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I have good news and bad news. Lets start with the bad. An email from Chris Maxwell this morning said the Red Dragon Listening Room, temporary harbor for a number of great folk and acoustic concerts with all proceeds going to the artists, will be shuttering its doors at the end of May. He is looking for alternative sites to hold concerts to keep the flame going. I’ve been to similar “house concerts” in other parts of the country, and they are brilliant, operating completely outside of any corporate machine. The Magnolia café in St. Francisville was similar scene, but it has scaled back its concert series as well.

So I extend his plea. If you have or know of a place that would be a suitable venue for The Red Dragon’s legacy — warm friendly atmosphere with some eye-opening music — drop Chris a line at cmaxwell@premier.net. The Red Dragon’s remaining shows are:

Eric Hisaw - Thurs, Apr. 6; Eric Taylor - Thurs, April 27; Ken Gaines - Friday, May 5; Jimmy Lafave - Sat, May 13 (sold out) and (afternoon show) Sun, May 14; Chuck Brodsky - Wed, May 17

But the cosmos does work on the concept of ebb and flow, and it looks like the new Chelsea’s wedged under the Perkins Road Overpass is going to defy the naysayers and be a success. The club looks great, the sound is good, the separation of bar, club and restaurant is a nice change from what I always thought were clumsy environs at the former LSU North Gate location. I caught the inaugural show there, where Barcelona racket duo Les Aus got the night rolling with their sweet simple riff explosions. The highlight of the set was when the guitarist busted a string and made a great rackety jam while blowing a recorder and haphazardly restringing his beater guitar, squawking through a bank of effects.

Sure, many have done the duo racket thing before, but that sense of dedication and fun dragged me in. UK band The Duke Spirit followed with a rousing set of '80s heavy alternative pub rock. The band's music didn’t really set with me that night, but has grown fonder with memory of the event.

The headliner, indie sensation Ted Leo, quickly blew out his vocal cords and invited members of the audience to come rock the mic if they knew the words. At first, I wasn’t sure if he was serious, but when a young woman and her friend took him up on it with “Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone” the coolest karaoke session I’ve ever witnessed was clearly underway. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is the kind of erudite rock that you love to sing along with: Its clever, punchy, tight and fun. And while I think everyone would’ve liked a full night of Ted Leo, disappointment was avoided in grand style. Good Job, Ted Leo. Good job Baton Rouge concert-goers. Good job Chelsea's. There is hope for all of us yet.

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

Thurday, March 30: The Zydepunks shank-a-shank at the Red Star

Friday, March 31: DJ Flaco gets all caliente at the Spanish Moon’s Latin Night; The Soul Rebels brass band kicks out the jams at SoGo; Lions and Amplified Heat stoke the fires at North Gate tavern and local metal sensation (and purveyors of this town’s best band shirts) Suture appear at the Darkroom.

Saturday, April 1: Dirtfoot with The Dimestore Troubadours darken the doorstep of the Red Star; Anisette appears at North Gate Tavern

Sunday April 2: No archaic blue laws can stop the legions of metal! INKED IN BLOOD, HAND TO HAND, AGGRO-FATE, THROUGH WHAT and TORN APART BY HORSES cordially invite you come bang heads with them at the Darkroom.

Tuesday, April 4: The Von Bondies (yep, that band upon whose singer Jack White bestowed a shiner during a backstage brawl) will bring their neo-Garage splendor to the Varsity; The Glass Family with Adam Hood appear at Red Star.

Wednesday, April 5: the ubiquitous Michael Foster Project makes it funky at Sogo