The space that once housed LGBT nightclubs Amsterdam and Crowbar has transformed into Live on Central, a combination of a coffee shop and a Latin nightclub. The 13,000-square-foot space located off of Central Avenue hopes to become a venue where artists and organizations can showcase their talents and spread the word about their cause.
Below is a collection of photos to capture the eclectic space that is Live on Central.
The space has been active for 15 years, hosting a variety of clubs under current owner Steve Rogers, including Amsterdam, Palazzo, and Crowbar. Currently, the space holds The Grand Central Coffee Company, The Grand Ballroom, and Latin bar Club DWNTWN.
Live on Central’s location hosts a diverse lineup of events and performers, including aerial silks, political activism, poetry, stand-up comedy and burlesque.
“If there’s anything you should take from this place, it’s the circus atmosphere,” said Juli Myers, Live on Central’s “creative guru”. “Everything’s a show.”
The space has already hosted a spot on the Urban Ale Trail, multiple political activism events, nighttime Zumba classes, open mic nights and individual art project showings.
ASU film student Andrew Parsi (left) created his capstone film project “Sad Clown” in the Club DWNTWN space, the former Crowbar.
“We landed here because everywhere else turned us down,” writer and director Parsi said.
Parsi’s short comedy “Sad Clown” is about a stand-up comedian trying to change the dystopian future with time-travel abilities he has obtained from a mythical demigod. It was filmed on the DWNTWN dance floor, backed by the sprawling mural of a red dragon.
“I feel like the only way to defeat authority is through comedy,” said Parsi about his project.
The accessibility of Live on Central makes it a popular place for activists from a variety of causes to gather.
The organization ONE Arizona, a conglomerate of different activist groups all working toward registering Arizonans to vote, premiered a short film at Live on Central Sept. 9.
Pita Juarez, director of the film, said the goal of the event was to drive home the idea “that it’s very important for voters to feel that motivation, to get out to vote … that the work that they’re doing isn’t going unnoticed,” she said. “Tonight is a really big way to show the kids who are registering people to vote to … know the work they are doing really matters and can make a change.”
Fred Oaxaca (right) is team leader at Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy, one of the organizations that participated in the ONE short film premiere.
“In 2010 with SB1070, there was a lot of fear in my household…that even went further when my grandmother passed away,” he said. “My mom couldn’t go to the funeral. I remember seeing my mom go through this grand depression…and feeling powerless. If we can unify people on these values, those things don’t happen anymore.”
Live on Central operates with the goal of creating an atmosphere of art and fostering a creative space.
“Imagine a world without art. Art is every part of who we are, and most people don’t see that,” said creative director Jeffrey Lazos-Ferns. “So this being a passion, my job is to support other individuals and groups, whatever their path is, to provide that space for them.”
Among these artists are aerialist Trisha Anderson (above) of Aeroterra Arts and swing dancer Jonathan Lindsey of Savage Rhythm, who will collaborate for a performance in the Grand Ballroom on Sept. 16th.
Also coming up Oct. 15 is an event called Tribal Night, featuring “holistic community members doing alternative healing such as drumming, a tea ceremony, music, and aesthetic dance,” Lazos-Ferns said.
“The cool thing about here is that a lot of venues, somebody will go in and rent the space, and it’s a business transaction and that’s the end of it,”said Lazos-Ferns. “Here, we’re actually building a community. All these people that have been doing stuff here then support each other on what they’re doing here. And we’re bridging these communities.”
As the new space continues to mature, new facets are added. Grand Central Coffee is set to be open 24/7 in the near future and will host open mic nights on Wednesdays. They will open a restaurant in the coffee shop once renovations are complete.
Contact the reporter at Nicole.Neri@asu.edu.
