Off the web • The Fenix Underground

Long an anchor of the Pioneer Square scene, with metal-Goth bands as well as crowded dance floors, the Fenix is wobbling like a punch-drunk boxer. Attendance is way down — but owner Rick Wyatt is not ready to throw in the towel.

"I'm trying to relocate — downsize and stay here in the neighborhood," Wyatt said by phone the next evening. "I can't push this 19,000-square-foot place to stay open, but I'm trying to preserve the legacy."

Wyatt was a little cagey about revealing his plans, saying he was considering a few spaces in Pioneer Square. He also said he is negotiating with his landlord to only use about one-third of the space he is currently paying rent on, at 109 S. Washington. This is where the 15-year-old club reopened in 2003; it was forced to vacate its original Cadillac Hotel location after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.

The theatrically minded Wyatt is pumping up a big show at 9 p.m. Saturday, billed as the "Fenix Farewell Relocation Party." Underride, Windowpane and several other Fenix-regular rock bands are on tap for the show ($12).

After this weekend, Wyatt plans to close for at least a few weeks. He hopes to be open for business by the end of July. The question: where?