The 806: The Return of Coffee Shop Music

This is the first Music Scene that I have written that is not about an artist or band. It’s about the return of coffee shop music to Amarillo.

The 806 is a new coffee shop on 6th street that offers coffee, a lounging atmosphere and most importantly to me a regular music venue. It has been years since Amarillo has had a coffee shop that offers live music. Dante’s on Bell Street and the Divine Grind on 45th have been gone for years.

Hearing live music in a coffee shop atmosphere is one of my favorite ways to be a listener. There is something about the laid back atmosphere that appeals a listener in a way that bars and concert halls just cant touch.

Jason Barrett,owner of the 806, has brought back coffee shop music to Amarillo. I got a chance to ask him some questions and here’s what he had to say.

THE INTERVIEW:

Where were you born and raised?
Right here in Yellow City.

When did you first discover a coffee shop?
I’d actually been to a few local ones here in town, but never got into the local coffee “scene.” I really didn’t become a coffee house addict until I moved away to Austin and was able to hang out at places like Flipnotics, Ruta Maya, and Spider House.

What is your past experiences working in coffee shops?
Though I’d been going to the houses in Austin, I never considered working in one until I’d moved out to Florida. There I got a job in the caf  of an East Coast bookstore chain. After that I managed a restaurant for a while, then got on at Borders managing their caf . Our cafe  there was consistently one of the top-selling cafes in the country, so I definitely had my work cut out for me. Eventually, I moved back to Austin for a while and was on the verge of actually getting on at Flipnotics when I ended up moving back to Amarillo in 2005, after being gone for seven years. The only job I’ve had between then and now was a year-long stint at Roasters.

What made you want to open a new coffee shop in Amarillo?
I’d been toying with the idea for a few years, but had my sights set in other cities, I really hadn’t planned on ending up back in Amarillo. After quitting Roasters the idea kinda came back to me, and I realized Amarillo really needed something along the lines of what I’d gotten used to in my experiences elsewhere. Amarillo, I decided, needed something a little less corporate and a little more community oriented. The status quo needed to be shaken up a bit.

What is different about the 806?
I think what sets us apart is our dedication to the community, and providing a community space, as well as going our own direction in offering Amarillo a kind of place it hasn’t seen in a while. We want people to come in, grab a mug, and stay for a while. It almost feels like a social experiment at times, as we have such a great, diverse mix of people coming in and interacting with each other...from artists and musicians to high school kids, bikers, and everybody in-between.

What products does the 806 offer?
We offer coffee and espresso drinks, a great line of teas and chais, sodas, bottled beverages, bagels, pastries, bagel pizzas, blue corn nachos, cereal... we’re working on a few sandwiches and maybe a couple soups and salads.

What nights do you have music?
Our ‘set’ nights of live music are Open Mic Nights on Wednesdays, Sunday Jazz on Sunday evenings, and First Thursday – art opening and live music the first Thursday of the month. Everything else just kind of happens.

When is the open mic and info about it?
It’s grown into a mix of acoustic and electric music, poetry, spoken word, and sometimes even some stand-up comedy. It’s hosted by Brian Sterling, and he’s up for pretty much anything. We do it every Wednesday night, sign-up starts at 8:30, and the show @ 9pm.

How have the crowds been? Better than expected?
The response has really been surprising, to say the least. The Open Mic became an immediate hit, right after opening we felt we were going out on a limb a bit, starting it so soon after getting the place open, but it quickly turned into a standing room only kinda thing most Wednesdays. Same thing with Sunday Jazz, Dustin Adams and I have been very surprised, especially by the fact that so many younger people are showing up.

Considering we have a very small advertising budget, and most of our promotions are based on Myspace and postings in the shop, the crowds have been great for both our regular gigs and the last-minute shows that just kind of “happen.”

Do you think having music is important for the 806?
We feel it’s a very important aspect of the 806. We try to draw in bands and performers that don’t generally get a chance to play the bigger venues around town, we feel it’s a certain amount of community service – giving the artists exposure to a new audience, while exposing the audience to music they probably haven’t heard before.

Do you plan on having any out of town bands coming to play?
Definitely. We’ve actually had a few already. We just had D Numbers in from Santa Fe last night, and we had Adam Faucett and William Blackart in on tour about a month ago.

You are on 6th street, historic Route 66. What have you been doing to revitlize 6th street?
We’re very active in the newly-formed 6th Street merchant association, working in conjunction with our neighbors to get a breath of fresh air down here. We’re working together, planning events benefiting both the community and the street itself. 6th Street is one of the only historic districts left in Amarillo, and we can’t afford to let it fall into decline, it’s a very important part of Amarillo’s history and, in this age of strip malls and corporatism, it’s an important part of the future of the community and the city at large.

Who are your customers what kind of age range?
You name it, we got it. We have grandparents, bikers, artists, musicians, poets, chess addicts, college students, blue collar, white collar, and even young kids who make their parents bring them in. I would venture to say we have the most diverse group of friends in town, and somehow it just works beautifully.

What are your hours?
Monday through Friday, 7am – Midnight, Saturday, 8am – Midnight, and Sunday, 9am – Midnight.

When does the music usually start and play till?
It usually starts later in the evening, and lasts as long as it needs to.

Are you guys serving beer now?
Not yet, but we’re about to turn in our paperwork to the TABC, so it’s only a matter of time before we’re serving beer and wine!

Do you do BYOB?
Yes. For now we allow beer and wine, proper ID required.

Anything you would like to add?
We like making new friends, and we enjoy hate mail as well! And sorry, we like to ramble!

Check out The 806 online @ www.myspace.com/the_806