Local violinist and elementary education junior Barry Hazen strolled out into an exuberant crowd, sawing out a melody on his violin at the first music event of the only all-ages music and coffee venue on Mill Avenue Saturday.
The Fixx opened quietly near Seventh Street and Mill Avenue on Jan. 17, selling coffee and original art. So far business has been slow, but manager Robbie Pfeffer said he hopes to draw in people with free concerts featuring local bands every Saturday night.
Pfeffer said he decided to open an all-ages music venue because it fills a void in the Mill District, which doesn’t offer many all-ages entertainment options.
The Fixx moved into the building that used to hold E-Joy, an Internet café that closed in April.
Four Valley indie rock bands, Kid Sampson, Lawnchair, The Muddy Moneys and Stellacutta, entertained a full house of about 125 people during the grand opening Saturday.
Pfeffer, an urban development junior at ASU, took time off from school this semester to manage the coffee shop full time.
Pfeffer is also the founder of the Tempe Starving Artist zine, which features local art and creative writing and began in December 2009. Since then, many local shows have been promoted through the zine, making The Fixx a natural fit for Pfeffer.
“It’s meant to be another destination for groups that would normally go through the Rhythm Room and Trunk Space” in downtown Phoenix, he said.
Pfeffer said it only took him about two days to find acts for the grand opening.
The Fixx has already booked acts in local rock, folk and experimental bands through February, including Owl & Penny, Zymotic Response and SunJane.
The coffee shop management also plans to have open mic nights every Friday.
Many of the music artists who performed said they shared Pfeffer’s enthusiasm for the venue.
Greg Diarra, the pianist for Tempe band Stellacutta, said he appreciated the idea behind the venue.
“It’s hard to find an accessible place where youth can congregate and support each other’s art,” Diarra said.
Steven Totten, a guitarist, bassist and vocalist from Kid Sampson also said the venue was one of the best his band had ever performed in.
Kid Sampson is composed entirely of ASU juniors, and Totten said he was excited for the opportunity to build a community between the different mediums of art.
In front of the shop, local artists were also included in the event and worked on pieces ranging from large canvases to tabletops.
Anthony Thrailkill, who plays guitar for the local band Lawnchair, said he thought the venue would be much more sustainable than E-Joy, partially because the quality of coffee at the Internet café wasn’t very high.
“The place hadn’t changed since 1995, the décor was terrible and the regulars drove new people away,” Thrailkill said.
Some people were impressed with the new vibe of the coffee shop.
“It’s a very artsy place,” said Jeremy Record, who works for Charles Schwab and came from downtown Phoenix for the concert. “Tempe needs a place like this.”
Reach the reporter at mshinn@asu.edu
