When Ira Caplan played and sang his original folk song "Sunrise" last week at Cafe Gourmet Ltd., something odd happened.

Nobody clapped -- at least not for 10 seconds.

It was a strange moment, but the looks on people's faces gave the hint that they were hypnotized. Then the folk singer looked up from his guitar, his cheeks a little flushed, his stocking feet curled around the tall stool where he sat, and the eerily silent crowd of about 30 people mustered some applause.

The gregarious, friendly Caplan likes mesmerizing crowds. In his four years as a University student, he has gone from playing cover songs to bar audiences to recording a demo with big time studio musicians in New York City.

You may ask why he's still playing in a small cafe for paltry tips in a jar. The answer is simple. He relishes singing to people, not at them.

"Songwriting is like a tapestry. It's something you can see and feel . . . not just a list that someone can read," he said, gesturing with his large hands.

And that wisdom has come from his time as an acoustic performer in State College. He used to spend his time behind the microphone doing classic rock and folk covers -- for fraternity formals, happy hours or anything. The extra bucks were nice. The rowdy crowds were fun. But he's much happier now.

"When I started my sophomore year, there was a big demand for acoustic music. I played places like Spats and Zeno's. That scene has its place, but it gets to a point when it's just too much."

Since then he has spent a semester in Manchester, England, and seen his guitar-playing and lyric-writing take off. However, in the world of popular music, success sometimes isn't instantaneous.

"I'm making money, but not the way I was when I was playing 'Brown Eyed Girl' every week," he said.

If you happen to see Caplan at Cafe Gourmet, 123 W. Beaver Ave., on Wednesday nights, he probably won't do the Van Morrison song, but he will try to chat with you, take a request or two and do some of his originals, like "Sunrise."

Kelly Peters, owner of Cafe Gourmet, said she permitted Caplan to play on Wednesday nights simply because he asked. He receives no pay from the gig, except for the quarters and dollar bills in the tip jar on the counter.

"I thought he was good enough to play here . . . even though we usually play classic jazz and blues" on the compact disc player in the corner of the shop, she said.

"Sunrise" is just one of the many songs Caplan (senior-history) has penned since he graduated from high school in Pittsburgh about four years ago. He said that his original fascination with music was the Israeli folk songs he heard at retreats as a youth.

Since those early days, Caplan has found a deep spiritual well in another place -- the plight of American Indians.

His song "Pony Express" is about the clashes in North America during the 1860s, and he also gets a rush from performing the Neil Young classic, "Pocahontas."

"I've found that my songwriting has gone from lyrics about personal relationships to more about things on a global scale. I think college students can relate to that," he said.

"Recently I played a new song called 'Sacred City' at an afternoon show at Delta Upsilon. It's about the changes in the world . . . and everyone loved it. I think that people need to realize that the search for meaning doesn't have to be a depressing, dismal experience."