- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Catfish Town 35th Anniversary
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:06 pm to prplhze2000
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:06 pm to prplhze2000
What was that?
0
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:10 pm to Draconian Sanctions
Remember when they tried to revitalize with Sogo Live. Wednesday night 3-for-1 drinks and Michael Foster Project was GOAT
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:13 pm to prplhze2000
quote:
National Sports Festival
Wow. The next big thing. Does it still exist anywhere?
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:17 pm to Paul Allen
quote:
Never understood why it didn’t work out. People have been wanting to galvanize downtown for decades now.
It doesn't flow into the rest of downtown very well. The River Center is in the way. Its basically hidden. Its very easy to visit downtown and never realize Catfish town is there.
If the street car system connecting LSU and downtown were to be built (I know its a pipe dream) then it could make a stop in Catfish town. LSU students would then be able to access a mall type atmosphere very easily. It would revitalize Catfish town.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:34 pm to Paul Allen
quote:
Never understood why it didn’t work out
Two words:
Ossie
Brown
Bonus word:
Alcohol
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:38 pm to Draconian Sanctions
quote:
It quickly crashed in spectacular, Hindenburg-esque fashion.
Nice idea but was doomed because of the economy. Something like that might actually stand a chance today.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 6:58 pm to DoctorTechnical
What does Ossie Brown have to do with Catfish Town’s failure?
Posted on 5/1/19 at 7:39 pm to Draconian Sanctions
That's a fair question. And you young folks need to hear this story.
To set it up, let's roll the wayback machine to Baton Rouge 35 years ago. Downtown Baton Rouge had the Centroplex and its attached entertainment venue. All well and good, and yes I enjoyed going to the my-ears-are-still-ringing Van Halen show. Neil Diamond, too.
But frankly, not much else was happening in sleepy little downtown BTR. Until... gaming (God-forbid we call it "gambling") came to town, and as part of that money-flood Catfish Town was built.
Again, all well and good, until as part of a promotion to boost mid-week attendance Catfish Town wanted to host some open-to-the-public, after-5pm live music in the Atrium, including the ability for such patrons to drink a beer outside of an official restaurant (gasp) while enjoying the live music.
Several such events attracting large crowds were held, and that's when the same old-boy machine who previously and successfully banned Monty Python's "Life of Brian" from being shown in town (the horror) rolled back into action. The old trope of "Oh Lord we are going to have drunk children intoxicated on that Demon Alcohol and wandering the quiet streets of our lovely downtown BTR" was brought out, the Metro Council rolled over with some rules limiting alcohol serving/consumption in public during weekdays, and thus started the end of Catfish Town.
35 years later we have fights over downtown bars and the concept of an "Entertainment District".
The more things change...
To set it up, let's roll the wayback machine to Baton Rouge 35 years ago. Downtown Baton Rouge had the Centroplex and its attached entertainment venue. All well and good, and yes I enjoyed going to the my-ears-are-still-ringing Van Halen show. Neil Diamond, too.
But frankly, not much else was happening in sleepy little downtown BTR. Until... gaming (God-forbid we call it "gambling") came to town, and as part of that money-flood Catfish Town was built.
Again, all well and good, until as part of a promotion to boost mid-week attendance Catfish Town wanted to host some open-to-the-public, after-5pm live music in the Atrium, including the ability for such patrons to drink a beer outside of an official restaurant (gasp) while enjoying the live music.
Several such events attracting large crowds were held, and that's when the same old-boy machine who previously and successfully banned Monty Python's "Life of Brian" from being shown in town (the horror) rolled back into action. The old trope of "Oh Lord we are going to have drunk children intoxicated on that Demon Alcohol and wandering the quiet streets of our lovely downtown BTR" was brought out, the Metro Council rolled over with some rules limiting alcohol serving/consumption in public during weekdays, and thus started the end of Catfish Town.
35 years later we have fights over downtown bars and the concept of an "Entertainment District".
The more things change...
Posted on 5/1/19 at 7:54 pm to DoctorTechnical
quote:
But frankly, not much else was happening in sleepy little downtown BTR. Until... gaming (God-forbid we call it "gambling") came to town, and as part of that money-flood Catfish Town was built.
I believe Catfish town was built in 1984, long before gambling was legalized (1991). Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 8:00 pm to ellishughtiger
Before Sogo it was called America’s pub
Posted on 5/1/19 at 8:35 pm to Draconian Sanctions
Remember being there opening day. Think it was july4?
Hot as hell
Hot as hell
Posted on 5/1/19 at 8:40 pm to DoctorTechnical
quote:
But frankly, not much else was happening in sleepy little downtown BTR. Until... gaming (God-forbid we call it "gambling") came to town, and as part of that money-flood Catfish Town was built.
Wrong. Catfish Town was developed by Jerry Dodson the attorney and most of his partners were trial attorneys including Paul Duhe who had a substantial portion of it. They built it out in the early 80’s and only a couple years later the bank took it over and it dies a death as an amusement/entertainment venue. Sat empty, was converted to office space and was then sold to whoever owned the Belle of Baton Rouge in the early 90’s.
Gambling had nothing to do with the original inception nor did Ossis Brown have an impact on its demise. The developers lost big money from the beginning and never had a handle on it.
It was originally owned by Phil Whitter family (his grandmother) and just beyond it behind Steinbergs was Baton Rouge Lumber, which they also owned. It was old dilapidated warehouses and they built office space first for attorneys mostly and then the venue. Pat Screen has his hand in it and taxpayer money was also used to fund it. The RTC took it over when all the banks and savings and loans failed.
This post was edited on 5/1/19 at 9:13 pm
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:06 pm to Martini
Martini and MikeBRLA, I defer to your clear-eyed analysis of the timing and background knowledge of the venue. At that time I was just a tiny cog in the wheel of the BTR entertainment business.
My placement on that wheel allowed me to hear the initial excitement and expectations of people who -- like me -- loved everything about BTR and thought that the CT venue just might help the town rise above mediocrity, especially after the success of the July CT opening which unarguably brought suburban folks back downtown.
We can disagree about why that dream failed, but it is a shame that it did.
My placement on that wheel allowed me to hear the initial excitement and expectations of people who -- like me -- loved everything about BTR and thought that the CT venue just might help the town rise above mediocrity, especially after the success of the July CT opening which unarguably brought suburban folks back downtown.
We can disagree about why that dream failed, but it is a shame that it did.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:25 pm to DoctorTechnical
Well it’s a laundry list of reasons it failed. Oil crash, town too small, underfunded, wrong type of mixed use, wrong people involved including the mayor and the use of grant money which we, the tax payers got stuck with.
It was really envisioned a bit too Grand and developed by attorneys, not developers even though there are plenty of bad developers. Say what anyone wants about Tommy Spinosa but he has a good vision for a project. He lacks the ability to bring it to completion, he lacks respect for obvious reasons and he has always been undercapitalized. Catfish Town done by Mike Wampold would succeed. He has the vision, the network, the money and the trust. He’s the best developer by far in this area.
John Enquist and Charles Landry could make it work for the same reasons.
That’s about it for local. RW Day, Spinosa, Hartley Vey those days are done.
It was really envisioned a bit too Grand and developed by attorneys, not developers even though there are plenty of bad developers. Say what anyone wants about Tommy Spinosa but he has a good vision for a project. He lacks the ability to bring it to completion, he lacks respect for obvious reasons and he has always been undercapitalized. Catfish Town done by Mike Wampold would succeed. He has the vision, the network, the money and the trust. He’s the best developer by far in this area.
John Enquist and Charles Landry could make it work for the same reasons.
That’s about it for local. RW Day, Spinosa, Hartley Vey those days are done.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:27 pm to Lsupimp
quote:
It’s gonna be Yuge ! Wait until we get the US Olympic Festival later this Summer . Baton Rouge is going to be on the map baby! Any day now they will build a loop and by the mid 90s we will be on fire!
Pat Screen was the only mayor BR ever had with a vision to want to make it something other than nowheresville. Too bad he had too many other demons to battle.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:35 pm to Y.A. Tittle
Well like Pat Screen or not at least you knew you had a Mayor. Tom Bob McHugh (as my father called him) and Boobie Simpson the “invisible” mayor were horrible.
Then finally Kip won and my first foray into supporting a black democrat. And frankly I’m glad I did and wish he would come out of retirement.
Then finally Kip won and my first foray into supporting a black democrat. And frankly I’m glad I did and wish he would come out of retirement.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:41 pm to Draconian Sanctions
quote:
C: They allowed you to take drinks out of establishments (though not outside Catfish Town) for awhile and when they decided to crack down on this it killed the vibe.
the bands played outside, so you'd go into the food court for food and drinks, then take them outside to enjoy the atmosphere. the other bars in town complained that they could not serve drinks to go but catfish town could. The city then banned alcohol from leaving the building. it was over overnight.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 9:49 pm to Draconian Sanctions
It failed due to a branding issue. "Catfish Town" was the wrong name and the wrong brand. Should have called it "Flounder Town".
Posted on 5/1/19 at 10:46 pm to danfraz
quote:uh.. do we know each other?
Hung out with this guy I worked with who we went and saw Pink Flamingos with Divine at the Varsity when it was still a movie theater.
Posted on 5/1/19 at 10:49 pm to CAD703X
Listening to 8:15 to nowhere by vicious pink while dancing on X at Makos Yacht Club. 
Page 2 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News