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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 5:32 pm to ronk
Posted on 5/7/25 at 5:32 pm to ronk
quote:
Went to see phunk junkees and 2 skinnee j’s stole the show. 1997-98
I honestly can't remember the last time I met someone who knew those bands... and I had all of their CD's along with shootyz groove stuff. They seemed to be a similar trio.
2
Posted on 5/7/25 at 5:39 pm to DiamondDog
Saw Hank III there in 2006. Bumped into my 81 year old anthropology instructor at the show.
It was a fun time.
Don’t know that I’ve seen more than a couple different shows of I can’t even remember who since.
It was a fun time.
Don’t know that I’ve seen more than a couple different shows of I can’t even remember who since.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 6:15 pm to armsdealer
quote:
Went to see phunk junkees and 2 skinnee j’s stole the show. 1997-98 I honestly can't remember the last time I met someone who knew those bands... and I had all of their CD's along with shootyz groove stuff. They seemed to be a similar trio.
Turn it up, tuturn it up
Posted on 5/7/25 at 6:57 pm to DiamondDog
I practically lived there in college in the early 2010’s between all the shows I attended and performed at. Really unfortunate that they book shows so infrequently now. Down was awesome there last year.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:01 pm to ansertiger
quote:
That being said, it's a fantastic venue and there's still plenty of potential to have great shows and large crowds there with the right artists/events.
It’s a great building, being an old theater, but it’s really in need of modernization. The house lighting system in particular is ancient (or at least it was as of a couple of years ago).
As for what happened, I think there are a lot of factors but live music is basically dead in BR post-COVID. You might have 1/3 as many bands playing around BR on a Friday night as you would have had in 2018-2019. Much less 2005-2006. The early-20’s crowd today doesn’t seem to really give a shite about live music.
If you’re a venue like the Varsity, it puts you in an awkward spot. They used to get a lot of midweek tour spots for national acts passing through, but those shows are riskier now since the folks who might actually go are older and probably aren’t going out on a Wednesday or Thursday night. That’s if they can even still get those acts booked, considering there’s a lot less touring activity in LA in general nowadays.
Most of the bigger regional acts who would actually draw a crowd have aged out or just fallen off. The ones remaining aren’t enough to fill a calendar. The Varsity is more of a music-as-a-destination type of venue (rather than a bar that happens to have live music) so that rules out most local cover bands. And local original bands, even if they only play for a cut of the door, probably aren’t covering the cost of the show.
I’ll admit that I didn’t expect to see their calendar completely empty, though. It’s unfortunate. It wouldn’t surprise me if The Chimes eventually just expands the restaurant into the theater space.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:01 pm to Kafka
Picked up Paint the White House Black CD a few years back for $5 on eBay! Big score.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:04 pm to lostinbr
quote:
live music is basically dead in BR post-COVID.
Have you not heard of Chelsea's? Its constantly packed.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:05 pm to lostinbr
quote:
The early-20’s crowd today doesn’t seem to really give a shite about live music.
They don’t go out half as much as they did 10 years ago or 1/4 as much as they did 20 years ago because they can’t afford to.
quote:
Have you not heard of Chelsea's? Its constantly packed.
During The Varsity’s heyday, it was far from the only venue in town. It was the biggest and best, but there were far more competitors. Chelsea’s only has one real competitor now in Mid City Ballroom, and they don’t even serve alcohol.
This post was edited on 5/7/25 at 7:07 pm
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:14 pm to kingbob
quote:
They don’t go out half as much as they did 10 years ago or 1/4 as much as they did 20 years ago because they can’t afford to.
Maybe. I’d be curious to know the percentage of college students with jobs today compared to 15 years ago. In any case, I think there’s more to it than just money.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:15 pm to DiamondDog
Not going to Arctic Monkeys in 2013 is one of my bigger regrets
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:16 pm to lostinbr
quote:
but those shows are riskier now since the folks who might actually go are older and probably aren’t going out on a Wednesday or Thursday night.
You'd have to really give me a reason to leave my house after working all day.
2003-2011 was prime Varsity for me, personally. I'd go to shows regularly. I had no money but would somehow find a way to spend $20/30 for good bands. Another $30-$40 in beer. That's getting loaded.
There are no many places you can go to say I drank all I could and saw a show for $75, even back in 2010.
Varsity seemed like a decent venue and even more attractive being its attached to Chimes.
You can't tell me you couldn't book that place out for people in their 30s/40s being its attached to a restaurant. I'd do dinner and band right now if I could.
But then again, it seems rather exhausting at 40.
I had a lot more spunk at 23.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:17 pm to lostinbr
quote:
Maybe. I’d be curious to know the percentage of college students with jobs today compared to 15 years ago. In any case, I think there’s more to it than just money.
Yeah, they work WAY more hours on average too.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:19 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:
Have you not heard of Chelsea's? It’s constantly packed.
That’s one venue. Meanwhile there are a ton of Baton Rouge bars that have either shut down, stopped booking bands, or slowed down booking bands.
“Basically dead” doesn’t mean completely nonexistent, but there’s no comparison to the Caterie days (RIP) as an example.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:19 pm to MardiGrasCajun
Anyone remember seeing Super Tyrone?
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:20 pm to lostinbr
Texas Club books live music and is still doing well
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:23 pm to Brosef Stalin
I wouldn't drive out to Airline at night 15/20 years ago. I definitely wouldn't now.
How is Texas club still open? It was the redneck trash riveria when I was in college...aka...people not in school bar.
How is Texas club still open? It was the redneck trash riveria when I was in college...aka...people not in school bar.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:28 pm to DiamondDog
quote:
How is Texas club still open? It was the redneck trash riveria when I was in college...aka...people not in school bar.
It has somehow become Grand Sorostitute Central these past few years. It's all greek kids cosplaying as cowboys and cowgirls these days.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:31 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:
Texas Club books live music and is still doing well
The Texas Club’s calendar shows 5 events total between now and the end of July. That’s less than one show every 2 weeks. And the Texas Club has always had live music as long as I can remember.
Again, yes - places that still book bands exist. But that list is much smaller, with a much lower volume of shows, than it was 10-20 years ago.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:39 pm to lostinbr
I'm old now, but I remember seeing Blind Melon like it was yesterday. It wasn't long before Shannon Hoon died. I was up front near the stage, you could look in his eyes and see that he was beaked out.
One of the funest concerts I ever went too there was El Vez.
The Varsity made up for some terrible football teams at LSU in the mid-90's. Sad to hear it is apparently a shadow of it's former self.
One of the funest concerts I ever went too there was El Vez.
The Varsity made up for some terrible football teams at LSU in the mid-90's. Sad to hear it is apparently a shadow of it's former self.
Posted on 5/7/25 at 7:40 pm to kingbob
quote:
It has somehow become Grand Sorostitute Central these past few years. It's all greek kids cosplaying as cowboys and cowgirls these days.
That's a 180 from what I knew.
Bogies, JLs, Freds used to be that.
Times change.
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