 11, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10100 George Town, Penang
Hours: Daily 9.00 am to 10.00 pm
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