I must admit, when I originally reviewed this article it was because the title had the word “creativity” in it—Bars respond to downturn with creativity, lower prices—needless to say, indeed some of the ideas are creative, and poor customers can certainly drive that. While bars are feeling the heat, at least Downtown Tempe Corporation is thinking on its feet with the recent development of MADCAP Theaters but there’s still a long way to go.
"My events haven't really lost any steam," he said. "But I've noticed I've had to work a little bit harder and be a little bit more personable."
It's not that people aren't going out, said nightlife-event producer Steve LeVine of Scottsdale's Steve LeVine Entertainment. It's that they're being more selective about where they go.
"People are being cautious with their money," he said. "But they want to spend their money for a great time. It's time to be innovative. It's time to be creative."
Alyssa Schultz, 26, of Scottsdale, said price and atmosphere are what matter most to her.
She tends to go to more low-key spots like Dos Gringos Trailer Park and Casey Moore's Oyster House in Tempe than upscale nightclubs.
Mill can certainly be an excellent destination for people who want to slum it. Instead of upscaling the place (which is how DTC and Tempe City were pressuring before with condos and raising prices) why not let it act like the Bohemian college atmosphere that it’s always been? Obviously the attempts to gentrify Mill Avenue weren’t even a good idea before the real estate market bubble began to deflate. In fact, it would have seemed extremely obvious those giant construction projects were seriously bad ideas long, long ago. Nobody needed a crystal ball to anticipate that.
So now everybody scrambles with these derelicts hovering in our skyline.
I for one am extremely happy about the MADCAP Theaters venture. With those condos dead in the water, and the closed-up Harkins theater wallowing in shadows, it’s a brilliant thing to get some action out of them.
I would just like to introduce everyone to a currently posting serialized novel called Black Hat Magick: Dread Vote by Kyt Dotson. For those who are jonesing for updates about Vex Harrow and the rest of Vexations this might help tide everyone over while the next publishing season is slowly written and edited for autumn and winter.
Black Hat Magick focuses on seldom-seen side character, Elaine Mercer, from Vexations and her life at Arizona State University. It even has a short webcomic miniseries to warm everyone up to the story, Do AIs Dream?
Feedback is welcome. Also, the characters have accounts and reply directly to questions, if you want to talk to one, just address one in the comments to a chapter!
Mill Avenue VexationsVolume 12: Waking the Stones by Kyt Dotson is available online go check it out, let me know if you like the introduction of some actual Arizona native mythology.
Here it is, long time awaited, the finale before the summer months. Waking the Stones plays on Vex’s memories of childhood and various Hopi ruins around the Valley of the Sun. I finally get to bring out some of the legends of the ancient migratory peoples, the Anasazi, and the Hohokam who have long been part of our land.
Phoenix itself is named because it rises from the strange ruin of the irrigation system used by the Hohokam so that they could make fertile the dry land and subsist upon it. The city since then has grown to tremendous heights and girth, we have dammed our river—even as Lake Mead dries—we have the giant fake Tempe Town Lake. Hopefully Phoenix will stop pretending to be a northern city and learn to be a desert city.
The temperature continues to rise in Vexations as their own drought continues unabated and some hints as to why that’s happening come to light. As well as those wonderful elements of mythology. Patrick and Vex run off together. Tiffany and Megan are still talking. And Nathan gets to be the odd man out.
If you click on the link to read more into this thread, you can see the photos that I have. Which there are only two -- too distracted by the con.
The amazing parts about this are that she has the kimono, she actually ordered blue contacts (to make for Vex's midnight blue eyes), and she even found some rubber brass-knuckles to round out the effect.
Mill Avenue Vexations Volume 12: Waking the Stones
Release Date: Friday April 17th, 2009
Online Release: Sunday April 19th, 2009 (I hope.)
Seeing as how I've been having a lot of my own exhaustion/energy-crisis going on with the hectic publishing cycle, getting this one out to the web on time may be difficult; but the publication deadline for print is definitely on. Welcome to the first volume ever to have two different covers! As seen above.
The cover represents a dichotomy between worlds, which is readily explained in the volume, as we get to know our enemy better. Vex has gone looking for Darlene—the mysterious violin player who vanished early in Volume 3—and for further clues on what's slowly eating her city from inside out, the sinister appearance of the centipede monster, and possibly the answer to the disappearances. Drought and heat have begun to strangle Phoenix as she treks out into the wilderness on hunches and hints, and the advice of her mother's shade.
Is that a mouthful or what?
I apologize if this one comes across as rushed. It is. I have had so little time and little sleep to work on this final installment for this publishing cycle (see everyone next October!) It's been a wonderful ride and I am so grateful to all of my fans. It's also been a learning experience trying to stay on top of everything, trying to keep the graphics in sync, and the editing done, and ...
You can see where I might be worn out.
Time for some shout-outs.
Jasper, thanks for sticking with me for this story. Thy aid and reading have actually come in extremely handy, it's been a bit bumpy, but for nothing else—you’ve made it a lot smoother and no small lasting impression thereby. Also, I just like having other writers around to keep me company, so I wouldn't trade you in for anything.
Kelwyn, the little bits of copy and beta reading you’ve done for me over the past six months and more have been extremely welcome. Also, having the commentary and the general presence have done great help to my somewhat weary ego.
Castalia, I know that it embarrasses me terribly every time you find a funny little error in my work, but every single catch makes everything better. Without a copy/editor helping me out I'd be doomed to horrible grammar and weird/bizzaro prose. So I'm glad that I've got thee to help me out.
Mark, without people on Mill Ave who come out to see me and get new volumes, I would not have much of a reason to keep writing. I know you haven't been able to come out recently, but you're always a welcome sight. I will keep extra copies of anything that you've missed on hand in case you want to come and get them. Don't worry. Thanks for being a commenter too—it’s good to know people out there notice and speak up.
Djenna, HEY YOU! I'd be lost without you. Although it's hard to keep in touch over the winter months because you're really busy and I'm way out in the dry-distance, you've been a great help in assisting me to become a better writer by aiding me in all the ways that editors do. I know you don't always think very highly of your own prose—but I really wish I could write like you do.
RyAnne, thanks for being my beta reader and putting up with me talking about the plot until 3am. It's the sort of strange cognition that I need to actually develop characters and occurrences. But then again, who else can I drag around until hell-o’clock on the phone and can keep going along with me. Also, the color volumes, and the bookmarks, and everything else you’ve done has not gone unnoticed (I'm sure I don't need to say that.) Thanks so much.
And many more who've seen me through along the way like Nutmeg, wildfire67, Sorena (my favorite pirate faerie), Spyral, Kim, and friends of Vexations who I only hear about through my fans... Heh.
This thumbnail is from a photograph of a totally amazing, wonderful friend of mine who decided to show up at Anizona 2009 cosplaying as Vex Harrow.
