My Montrose: DJ Sun at The Flat

You recently rebranded The Flat, right? Can you tell me a little bit about that?

In November of last year, I was given the opportunity to take over The Flat and operate it. I’ve been a DJ in town for about twenty-one years, and I’ve had a radio show for twenty. And I’m a recording artist, as well. I’ve been making records for seven or eight years. After putting out my last album in January 2013, I thought it would be nice to centralize at a spot where people could find out what I’m doing, and hear good music that I support. Once I took over, I had a couple of objectives: I wanted to bring this bar back to the Montrose and have it be part of the community, and I wanted to sustain the fact that it’s been here and been somewhat of an institution. It just needed a little bit of a rework since it had been open for eight years. So we improved furniture…our aesthetic is mid-century modern. We have this great patio.

How does The Flat differentiate from other bars and music venues in Montrose?

We’re specifically driven by the aesthetic of what I’ve done for the last twenty years as a DJ. So the music is very driven by that aesthetic. I started a radio show twenty years ago called Soular Grooves that has a lot of soul, a lot of jazz. We stay away from commercial music. So when you come here, you should expect to hear good music in an environment you can enjoy.

You said you wanted to centralize your brand somewhere so that people could find you and your music. Could you have done that in another neighborhood or is there something about Montrose?

I’ve lived in Montrose for the last fifteen years or so. Montrose up to this point is my home, and I feel like what I present and what we do here really fits within the multicultural and really awesome feel of what Montrose has to offer. There are people from all walks of life, and that’s what I represent. I’m not from Houston originally; I came from different parts of the world, and have mixed heritage and background. So Montrose really speaks to me in that way.

What do you love best about Montrose?

The diversity. The fact that it has a high concentration of artists. The unique flavor that gives it it’s own quirky personality. You can walk a few blocks and be in a completely different setting, just all within the Montrose.

Where are some of your favorite places to go in Montrose?

I like Anvil, and Poison Girl. I’m a great fan of Café Brasil. … And I love the MFAH. I work with the MFAH as well. Blacksmith is really nice. And I really like the whole fish at Underbelly.

Do you see any challenges ahead for Montrose?

Population density, traffic, and aesthetic preservation. Just a basic civic education for a lot of people coming in to an area with a very unique characteristic, but they don’t know where they are. We welcome them! But we also want to educate them on the historical perspective.

Is there anything upcoming at The Flat you want to talk about?

We have July 4th weekend with Chef Blue, who is known for Morgan’s in Brooklyn. He’s from Houston, and he’s going to do a barbeque on July 4th. That Saturday we also have the Soular Grooves crew, four DJs from the radio show playing here. And on July 6th we’ll have a brunch pop-up.