Not everyone enjoys inhaling clouds of smoke and dodging menacing moshers in order to hear live music performances.

For those who would gladly take the music minus the toe-trampling, sweat-bathing and crowd surfing, there exists a growing scene in downtown Melbourne some still might call an un-tapped resource.

Sun Shoppe Café is a popular study spot and lunch break for nearby local students and professionals. This Music & Art-inspired coffee shop has become a city favorite among other specialty shops in the area since its opening in 1995.

Many nights the Sun Shoppe dims the lighting, sets the stage and pulls the chairs a little closer for the shop's acoustic music series. Owner Diane Johnson stumbled upon her neglected dream of opening a coffee shop with live music when she was on vacation.
Diane hoped to someday open a smoke-free cafe that would offer live acoustic music in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. A place she could feel comfortable taking her own children to hear live music. Whether the sounds are the soft, clear notes of a solo guitarist or the upbeat tunes of a blue grass or jazz band, the variety and change of pace live music brings to a cafe's nighttime setting can make the environment very different from its daytime feel.

During the day, the cafe is similar to any other breakfast lunch café. But at night during the shop's acoustic music series, the space becomes much more social.

"It's very intimate," Diane said, noting that sometimes the performers are just four feet away from the audience. "The purpose is not to go drink. If the purpose is to go socialize customers sit in the back or outside. If the purpose is the music …its up close and personal."

Sun Shoppe is recognized as one of the more family-friendly venues that offers live music performances. Billy Van Riper, musician and writer for Brevard Live magazine, leads a local jazz band that regularly plays Monday’s Jazz NIght at the popular cafe because of the experience and relaxation it provides.

"The atmosphere is a bit more subdued," "The interaction between the audience and the band, though, is stronger."

At bars and festivals, audience members consume more and more alcohol, they tend to become more involved in the music and sometimes even a bit wild.

We can all agree that it is nice to see one of your favorite bands play at a smaller venue because "you aren't halfway up the stadium."