The Lucky Losers, featuring Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz, play at The Wildcatter Saloon Bar and Grill in Katy, TX. Other band members include Paul Niehaus IV, Aaron Underwood, and David Watson.
When Jeff Simon purchased the Wildcatter Saloon in 2012, then known as Bryant Ice House, it was primarily a biker bar—home to a rough crowd at times. The ice house was hidden a few blocks off of the I-10 feeder road near FM 1463 and all but unknown to most bar-goers. At the time, the business was struggling and the bar was in a state of disrepair. In the past two years, however, business has improved and Wildcatter’s atmosphere has changed, though it still has a few biker regulars—weekend warriors mostly. “We’re no longer primarily a biker bar,” Simon said. “We’re a local neighborhood stop now.” This transformation is due in part to help from the Spike network television series “Bar Rescue.” The show’s producers select a bar and a team makes recommendations on how to improve it, while also remodeling and repairing it. Recently, Wildcatter began offering live blues music on Sunday afternoons from 2–6 p.m. The “Blues and Brews” event, as they have dubbed it, has really taken off. It’s a great event for families, since it takes place in the afternoon and early evening, he said.