RCK CTY, which replaced The Big Bang Dueling Pianos Bar, quietly opened in early October in Tempe. RCK CTY is located on Mill Avenue and 5th Street. (Photo by Ryan Liu)If Mill Avenue in Tempe seems a little more stimulating lately, it quite possibly could be due to one major change — the long-standing Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar has shut down. In its place stands the new, trendy nightclub RCK CTY.
RCK CTY, pronounced “Rock City,” is located in the heart of the Mill Avenue District on Mill Avenue and Fifth Street. It quietly opened Oct. 18 after a month-long transformation from bar to nightclub.
This is owner Austin Walter’s first individually owned nightclub, and he said he hopes to bring it off the ground with a more modern, elite ambience.
“We chose this location because of the overall atmosphere on Mill Avenue,” Walter said. “More people will stay in Tempe rather than go to Scottsdale for a night out. Due to this, we have kept our prices competitive, much lower than many other nightclubs.”
Walter said the Big Bang Bar had a different feel from the nightclub atmosphere he envisioned for his business.
“This nightclub has a very different atmosphere than the bar before it, and we had to make many additions to modernize the place," Walter said. "We added lights, red carpet specials and many more unique features."
Although Walter’s original intention was to showcase the dueling pianos one day a week, they will not be making any appearance at RCK CTY. However, Walter said there will be plenty of entertainment throughout the week.
“Luckily, we can take any direction we want to during the week,” Walter said. “We want to start karaoke Tuesdays and smaller acts on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, there are DJs and headlining acts.”
Since the nightclub’s grand opening, it has already highlighted some big names, such as DJ Cyberkid and DJ Convince.
Several elements, including obtaining a food permit with the city of Tempe and opening its kitchen, still need to be resolved.
RCK CTY is located directly beneath three businesses, Gringo-Star Street Bar, Hooters and Rooftop Lounge + Patio.
Gringo-Star manager Stephen Sperry said since RCK CTY has opened, Gringo-Star has not seen either a growth or decline in business.
“The only difference has been that RCK CTY draws more of a later crowd compared to Big Bang’s earlier crowd, but overall business has been about the same,” Sperry said.
Miranda Edwards, director of messaging for Downtown Tempe Community, said downtown Tempe's growth will not end anytime soon.
“Downtown Tempe is in the midst of an amazing transformation, and we are experiencing some exciting growth and development,” Edwards said in an e-mail. “From new independent businesses, including restaurants and bars, retailers and eager startups, to new live music venues — we support them all!”
Reach the reporter at Jlsuerth@asu.edu or on Twitter at @SuerthJessica
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