The Blues returns

Baton Rouge has long been recognized as a cultural hotbed of blues music. The area boasts a laundry list of widely respected and renowned artists as native sons—Buddy Guy, the subject of our cover story, and Chris Thomas King, featured on the previous pages, among them. In recent years, the torch for live local blues has been carried by several dedicated venues like Phil Brady’s and Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, which maintains a devoted customer base despite being off the commercial beaten path. Yet with the growth of nightlife in the city, the blues have been somewhat underrepresented.

But at the end of January came the opening of The Blues Room, a new bar and music venue at 244 Lafayette Street. It fills both the venue space and cultural void left in the downtown music scene when Tabby’s Blues Box and Heritage Hall closed there in 2004.

Blues Room owner Billy Stevens, though new to downtown, is no stranger to bar operations in Baton Rouge. Stevens owned and operated Tigerland bar Sports Illustrated from 1984 to 1998 in what is now Reggie’s. After selling Sports, Stevens relocated to Fort Lauderdale, where he spent 13 years before returning to be closer to family.

During a trip here last September, Stevens heard of Red Star Bar’s closing, which got the ball rolling on his idea of opening a new bar downtown. With the old Tabby’s, he saw a cozy space that seemed ideally suited for his venture.

“Downtown has changed a lot in the years since I left town,” Stevens says. “It’s not just the bar scene or the restaurant scene, you also have the new hotels and housing, and it’s become really owner-friendly.”

Stevens’ vision is to provide patrons with a different option at happy hour, one with live music and half-price drinks from 4 to 8 p.m. The Blues Room also offers two pool tables, televised sporting events, and a menu of sandwiches and barbeque. Stevens hopes to offer live music four to five nights a week beginning at 6 p.m.

“I’ve noticed an untapped resource of local blues musicians available here, and I hope to give these guys a venue to play,” Stevens says.