LOCAL Houston | The City Guide January 2017 | Page 24

CLUB • ICE HOUSE • LOUNGE

THE SECRET GROUP well , now everyone knows

By Mike Cook Photography by Daniel Ortiz
With the New Year comes a review of a bit of a twist on the old bar concept . Shhhhhh , the place still serves craft beer , cocktails , fun shots and some wine . Quiet down , this place is in what was , we presume , a dingy old group of warehouses that have been remodeled into a real cool space . Be quiet ! One has a rooftop patio for smoking and , you know , city viewing . Silence ! But what they also have , which we would argue has been a long time coming , is a venue for improv , or stand-up comedy ( if that ’ s your preferred terminology ), along with a host of live music shows rarely found around Houston . OK , fine , shout out loud because , if it ever was , The Secret Group shouldn ’ t be a secret anymore .
What makes up essentially a whole block of warehouses , The Secret Group has renovated two so far , one doing its best version of a full-time bar with special shots ( the Trump Creme Shot was yuuge ), 18 choice draft beers , cocktails , dim lighting , creatively cut metal and generally looking mighty fine in its industrial redo . They also throw a DJ into the mix on this side , often it seems . The cool kids loved it . The other building ( they are connected ) – more open , more lighting and with its own not-quite-as-full bar – has the stage and
hosts the bigger acts . Eventually , some other warehouses on the block will be redone as well to help The Secret Group take over EADO ( do we still use this ?), at least that ’ s what a cool bartender told us during our last visit . She seemed honest , but maybe the joke ’ s on us ? Either way , there ’ s a lot of compelling reasons to give The Secret Group a try .
Here ’ s the main one , though . Skinny Lister , a 6-piece British “ indie-folk ” band just happened to be playing during our recent Saturday night out at The Secret Group . And , boy , did they deliver a hell of a show . Great little crowd , too ; they were loving it . Somehow , the lead female vocalist even managed to crowdsurf ! We knew nothing about the band ; the show ended up a real treat . Which we kind of think is what The Secret Group is all about . A great way to switch up the norm . Something new for the
New Year and beyond . Skinny Lister is just one of the treats The Secret Group serves up daily . Be sure to check the website for all the details on the events . They know what they are doing .
The Secret Group | 2101 Polk Street | Houston , TX 77003 GM : 832.898.1088 | Box Office : 832.898.4688 | Bar : 832.898.2018 www . thesecretgrouphtx . com | www . twitter . com / SecretGroupHTX
24 LOCAL | january 17