"No agenda whatsoever -- and we don't do any cover the way it's supposed to be done." -- Quatro, drummer for 57 Sauce
In the evening, Sixth Street is all but deserted. There are blocks of closed industrial shops on one side, the backsides of businesses facing Seventh Street on the other. The few available parking spots fill up early. Everyone else is left to fend for themselves by parking on the street or even on the sidewalks.
So why would anyone want to go to Lola's Saloon Sixth?
Step inside, and you'll quickly figure it out. This is one of the best-laid-out bars for live music in Fort Worth. Lola's has a real, reasonably sized stage; an effective sound system; an impressive dance floor; and plenty of seating within sight of the performers. (Sitting at the long bar across the back wall even offers a good view.) For those who care to brave the elements, there's also a large, covered patio area with its own bar. Great if the crowd gets to be too much for you or you just can't take one of the bands playing that night.
One other reason to check out the venue: The music is consistently terrific. On Feb. 4, Lola's offered up a local band with an all-star lineup; 57 Sauce consists of Jerome 57 (yes, he borrows his last name from the Heinz sauce) and Troy Williams of Spoonfed Tribe, both on guitar and vocals. On drums is Quatro of Skin and Bones Drum Cult fame. Bassist Matt Skates has played in Shuttle, Ginny Mac, Katsuk and End of the World Parade, among other bands, and founded the Fort Worth Music Co-op -- a kind of musician-run booking agency that puts on shows at various venues in Fort Worth. This show was one of the co-op's productions.
The band opened with a few original funk and reggae tunes, then a progressive-rock number with a faint Steve Morse vibe. The members of 57 Sauce get together to play for fun when their primary bands aren't busy. In other words, it's a group of talented musicians playing what they want to play -- and watching them is a blast. The guys next nailed their own version of Walking in Your Footsteps by the Police, followed by Bob Marley's classic No Woman, No Cry.
There's no pinning down 57 Sauce to a particular style. They do rock, funk, reggae -- pretty much whatever they feel like. The crowd was small but enthusiastic. Many of those in the room were other musicians who had the night off, including Elle Hurley of the Transistor Tramps. We got to hear a Beck song, some Nine Inch Nails (featuring Skates doing something terribly unnatural on his bass to replicate the synthesizer parts), David Bowie's Fame, the Beatles' Come Together and even some Hendrix and Tool. The sound was great, and the musicianship was first-rate.
I must, however, respectfully disagree with Quatro, who says that the band refuses to do covers the way they are "supposed to be done."
In fact, if a band is going to do covers, the 57 Sauce approach is exactly how they should be done.
The band will play at Lola's Saloon Stockyards every Tuesday.
