Friday, April 23, 2004
The shop, stolen from the Mojo's website.
Wade Beesley, founder of Mojo’s Daily Grind on Guadalupe, sent out an e-mail this week:
“Well, April 15th was a very big day for me. I closed on the sale of Mojo’s, put a down payment on a house, got tattooed, shaved my head, and a did few other non-mentionables.
“Yep that’s right, I’ve sold Mojo’s— 10 years, 1 month, and 12 days after I opened the beloved shop. I sold it to guy named John Wallace—very cool, used to own the 2 rock gyms here in town. he wants to keep it the same and just put in some money and new energy. What now? Well I’m walking away with a chunk of change, buying a house on the east side, taking a metal and wood class this summer, doing some traveling, and NOT WORKING for several months. This has all been a long time coming and I’m very exited. hope you are all doing well. Write me back and let me know what’s up.”
I first came to Mojo’s with Mason during the summer after my sophomore year of high school and have been a regular customer ever since. Hopefully the place will only get better, because Austin would be truly worse off without it.
it is worse off without it
Posted Tue, October 26, 2004, 8:11am EST by Doesn't matter
All good things come to an end... and Mojo's is no exception. Fuck John Wallace!
John Wallace?
Posted Tue, October 26, 2004, 5:21pm EST by Josh
Who's John Wallace? The new owner?
Oh, Yeah...
Posted Tue, October 26, 2004, 5:22pm EST by Josh
Well. Figured that one out on my own, I guess...
It sucks being a moron.
To steal the words off the bathroom wall....
Posted Sat, November 13, 2004, 8:28am EST by Rue
"JW wets the bed and Trevor washes the Sheets"
Quote"He wants to keep it the same and just put in some money and new energy"
Yea.....that's why he fired Jason, Candace and Steve....
He's trying to turn it into a Starfucks.
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Posted Thu, December 23, 2004, 3:57pm EST by Anonymous
Its amazing what a great place Mojo's is without all the negatrons and bad energy sulking in the corners.
Public art closure
Posted Tue, January 18, 2005, 12:47am EST by Mike Hunt
An open letter to John Wallace, owner of Mojoís Daily Grind:
John,
This is in response to the closing of Mojoís walls to public art. While you are blatantly not a man of letters, or of any other art for that matter, you are a man of business. This is an unfortunate case, as you share the surname of so many esteemed artists; most notably John Milton, who wrote an epic poem aptly named for the debacle in question. Indeed as any cogent person can realize, Mojoís is a case of ëParadise Lost,í and the last vestige of a public art forum in Austin has been savagely cut.
Being the two-faced, cold-hearted Trump that you are, stop jizzing on your money tree for a moment and consider a few counter-points against your open letter to the ìPainters, Artists, Writers, Taggers.î Of course, you assume to have made no mistakes in dealing with the community and culture inextricably linked to Mojoís. Artists are what made Mojoís, and the same will destroy it. You have butchered the innards of the place like a back-alley abortion and skinned the outside in an equally unceremonious way. Youíve filled it with yuppies who smile vacuously. Do you expect such a Frankenstein to live? Your target market, or whatever pathetic phrase you wish, lies in the suburbs with WASPs and other unevolved life forms. The campus area, however, is and will continue to be a socially aware one, and the grave loss of Mojoís greatness is as noticeable as a train wreck. Please stop pretending to identify with any mediators among the artists. Dressing like a hipster and driving a Volkswagen does not make you any less menacing. Your mind is simple and can only crunch numbers, and as we crunch our knuckles until they turn white, you keep generalizing the community with statements like ìPeople who come to see/create/enjoy graffiti refuse to patronize our businesses.î Need I get a petition to prove this wrong, or is it not obvious? Or furthermore what does a statement like ìPatronizing our shops would be the last thing 99.98% of you artists choose to doî say about your character? In a creative city like Austin, itís a ballsy move to alienate artists, especially considering they established the very place you now own.
Neglecting to recognize the importance of public artistic expression, as you have dubbed it ìan outdated mode,î it is safe to protract that you will neglect a slew of other important things in your business venture. Your failure to communicate with those on whom you predicate your existence will end up alienating you not only from success, but from Austin.
Sincerely
~A dirty rotten artist.
"Painters, Artists, Writers, Taggers"
Posted Tue, January 18, 2005, 1:13am EST by Josh
Where's this "Painters, Artists, Writers, Taggers" open letter? Is it online? I'm curious to see it...
Is this the John Wallace that I think it is?
Posted Fri, January 21, 2005, 5:35am EST by curioso
If this is indeed the John Wallace that I suspect it is, I take sincere pity on the lot of you artitsts in the Austin area. Is this the John Wallace who used to be a "prominent" figure of Norwest Financial Whatever in Austin? If so, boycott Mojo's. Tell everyone to boycott Mojo's like it's your job.
Sincerely,
Curioso
Graffiti and Mojo's
Posted Sun, January 23, 2005, 11:51pm EST by Josh
Okay. I just saw the little "Painters, Artists, Taggers" signs up all over the walls behind Mojo's.
And they suck!
Someone's just going to waste all of that cool art out there? Just paint it over? I guess if that's the attitude, then Mojo's may truly waste away. It's a shame. It was a warm, fun, liberating place to hang out with friends or study during college. Future students will have to move on to Spider House or something. That place is still very good times...
Suck!
Posted Sat, March 5, 2005, 4:37am EST by Dr_Pipe
Shit, it sounds like this change is pretty crappy. And that especially sucks considering how close Mike Cotton came to buying Mojo's; did you know about that? I guess he was going to buy it, but something went wrong or it just took too long to close the deal.
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Posted Sat, March 5, 2005, 4:40am EST by Dr_Pipe
You're Google ads are funny - Graffity Shield System (protects your property from graffity vandals), right below Graffity Supplies (buy spray paint caps, markers, etc...)
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Posted Tue, June 21, 2005, 12:09am EST by Anonymous
mojo's has been sold again. looks like its gonna be good.
Best Coffee Years of My Life
Posted Thu, August 11, 2005, 4:58pm EST by Christian
My time in Austin was magical betwixt 97-99 and Mojo's was my cafffeine epicenter. I hope the new owner respects the vibe that the artists bring. I was there post-buyout, and while the staff were cool, it was a touch...anti-septic? But i wish it the best if only for my own memories of humid days and coffee nights...
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Posted Thu, February 14, 2008, 12:29pm EST by Tana
I miss Mojo's. I sadly had to move out of Austin years and years ago, came back 2 years later on vacation and no iced mojo. It ruined the whole fuckin trip.
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Posted Sat, May 24, 2008, 5:04am EST by Anonymous
Iced Mojo is alive and well at Epoch