Catching up with Live After Five

Editor’s note: Alicia Baron resigned as managing director of the Downtown Business Association in March. At the time of her interview with 225, she was the producer of Live After Five and has grown the event since she started with the organization in January of 2013.

Each year, the Friday event Live After Five breathes life into the downtown area, with singing, dancing, eating, drinking and socializing in the Galvez Plaza.

Alicia Baron is managing director of the Downtown Business Association, the organization that puts on Live After Five. We spoke to Baron about the end-of-the-week celebration’s success.

How have you seen the event grow in your tenure as managing director?

I’m excited to say I’ve been the producer of the event since January of 2013, and I’m really proud of the direction that I’ve been able to steer the concert series. We’ve been nominated and awarded the best community event [by 225 readers] for two of the past three years that I’ve been producing it. I definitely feel like it’s on its way to continuing to grow and be a big part of downtown Baton Rouge.

How are the lineups put together?

There’s a Live After Five committee composed of various board members, and they vet the talent. We do 16 shows a year, and eight a season, so there’s a myriad of genres we’re trying to cover. We want to have something for everybody. We don’t want to have eight country shows or eight rock shows. [The committee] determine[s] the best talent and what the best fit is for us for that particular season.

Is there an emphasis on local talent?

We do 16 free shows a year, but it’s almost like there’s really not enough shows to incorporate all the great local talent we have [and] also bring in artists that are not staples in the community. Chris LeBlanc is on our roster. He is absolutely a hometown favorite, and it’ll be one of our busiest shows. But, at the same time, we try to bring in artists that people don’t have the opportunity to see on a regular basis.

Why do you think it’s such a favorite in the community?

There’s so much effort that’s been put forth by the city of Baton Rouge. Mayor Kip Holden has been such a supporter of the event and really invested his personal time in the event. It’s really a beautiful landscape, and the fact that it’s free entertainment, it’s family-friendly and we have a diverse group of artists that come out and play. There’s nothing better on a Friday when the weather’s great to sit right off the Mississippi River being able to listen to great talent, and then go enjoy yourself downtown at all the great bars and restaurants that have been opening and continue to open.

Are you doing anything new or different this year?

One of the biggest things that I’m super excited about that I’ve developed since I came on board is a “corporate night out.” It gives companies and people in the community the opportunity to basically set up a VIP area for their employees. Instead of a standard old company picnic or going to the boss’ house for the crawfish boil, now they can bring all their employees out and have fun at what’s been coined the best community event in Baton Rouge. It’s a good fit for the businesses, but also great extra support for us. … This is something that I implemented starting with one participant in the spring of 2013. It really took root last season.

2016 Spring Live After Five lineup:

April 1: Royal Southern Brotherhood and The Jordan Anderson Band
April 8: Chris LeBlanc
April 15: David Borne and Michael Juan Nunez
April 22: Samantha Fish
April 29: Werewolf
May 6: 90 Degrees West
May 13: Kenny Fife and the Bac Trac Band
May 20: Mingo Fishtrap and Baton Rouge Music Studios