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Started By
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re: What happened to The Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge? It no longer books live music?
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:22 am to BillyOceans11
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:22 am to BillyOceans11
quote:
Remember seeing Better Than Ezra there a few times in the late 90s. Good times!
L'Auberge books them regularly now.
I actually wonder if L'Auberge "stole" most of the acts that would have normally booked Varsity.
Varsity being empty is tangible proof today's generation is waaaaaay different than GenX/Millenial gens
2
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:24 am to ansertiger
quote:
What did attendance look like?
Venue was pretty full actually. It was a great show too.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:33 am to BillyOceans11
There was a stretch in the 90s where Toad, Hootie, Dave Matthew’s, Ezra, and similar played there as part of their SE college tour. I think Beck played there as well, but someone else may have a better memory than me.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:37 am to michael corleone
it wasn't that long ago that Turnpike played there. that was a great show!
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:37 am to cubsfinger
quote:
My wife took note there 7 years ASU to see whiskey meyers. Had a great night and often thought sit that place
I am also still drunk from that 2019 concert. Right before COVID. We had no idea what was coming.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:38 am to UptownJoeBrown
quote:
I watched movies there. Was a different experience than the big theaters
I remember the Saturday Matinees there as a kid....They'd roll VERY old westerns that were unintentionally hilarious on purpose!
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:47 am to Tigeralum2008
It wouldn’t be very hard for them to come back
I’m sure whoever owns it isn’t paying rent, just hire a few popular college kids to tend bar and steal the Murphy’s playbook to get a weeknight crowd, do bands on Friday, college football Saturday nfl Sunday
Have some deal with chimes for food and they can get better bands than Chelsea’s since it’s like twice the size
Bands like turnpike should go back to playing the varsity. They got too big for their britches with the river center show and only sold like 10% of it out
I’m sure whoever owns it isn’t paying rent, just hire a few popular college kids to tend bar and steal the Murphy’s playbook to get a weeknight crowd, do bands on Friday, college football Saturday nfl Sunday
Have some deal with chimes for food and they can get better bands than Chelsea’s since it’s like twice the size
Bands like turnpike should go back to playing the varsity. They got too big for their britches with the river center show and only sold like 10% of it out
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:53 am to DiamondDog
Saw Quiet Riot there in either '91 or '92.
Marcia Ball a few times.
BTE, Dash Rip Rock, and Cowboy Mouth a few times as well.
Marcia Ball a few times.
BTE, Dash Rip Rock, and Cowboy Mouth a few times as well.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:57 am to el Gaucho
This 100%.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:59 am to DiamondDog
Saw Deepthroat and The Devil and Ms. Jones there when it was x rated movies. We called it the The Vagina.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:01 am to el Gaucho
quote:
sure whoever owns it isn’t paying rent
Pretty sure the chimes people own it. I think post Covid, it just got harder for a place like that to make money
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:01 am to ansertiger
quote:
An unfortunate combination of struggling with COVID, outsourcing their booking to an unreliable 3rd party for a while who didn't know the BR scene, the new Chelsea's Live as a competitor filling a lot of that music vacuum as a result, kids not going out as much anymore, and a portion of bands skipping over Louisiana when they may not have before.
Who went in after Alex?
The run of bookers was solid for like 30 years:
Glenn (whatever happened to this guy)
Chris
Alex
Also worth noting: the glory days were before LiveNation ruined the industry. Touring acts tied to LN plus ticketing through TM makes things very unprofitable. Lord forbid the venue have to guarantee, then scalper bots cannibalize the tickets so the show is only at 60% capacity which means less bar sales.
This post was edited on 5/7/25 at 8:07 am
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:02 am to jdd48
quote:
Venue was pretty full actually. It was a great show too.
Honestly great to hear.
Unfortunately, I think that's been more the exception than the rule for who they've booked as of late.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:07 am to Tigeralum2008
Still have my Varsity 32 oz Monday Night football cup from the early 90’s. Best deal around. Buy it for like 3 bucks and get it refilled unlimited for $1.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:17 am to piratedude
quote:
I don't believe that people listen to music like we used to. It's more about the party and being seen. I think they view themselves as the center of attention, and music is background for whatever they are doing. and yes, i'm old. but dang, when someone like Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly, Pat Green or Bob Schneider is playing at the Varsity, and the dance floor is taken up with people standing in circles talking loudly, or are lined up at the bar with their back to the band, something is wrong.
So just like football games
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:21 am to DiamondDog
Saw turnpike there twice, Charley Crockett opened for them. Was spectacular.
They might be temporarily holding off on shows for renovations or something. It was a huge stop for many bands.
They might be temporarily holding off on shows for renovations or something. It was a huge stop for many bands.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:21 am to cptigger
quote:
it wasn't that long ago that Turnpike played there. that was a great show!
That was like 12 years ago
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:23 am to el Gaucho
quote:
Bands like turnpike should go back to playing the varsity. They got too big for their britches with the river center show and only sold like 10% of it out
Back when they played at the varsity they were pretty big. It was jam packed then they were on Yellowstone and the mainstream nerds discovered them and ruined it for the real original fans. Same thing happened with Shane Smith and the Saints and Zach Bryan x100
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:23 am to DiamondDog
Used to see ZOSO, the Led Zep tribute band, at the Varsity regularly. They are doing their 30th anniversary tour and have no Louisiana dates booked.
https://www.zosoontour.com/
https://www.zosoontour.com/
Posted on 5/7/25 at 8:23 am to CottonWasKing
quote:
That was like 12 years ago
Saw them there in 2016 and 2016
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