We’re sure you’re sick of reading about venues closing and knee-jerk apocalyptic op-eds signaling the collapse of the Fort Worth music scene. We’re not gonna do that here because places like The Cicada, this year’s editor’s pick for best music venue, should give you hope.
The bar and music venue, which is located next to Brix Barbecue near the corner of South Main and West Rosedale, opened its doors in March of last year and quickly booked artists through the summer. Unlike other venues that have dodged closure and, fingers crossed, will continue to do so, The Cicada’s bread and butter is showcasing local musicians. Cowtown-based groups like Arenda Light, Denver Williams and the Gas Money (this year’s best musical group winner), and Royal Sons have all taken the stage.
The venue also regularly features karaoke, DJ sets, comedy shows, songwriter showcases, open-mics, burlesque, and even a showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” It’s a hodgepodge of entertainment, no doubt. One could even say it’s a microcosm of Fort Worth’s assorted tastes.
Husband and wife owners Tyler Anne and John Stevens have long been connected with the music industry, with John being a professional musician since high school (the mid-‘90s) and Tyler tending bar for 10 years at the now shuttered Lola’s. They even previously had a brief foray into owning a music venue, the now closed Tin Panther.
“I’ve been touring for 10 years with a guy named Lanny Flowers out of Arlington,” John says. “I was also on the road with Summer Dean as her guitar player, and I played with some more local guys like Carey Wolff and Sally Majestic. I also released my first solo album [Room for Living] during the pandemic.”
In 2017, the couple opened The Tin Panther, a bar and music venue located off Calvert Street near the Trinity’s fork. Or, as Tyler says, “where they’re going to flood the river at this point.” The metal-clad bar and music venue was previously home to J and J’s Blues Bar, a mainstay of Fort Worth’s blues scene for over 20 years. The secluded space made for a great live venue and an exclusive feel. But, unfortunately, it didn’t provide Tyler and John much foot traffic. They would end up closing their doors for good after two years.
“A lot of good memories were made there,” Tyler says. “I’m sad that it didn’t work out, but it gave me the knowledge to move on to Cicada with even more ammo and ready to go.”
According to John, “We were both pretty immersed in everything that was going on already, which has been very helpful to help us hit the ground running as far as everything from clientele to potential bookings.”
While The Cicada is resurrecting Tyler and John’s careers as venue owners, the couple are also resurrecting The Cicada as a music venue, which was once home to Main at South Side — known colloquially as MASS. Similar to The Cicada, MASS, which had the financial backing of 11 Cowtown residents, had a stage often graced by the city’s finest local musicians. The venue would close in September 2022, lasting five years.
Eager to give bar and venue ownership another go, Tyler and John scooped up the lease with the hope of continuing MASS’s legacy of local shows while creating a space that would be entirely their own.
“I really wanted to concentrate on making sure that I changed the aesthetic so that people didn’t feel as though we just flipped open a new same concept. And I just really wanted to make sure that the community still had a local music venue of that size and that room didn’t die.”
The interior is, indeed, much different. No offense to MASS, but The Cicada actually has an interior — a vibe. It’s an impressive feat that they were able to turn a cold warehouse into a warm venue. It doesn’t hurt that Tyler happened to be raised by an interior designer, an eye she clearly inherited.
“I am a Maximalist, and it absolutely comes out in my style,” Tyler says. “Everything in there is secondhand, and that’s really important to me — to make sure and reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. I just love to have that quirky, comfortable feel.”
Meanwhile, John, with his background in construction, would ensure everything functioned properly. “Quirky lights? She’d bring them to me, and I had to make ’em work.”
The pair are also now booking through Brooks Kendall, previously the owner of the recently closed The Post on River East. So, expect to see more national acts on their upcoming schedule. That said, Tyler and John won’t forget their pledge to the local scene.
“I’m born and raised here, so this is the scene that made me a musician,” John says. “There are venues in town that are doing a very good job at attracting national acts, and that’s great. But I really enjoy focusing on the talent that this town has, which is immense.”
Music venues, like restaurants, often come and go. But we have a feeling this spot has a heck of a lot of staying power.
“It’s really important for us to continue supporting the local scene,” Tyler says, “and giving the people a safe, inclusive environment where people can create memories and create friendships.”
