Mill Avenue is jump started into high gear. On this last weekend of spring break, people crowd the streets and are enjoying the last bit of freedom break has to offer. Generic jukebox tunes are rolling out of Mill Avenue Cue Club and Fat Tuesday's, making people turn and watch the sporadic booty shaking and meat market talk.
Approaching Fourth Street, people begin to thin out and wafts of live music tickle the ear from somewhere above. The old "Ziggy's Sports Bar and Pub" sign misleads the public to believe the stairs leading up above Sammy's Woodfire Pizza still lead to the same place and feel the restaurant had just a few months ago. The next time you go up there, it might be the same location, but don't expect to see televisions playing "Sportscenter" highlights with drunken old men yelling at the picks of the day.
According to Jake Shelton, the most recent co-owner of Ziggy's, the old bar's time has expired, making room for a unique combination of hot-rod décor mixed with live music-shaken up and served with a twist for patrons to enjoy every night of the week.
There are interesting plans for the new "Ziggy's Rock 'n' Roll Lounge" on Mill Avenue and Fourth Street in Tempe. The bar will be undergoing renovations of style and atmosphere to help cater to the musical and artistic influences from the area.
Shelton, an East Coast native, owns Jake's Chop Shop on University Drive and Farmer Avenue, where he constructs all of his eclectic hot-rod furniture, which is occasionally garnished with leather and satin.
Ranging from mirrors engulfed in flames, to a king-sized bed embedded into the base of a 1957 Cadillac, Shelton plans to use Ziggy's as a catalyst for his art and use his art to help Ziggy's with its new innovative style and appeal.
Shelton partnered up with Josh Bartosh, co-owner of Ziggy's, about a month ago to help integrate music with art and a laid-back attitude. Both men share similar interests for the future of Ziggy's and hope to elevate the appeal of their new bar to all those people thirsty for live music and a great atmosphere.
Ziggy's will continue to serve food, ranging from burgers and chicken sandwiches to vegetarian wraps and salads. In general, Bartosh expects the menu to upgrade slightly with some subtle changes in the near future. The bar is having a "buy two lunches at the price of one"special, which is expected to stick around for some time.
Tentatively, Shelton and Bartosh expect to turn Tuesday nights at Ziggy's into a jazz night with gourmet food and wine, adding specials to their menu.
"We are using our collective efforts to pull in a good crowd and to help assist the music scene," Bartosh says. "Once every couple of months, we have a meeting with local bands to figure out the logistics and then we plan from there."
Shelton owned a previous venue and bar in Virginia called Fireballs, which was decorated in the same hot-rod ambiance as Shelton and Bartosh are striving for at Ziggy's. Shelton offers virtual reality tours of his past venue on www.jakeschopshop.com.
Both Shelton and Bartosh are planning to have exciting promotions for ASU students and other patrons in the upcoming months. They share enthusiasm and passion for the new Ziggy's Rock 'n' Roll Lounge both hope the bar will pull people more toward the independently owned bars and away from the corporate influx, that has taken over Mill Avenue.
Reach the reporter at christina.chomut@asu.edu.
