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Message
re: Has The Varsity theatre closed?
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:04 pm to Shexter
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:04 pm to Shexter
quote:
I checked their website and FB page. They haven't posted any shows since June. Last event was LSU game on the big screen in August. Nothing on their event calendar. Have we lost this once great music venue?
It was the late Tim Hood's passion project. After he passed away, his partners in the Chimes corporation don't see it as a priority, from what I've been told.
It gets rented for private events.
But with The Manship Theater, Chelsea's Live and L'Auberge Casino competing for the shows coming through town... they just aren't fighting to be the place that bothers with any of it.
1
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:09 pm to Palomitz
quote:
On a different note, I'm wondering when this place peaked? 80's? 90's?
I remember back in the mid 90's they had events 3-4 nights in a row.
It was a movie theater for all of the 80s except maybe a year, then a hybrid... then a poorly-managed live music venue that went out of business...
The Chimes bought it and took it over, renovated it and opened it in 1991, maybe? The Chimes was losing money on restaurant sales by having live music, so moving that to the Varsity was a good solution (The Chimes originally was a dance club, then kind of a pub with bar food and live music... then a crew of people who worked for Mike Anderson's bought it and really made that work in the later 80s).
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:10 pm to CodyPasbons
quote:
My first make out session happened at The Varsity. Oh what a night!
Did this happen in late December back in 63?
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:19 pm to MyRockstarComplex
quote:
I’m showing my age, but I feel like peak Varsity was the run of bookers from Glenn to Chris to Alex.
The casino is getting good acts because I believe Chris is booking it now (plus casino money).
I’m sure someone will dispute me but BR just isn’t as appealing as NOLA when routing a tour. You have to pull more people from NOLA to a show in BR than would be required if you put the show in NOLA where BR fans are used to traveling.
Maybe you just consider BR if you’re trying to play Biloxi/Gulfport before the radius blackout ends. Or casinos. Casinos.
A big part of NOLA's audience is people coming in from all over the place... I meet people at shows who've flown in from Seattle or Atlanta or Denver or Brooklyn... not just at The Saenger or those theaters or The House of Blues, but smaller clubs like Gasa Gasa and Chickie Wah Wah... and I ask "but this act is playing where you're from on this tour, right?" and they're going to that show, too, and usually one or two more somewhere else... the thing is they come into NOLA for the show but get a full NOLA weekend trip and French Quarter party adventure out of it. That's not going to happen for a show in BR...
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:26 pm to Lee B
quote:
But with The Manship Theater, Chelsea's Live and L'Auberge Casino competing for the shows coming through town... they just aren't fighting to be the place that bothers with any of it.
Varsity shouldn't really be competing with those places. They are all different sizes and cater to different audiences. Even since covid they have shown that if you book a good band, people will attend. Down and Steel Panther had large crowds there and those are bands too big for Chelsea's. They should be competing with HOB and can bring in the acts that don't want to deal with Live Nation.
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:27 pm to blueboxer1119
Peak Varsity was the mid 90s. Right about the time they had Dio and Marilyn Manson (right as he was blowing up) within weeks of each other.
Best show I ever saw there was Butthole Surfers with Cibo Matto opening circa 97.
Last show I saw there was The Sword with King Buffalo about 5 or 6 years ago. Was a small crowd. Kinda lame.
Best show I ever saw there was Butthole Surfers with Cibo Matto opening circa 97.
Last show I saw there was The Sword with King Buffalo about 5 or 6 years ago. Was a small crowd. Kinda lame.
Posted on 10/13/25 at 5:46 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:
Varsity shouldn't really be competing with those places. They are all different sizes and cater to different audiences. Even since covid they have shown that if you book a good band, people will attend. Down and Steel Panther had large crowds there and those are bands too big for Chelsea's. They should be competing with HOB and can bring in the acts that don't want to deal with Live Nation.
Because of the way Live Nation (and the Casino corporations) work... if you book one House of Blues you're probably booking all of them on your route in one fell swoop... the Casinos will sometimes fly acts around the country hitting their different locations.
But if The Varsity wanted to compete for shows, it could... they just aren't interested.
If a concert promoter wanted to book shows into the space, covering the expenses and handling the finances on their own (the way things are done at the River Center, etc. Remember those radio ads with "Beaver Productions presents..."), I'm sure the Varsity would let them... they'd make money from bar sales and spillover before and after to The Chimes without having to bother with handling the show stuff.
Posted on 10/13/25 at 6:13 pm to BZ504
quote:
No more retro nights?
Retro night in the early 2000s with Indian Michael Jackson in attendance (or at Tigerland) was a fun time. Good memories.
Posted on 10/13/25 at 6:46 pm to Shexter
Wasn’t Revelry’s location once “Round the Corner”?
That’s reaching back a bit!!
That’s reaching back a bit!!
Posted on 10/13/25 at 6:52 pm to Shexter
I’m so old we used to go see The Rocky Horror Picture Show there in high school.
So many fun memories.
So many fun memories.
This post was edited on 10/13/25 at 6:53 pm
Posted on 10/13/25 at 10:45 pm to NoHoTiger
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Marcia Ball
BTE
Quiet Riot in 1992 (?)
Marcia Ball
BTE
Quiet Riot in 1992 (?)
Posted on 10/13/25 at 11:07 pm to Shexter
Dang i saw tab benoit there 2017 and he was great
Posted on 10/13/25 at 11:07 pm to CodyPasbons
quote:
My first make out session happened at The Varsity. Oh what a night!
My gf wore a skirt with no panties and we tried to screw on the balcony. Got it in but it was hard to be inconspicuous so it was a failed experiment
Posted on 10/14/25 at 5:34 am to Lee B
quote:
That's not going to happen for a show in BR...
You and JW are specifically who I expected to dispute me, but thanks for agreeing.
Posted on 10/14/25 at 6:07 am to JW
quote:
Once Glenn Prejean left, mediocrity and a casino like approach set in.
There it is. I looking forward to hearing the origin story of JW vs CL one day.
Posted on 10/14/25 at 6:55 am to Shexter
I heard that a national property chain was buying up the entire street.
Seriously.
Seriously.
Posted on 10/14/25 at 8:32 am to Shexter
Posted on 10/14/25 at 8:52 am to Shexter
The Varsity used to be hot. It seems like when I was in high school... Mid 90s, it seems like there was always advertising of good bands and when throughout college... early 2000s. Then after graduating they still had bands that would draw crowds.
You could pass by at 10PM on a Saturday and that whole area was packed, people in line. Now... Even Chimes is a shadow of its.
You could pass by at 10PM on a Saturday and that whole area was packed, people in line. Now... Even Chimes is a shadow of its.
Posted on 10/14/25 at 9:04 am to MyRockstarComplex
quote:
There it is. I looking forward to hearing the origin story of JW vs CL one day.
Ha! It’s called “A Grudge is Born”. Glenn Powell to play JW and notorious Cubs fan Steve Bartman makes his acting debut as CL.
Posted on 10/14/25 at 9:21 am to BMoney
quote:
Ernest
Saw him at Lainey Wilson concert
He was better than her
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