Spontaneity is the spice of life and so was the case for Fetty Be this past weekend!! In a very atypical manner, a week ago I was madly re-organizing my calendar. I had just discovered that long time supporter of the Buzz, DJ Sizzahandz, was going to be doing a gig at Tre Nightclub in Sacramento, CA. Sizzahandz “Siz”, is one half of the Crooklyn Clan crew (DJ Riz being the other member) & founder of the remix website service for DJ’s http://www.crooklynclan.net, http://www.crack4djs.net, www.ratedh.net .
http://www.crooklynclan.net
As many of you know due to my publicity work for Siz, I am big supporter of ALL that’s Crooklyn Clan and do my best to promote the affiliated featured artists and services. Siz was actually our first major DJ who reached out to us when we were just beginning and gave us a shot at featuring him! As a result, he put us on his original site, http://www.crooklynclan.net ,in order to give us greater exposure within the DJ/music community. We still remain on the site today (under News and Updates!) and for that we will be forever grateful. Therefore, since Siz was haulin’ his person and one of his road managers DJ Smooth City, all the way across country to do a gig that was about an hour away from my home, I HAD to go and see him.
Road Manager DJ Smooth City and DJ Sizzahandz
He’s the “Bossman”, as I like to call him. I mean that with highest of respect. When a person shows a gesture of kindness, it must be returned. That is how we roll at The Buzz! LP was supportive and despite our domestic plans, I was freed up to go and represent The Buzz deck side with Siz. The first time that I saw him spin was down in San Diego at a club called Aubergine in April 08’. He was with his beautiful lady and mother of his son, Miss April 2005 Courtney Culkin. We had quite a night and it was incredible to see the man in action on the decks.
Fetty Be Meeting DJ Sizzahandz & His Beautiful Lady Miss April 2005 Courtney Culkin in San Diego 08’
As I noted in my Buzz exclusive article about DJ AM, Siz also possesses such a deep connection and wealth of knowledge of the equipment and music, that he truly works it in such a way that it’s like an instrument. It’s an extension of himself, some might say. It’s a dance that he does while interfacing with the laptop, turntable/s, mixing board and all the while absorbing the atmosphere, processing, selecting, AND interacting with peers. He’s very smooth about it and for many reasons. At this point in Siz’s career, he has done this so many times that it’s almost solely a kinesthetic process….like driving. He utilizes his senses now more than anything to guide him through the decision-making processes involved in creating the party vibe. He doesn’t need to over think his gigs now, as he has a massive reach of experiences to draw upon for precedents. He KNOWS what works based on the past and can analyze a venue chemistry swiftly and then piece together the magical ingredients, in this case…the genre of music and flow, to satisfy the unique musical appetite of the crowd.
The Man, The Machines and The Vibes Are One
For this particular event with Siz, I was additionally jacked to discover it was at a club that I had not yet visited. It was an opportunity to work on better developing my awareness of the Sacramento club scene. The club that we were to visit had actually been the former El Torito Restaurant and the club opened it’s doors in Dec 2008. “It was gutted and refurbished by the Haines brothers (Matt and Fred). Since opening…as a nightclub and dining spot, Tre has won its share of accolades for a diverse and well-executed menu that spans Italian, French and even Cajun cooking.” (cited from: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/dining/archives/2009_05.html ) The space itself according to the specs is 11000 square feet and following it’s 2 million dollar renovations, now possesses 1 large dance floor, private VIP areas (like PURE in LV), an outdoor patio for smoking, and 6 specialized bars. “1 very large bar in their restaurant/bar area, an oyster/vodka bar, a wine bar, a spirits (scotch/whiskey, etc.) bar, a cigar bar, and a tequila bar. These bars surround the perimeter of the building with a dance floor and DJ in the middle of the club.“ (cited from: Vanessa G http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento)
DJ Smooth City, Fetty Be and DJ Sizzahandz
I have to confess that we didn’t get to experience all of the richness of the club during this initial visit (next time for sure!), as we were focused on getting Siz to the club on time following a business dinner and started on rolling out his beats to a jam-packed crowd! When we rolled up outside of the venue, it was literally a mob! I can see why club-goers could be frustrated with the lines. I was grateful that I was able to join Siz and Smooth as their guest and walk right in. Otherwise, waiting to get in might get rather daunting. Once on the inside, we were swiftly taken to the booth where greetings were made, bottle service was taken care of and the transition began between Siz and DJ Knuckles.
DJ Knuckles and DJ Smooth City Preppin’ For Siz
Smooth was very busy ensuring that all of the biz was well taken care of for Siz and I hung in the wings finding the whole process fascinating, helping where I could. Since Siz possesses such notoriety and history within the club culture, DJs were already milling around the booth with the hopes of meeting him and getting to see him spin up-close. Like DJ AM, he is a role model, a “hero”, a pioneer in the mash-up industry and many DJ’s aspire to meet him once in their career. Peeps were attempting to give him their cds, with hopes and dreams attached, while he was setting up shop. Siz was kind to his fans and supporters and “made” time to acknowledge them despite his own pressures. I found this admirable. So many artists put themselves above others, yet Siz always remembers where he came from and is always extending out his hands to those reaching upwards. His websites are a testimony to that statement. Once the niceties were out of the way, and CROOKLYN CLAN was in the house, the party really started to kick up a notch! Due to the fact that it was the co-owner’s birthday (Matt Haines), a well-known and sought-after live drummer named Justin Barnes had been brought in, as well as, additional media to hype the joint. Siz was formerly introduced to Matt and it was all caught live on camera!! Very Hollywood!
Siz just rolled with it all. Having been down the celebrity road many times, this show is old hat to an artist of his stature. He took it all in stride and the owner appeared very pleased with caliber of music that Siz was throwing down. The highlight of the gig though for Siz and his entourage (including me!), was seeing how the club would react to his brand new ORIGINALLY PRODUCED TRAX “Dirty Girl”, featuring Brando!! It was HAWT!!! The drummer also joined in on the fun appearing to love the trax and the dance floor ate it up like ear candy! It was definitely a hit as far as I could tell. Peeps on the perimeter were “head dancing” as I like to call it, and the dancers all over the club continued to ride their adrenaline high! Siz then mixed in some Deadmau in a delicious transition and everyone got giddy!!! It was a transi that was as smooth as “buttttta” !
Drummer Justin Barnes
The DJ booth doesn’t possess very good site lines in my opinion, as it is elevated but with a dark barrier that prevents the DJ from clearly seeing the dance floor and patrons. In some ways I can see how this is a good thing for the DJs, so that they won’t be bothered. However, it’s VERY difficult to see the crowd in order to “read” it. Perhaps my own height is making me bias here, but I think the dark glass is problematic. In my opinion, the crowd SHOULD be allowed to see the DJ, as many feed off of the expressions and reactions of the DJ. I know I do. If a DJ isn’t feeling it, then I find it hard to believe in the party vibe.
It’s that unspoken dialogue between the artist and recipient/s. It’s an exchange of energy. I guess Siz was tall enough, or able to see just enough. Although he did note that it was an unusual mix of tastes on the floor. He dropped a wide range of Crunk, Hip-Hop, mainstream remixed Top 40, and of course yummy House! They were a very liberal crowd according to Siz. The mass of bodies also affected how wild people could get too, which can skew the representation of exactly how the patrons feel about the music. 
Siz Takin’ Time
I agree that the dance floor is not as big as I would have hoped. However, I have seen far smaller. This isn’t a Mega club, so one must enter the space knowing that from the start. Getting a table and bottle service in VIP doesn’t seem a necessity though either, based on what some patrons have indicated in their individual reviews on other nightlife websites. This night was definitely a full capacity event. The staff were hustlin’ and the bottle service that we had was mediocre at best. After I tipped one of the bouncers, we were taken care of a bit better, but the follow up was rather weak. It was okay, because we weren’t powering through multiple bottles. “We be doing work son” in DJ speak!!! The table that we had for the DJ bottle service was very wobbly too, with no where for the DJ’s guests to sit. I didn’t mind because I like to dance anyways. However, I knocked over the ice and that was rather embarrassing since I wasn’t impaired!! It was the damn table! Oh well, I was grateful that at least I wasn’t a sardine out on the dance floor.
Fetty Be Luvin’ The Disco Balls!!!
As for the decor, the ceiling of 12 disco balls and wall of candles in the club is amazing!!! One patron stated that the candles give the space a bit of an old world church feeling and with the DJ being in an elevated pulpit-like booth, I would tend to agree!!! Hey it’s not the first time that this concept has been emulated in a nightclub! Churches HAVE become nightclubs….The Church in Denver for example!! Music can be spiritual for many and I liked the look of the candles on the wall. Overall, Tre possesses the whole package in my opinion. Even it’s location works. It’s identical to Aura Nightclub in Pleasanton, CA. It’s located in a shopping plaza. I think that is a brilliant idea. It’s in a zoned area for noise, has plenty of parking and is in a decent area of town. The dress code is relatively good and the staff are decked up to the nines. Classy. The club has a coat check which is a big must for Fetty Be. It’s annoying to have to cart ones coat around all night and I have had also had my coat stolen twice in clubs before, so big ups for the coat check!!Tre Nightclub is exactly as it’s name translates to in French! “Tres” means VERY and after a night of seeing the infamous DJ Sizzahandz hit the decks on the West coast in this little gem of a club in Sac, I can easily say the whole experience was most definitely…..TRE!
CLUB REVIEWS AND REFLECTIONS
TRE-- Tre is Sacramento's premiere Restaurant, Bar, Lounge, and Nightclub. Tre is proudly serving American Cuisine 7 nights a week from 5-10pm Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; and from 5-12am Wednesday through Saturday. Tre is available for private functions from 20 people to 200 people. Tre accepts reservations as well as walk-in traffic.
After 10pm TRE turns into nightclub and closes at 2AM.
Directions = from hwy 50 take Watt Ave north exit left on Hurley left on Howe immediate left into parking lot. From hwy 80 west take auburn Marconi exit. Left at light on Connie. left over freeway on Marconi. right on Howe at light. pass Hurley and it will be on the left just after the light in the old navy parking lot.
http://www.clubplanet.com/Venues/172689/Sacramento/Tre
DJ Hector S’s Lady Janette and Fetty Be
I came here two weeks ago on a Thursday with a few of my friends, and was actually kind of impressed with the place. For those who don;t want to venture all the way downtown, or risk getting harassed by all the cops in midtown, Tre is a cool spot. We got there at about 9:30 after putting our names on the guest list through the website. There were a lot of people there when we arrived, but it wasn't packed yet. The bartender was pretty cool as well. He got our drinks to us quick and was even giving us his honest opinion about what were the best drinks (and the cheapest, lol).
What surprised me most about Tre was how big it is inside. I remember when it used to be El Torito, but for some reason it looks bigger to me now. They also have a decent sized dance floor and a few different bars set up all around the club, which makes it a helluva lot easier to get a drink. Of course, your going to get your typical club crowd there, which consists of douche bags, thugs, and cougars, but that's half the fun, right?
Anyway, the drinks weren't especially cheap or expensive, but they were pretty strong, which is always a nice plus. Overall though, I give this place four out of five stars. It's a nice alternative to the downtown area, and a sh*tload better than the Barcode (not really saying much).
Scott T
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Tre isn't a bad night club. They only have one dance floor and 6 bars! 2 main bars, 1 cigar bar, 1 wine bar, 1 tequila bar, and 1 whiskey bar. I only wish their dance floor was a little bigger.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Coming from the Bay Area while experiencing some of the night life in LA and the East Coast (D.C., NY), I didn't expect much of a clubbing scene in Sacramento. That's what I get for assuming - people in Nor Cal have to get their boogie on too!
I've become especially frugal when it comes to spending money on clubs (and just going out in general) so I wasn't going to Tre unless it was free or under $5. Our group was on the guest list but we had to make it there by 11:00PM.
We had some laggers in the group so we got to the lot at 10:50PM but by the time we made it to the entrance, it was 11:10PM. They were going to charge us the cover, which was $15.
Oh, heeeeeeeeck-to-the-naaaaah! Thankfully, the nice gentleman working security allowed our group of five to just pay for 2. Otherwise, I woulda' booked. I ended up talking to him later - Rod ended up hooking all of his up with VIP passes. Nice dude.
The decor is awesome:
1. great seating area (ie. Venetian blinds or somethin'!),
2. outdoor patio for smokers,
3. a stacked bar with lights IN the counter (cool!), clean restroom,
4. a well-lit dance floor (with visible DJ, entry/exit)
5. one of the few places in Sacramento that exhibited the full extent of the city's diversity (very cool!)
Final Call:
With an eclectic crowd, enforced dress code, stacked bar, a distinct area where smokers couldn't kill people via second-hand, and a decent DJ, I'm coming back with dancing fever...only if I get on the guest list though!
Chuck N
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
YAY, new nightclub in Sac!!! Thank goodness. Everything else was way too overrated for my blood. LOL. So thank you Tre!
Guest list is free before 11pm. Free coat check. And really nice bouncers who can let you in even if you're not on the guest list... just work your charm! Trust me! ;)
Decor was very nice. I especially love the lounge booths and the center bar. VERRRRY cool bartenders here. And I had the BEST AMF of my life. It was really really good!! Seriously, HOLLER!!
Only downfall was that they need to tell the DJ to lay off the techno. Play some hip-hop or something once in a while, please! You definitely can't do your thang with an all-nighter techno, if you know what I mean. You should try it out before it gets nasty (in due time of course) like all other clubs. LOL.
Mary Grace V
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Glass Ball Ceiling Installation
Pretty decent club, sort of a weird setup though.
They have what seems like a foyer when you walk in, almost feels like the one to the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Your first time there you can be confused as to where to go. The bathrooms seem like they are a bit small, and being out in the entryway, can make the entryway very crowded towards the end of the evening. They also have a coat check room right in that same area.
There are stairs to get into either side (the middle of the building is the dance floor).
To one side is the main bar, and lots of booths (not sure if anyone can use them or if they are "reserved") plus some special wine/spirits rooms in the back. There is a raw seafood bar at the other end of the bar also.
To the other side, is the VIP lounges, which are pretty spacious, with tables in there for some reason. That whole side is VIP lounges, with a bar in the middle. The bad thing about this bar, it is also right off the exit from the dance floor, which is up some stairs. They give you a personal waitress, she was cool.
Patio area is ok, it looks down on the people in line, which I wasn't to crazy about. It should have been more on the side.
Dance floor is not huge, but not small either. The DJ is against the wall, raised on a platform. The lighting is nice, opposite the DJ high up there is a wall filled with those candles you would see in a church. Looks cool. Music was pretty good, I went on Saturday, which is Adult Swim. I danced a lot.
Overall, this place is pretty cool, and their VIP lounge is really nice. It isn't like some other places where the VIP is in the middle of everything so you could be seen, it is almost a room unto itself, which I really liked. I might come here again one of these days (don't go out nearly as much as I used to)
Louie L
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Former El Torito Restaurant
I was very pleasantly surprised with this place having previously been an El Torito. The $2 million remodel of this 11,000 sq. ft. building REALLY paid off. They have 6 bars!...1 very large bar in their restaurant/bar area, an oyster/vodka bar, a wine bar, a spirits (scotch/whiskey, etc.) bar, a cigar bar, and a tequila bar. These bars surround the perimeter of the building with a dance floor and DJ in the middle of the club. There are a lot of cool nooks and crannies filled with VIP lounges and tables. They also have a kitchen table where you sit in the kitchen and the chef pretty much prepares you exclusive meals for your party. Very cool!
I don't work here or anything, I just know a lot because my friend's former co-worker now works here and he gave us the grand tour. My expectations were also not that high seeing as though this is in the same shopping center as Ross and Marshall's, so I think seeing the inside of this place really impressed me.
We had a very good time and the DJ played some really fun music. We danced the night away with go-go dancers and some fruity cocktails. The decor is also very hip with a very slight influence of the pre-existing El Torito flair.
I'm not sure how this place operates on a regular basis, but we showed up around 9:30 on a Thursday, which is apparently ladies night, and didn't have to pay a cover or wait in line or anything. We also were given free drink tickets by someone, which was very cool. They also have valet parking, which is sort of ridiculous since there is a HUGE parking lot. Anyway, very impressed with my first visit and hope to have the same experience next time I go.
Vanessa G
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Beautiful Dining Areas
The interior architecture is quite spectacular! They really paid attention to detail and created a really nice environment. It almost feels like a private residence, with the different themed rooms. If you want an evening of people watching, this is a wonderful spot. Their food is fabulous, too. I have always liked 33rd street bistro (and 33rd Street Midtown and El Dorado Hills) so I wasn't surprised that the food was superb. The menu is creative with an interesting twist to some common and some not so common menu items. I would definitely recommend the Kobe Beef burgers which seem to melt in your mouth. Their drinks are a good value as well. The Captain and Coke that I ordered was diluted with alcohol rather than the other way around. I am so happy that I found this place!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-nightclub-sacramento
Giving you the Buzz biz with Siz at Tre in Sacramento, CA!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 
