Monday, April 28, 2008
A downtown brawl earlier this month that spilled out onto Third Street and led to multiple arrests, plus the discovery of an AK-47 assault rifle in someone’s car, is precisely the kind of activity that threatens to scuttle sensible plans to establish downtown as an entertainment destination for the region.
Party promoters rent downtown clubs and reception halls and then turn around and sell hundreds of tickets. These events amount to fly-by-night businesses, and we say they should be stopped because they are a threat do downtown.
Bars, clubs and restaurants are already busy grappling to comply with this city’s convoluted alcohol rules—those both on and off the books—while maintaining peace and order as their crowds grow larger with downtown’s increasing popularity.
Some freelance party promoters have been renting nightclubs and reception halls for a night. Promoters push their events with slick flyers, and they promise to deliver large, thirsty crowds to club owners, or they pay handsome rental fees for private facilities.
The promoter might charge $10 to $15 per person and pocket a tidy profit for simply pulling a crowd together. The club gets a guaranteed packed house and makes its money selling drinks. Reception halls such as Lyceum Dean pocket handsome facility rental fees.
In some cases promoters’ promotional flyers hint at gangster subculture, something obviously designed to attract wannabe thugs or others fascinated with “the life.” With 500 attendees partying with little or no extra security, things can turn ugly easily.
Things did turn violent one recent weekend when a Third Street party spilled out onto the street and sparked a brawl. Police had to step in and use force to subdue the crowd.
Although the story drew little notice from local media, our sister publication, Daily Report, unearthed some alarming details.
“Witnesses say as many as 20 police units responded just after 1 a.m. Sunday to complaints of loud music and a crowd of about 200 people blocking the street outside Avoyelles Café and M Bar,” Daily Report wrote April 4. “One man was Tasered three times, and an LSU linebacker got a misdemeanor summons after both allegedly scuffled with officers. Schlittz & Giggles patrons were barred from leaving until the streets were cleared.”
With city officials cautiously working out details for an entertainment district downtown to encourage a thriving neighborhood of bars, restaurants and small retailers to serve growing downtown night crowds, these kinds of special event parties threaten to hamper or even derail those efforts. Party promoters have no vested interest in downtown, while owners of places like M Bar, The Wine Loft, Happy’s Irish Pub and others are left to wonder about their substantial investments in downtown.
The Downtown Development District and the Metro Council need to find a way to keep fly-by-night party promoters from spoiling downtown, either through existing regulation or by crafting an ordinance that can get the job done. If party promoters want to operate downtown then they should step up and lease their own space and operate a club as a legitimate business.
It would be a real crime if a handful of opportunists managed to scuttle promising plans meant to bring together, rather than divide, Baton Rouge.
Comments
Posted by digdug on May 26, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You are attempting to stomp out something in BR that is original. Private promoters have ideas on how to throw parties. If 500 people are going to be brought into a bar, do you not think it is the bar's responsibility to "step up" and hire the proper personnel to make sure things run smoothly. There are people (thugs and non thugs alike) that do not find interest in the wanna-be cosmo, and sport bars of downtown. Some others may enjoy doing something different sometime. Parties put on by private promoters is a saving grace in an otherwise boring capital city. The venues should know what kind of party is being thrown at their establishment, and hire the proper personnel necessary. This is a piece written by someone who is ill-informed.
Posted by Herb on May 29, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Whoever wrote this article needs to get their facts straight. First off there are MANY private party promoters throughout Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas that have been hosting multiple for many years without a single glitch.
These promoters are the one's who bring in the new cutting edge talent (something different than cover bands) and bring patrons to places they would not normally go. Part of all major downtown is party promoters and many bar owners need these promoters to fill their venues.
To make a blanket statement that all party promoters should be banned or barred or whatever is irresponsible and unintelligent. Such actions would stifle diversity and would greatly slow down BR's downtown scene. It is up to the venue owner to decide if they should host the event. The decision should not be made a legal one.
It is true that some events at ALL venues can go sour. The murder at the Varsity a few years ago proves that, but this is where the bad apple scenario comes into play.
It is also not a reasonable response to say that as an alternative to throwing an event you should open and run a venue when there are so many venues hurting for patrons.
If you really want to help downtown you should be telling Metro Council to lose the 2am shut down time and allow people to walk the streets with drinks.
Posted by Sari on May 30, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As you say, there are many party promoters who host downtown events without causing a fracas like the brawl detailed in the article. Of this, I have no doubt. But, do you really think that urging the Metro Council to eradicate the 2 a.m. closing time for bars and allowing people to wander the streets freely with cocktails is going to make downtown a better, safer place to party? That actually sounds like a recipe for more trouble, if you ask me.
Posted by kimbertan1 on June 20, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO THROW SUCH A PARTY IN THE DOWN TOWN AREA IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE A LOT OF SECURITY. I THINK THE HIP HOP SUBCULTURE NEEDS TO THROW PARTYS IN THE AREAS POPULATED MOSTLY BY THE HIP HOP CULTURE WHERE THEY LIVE. WHY BRING SUCH IGNORANCE AND VIOLENCE TO A REALLY NICE SAFE AREA AND MAKE IT UNSAFE. I JUST CANNOT STAND IGNORANCE AND VIOLENCE. I JUST SAY KEEP ALL OF THEM OUT AND LEAVE DOWN TOWN BATON ROUGE NICE CLEAN AND SAFE!!
Posted by Southernbelle on November 18, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have lived in Baton Rouge my entire life and I am not familar with the "HIP HOP" areas of the city. Please Kimbertan1 can you shed some light on this for me? I'm also a little shocked that you believe only the "HIP HOP" culture are those that are promoting parties or the fact that "they" all reside in the same area of town. That is as ignorant a statement as the article. Yet you claim to have such disdain for ignorance.
Posted by trucko on January 1, 2009 at 6:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The focus of this article are the people who are concerned only with a dollar, not with safety, the downtown image, etc. Certain people who previously worked for club raggs, dreams or other clubs/drug emporiums began hosting "parties" at decent locations such as Avoylles cafe, Lyceum Dean, etc. Dollars obtained, and end result - fights, drugs, crime, and not enough arrests. Certain people will always find a way to push good people away from good places.
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