Steve Watkins-Special to DFW.COM
Guy Forsyth plays the saw
When you think of live music in Fort Worth, it’s always the 7th street corridor, Berry street (at least until The Moon got turned into a taco annex), and Sundance Square. But Saturday, the place to be was Wedgewood, because on stage at The Keys Lounge we had Guy Forsyth.
The Keys is a neighborhood bar that's been around for 30 years or more, and it’s definitely got that vintage vibe to it. The walls are paneled, there’s a parquet dance floor (complete with light-up disco panels above), lots of seating, enough light to see who you’re talking to -- and not a frat boy in sight. The crowd at Keys tends to be older, but it's first and foremost a music joint -- owned by musicians, with a great sound system and greater acts –- so aside from the die-hard locals, it draws anyone looking for great music. And that brings us back to Guy Forsyth.
Local music entity Nick Choate has been telling me I need to hear this Guy (sorry, I couldn’t resist), and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. There was this bearded cat on stage wearing overalls, playing a semi-hollow body with a country bass line coming from his backing band. I was about to write him off as a country act, when he busted out a powerful and soulful rendition of The Dark End of the Street by James Carr. Good lord this man can sing. Turns out, his music is infused with quite a bit of soul, blues and even a touch of funk.
His backup band could play, too. We had Jimmy Dreams (bass), Nina Botta (drums), and Oliver Steck on trumpet and accordion. Steck's trumpet work on Guy’s original Tattletale was particularly memorable.
We got some other great originals, and a few more classic covers like Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World, Bo Diddley’s Mona, and then a bizarre version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow done with a saw as the lead instrument. Yeah, a saw, played with a violin bow – just like in the cartoons.
At one point in the show, Guy walked around the room singing without a microphone while his band still played through the PA. And the man still managed to fill the place with his voice. He’s a first rate front man, and people were feeling it. The dance floor was never empty.
The Keys bills itself as a blues club, but word is they book anyone with talent. It’s a place with a sense of community and history -- a welcome change from 7th street.
