Varsity Theatre

Very hip, standing-​room only theater with several bars and a few tables up top. Other than the parking quirks (but it’s Highland/​Chimes so…) show up and have fun! I caught Trombone Shorty’s show there after becoming a fan during his cameo on the Treme series. I kind of felt what it must have been like to be on set filming that show but way better :-) the light show was awesome btw… is that credit due the theater’s people or the band’s?

Great place to see a show, it’s fairly small and intimate. They get some good acts coming through, and hold events for local places (like the Unilocal Party of the Year!). Parking can be an issue, it’s all street, but apart from that, there aren’t really any downsides to the location or bar service.

This theatre is legendary, so I am simply dumbfounded as to why the reviews lack for it. Even though I am not from Louisiana, let alone Baton Rouge, I know that this theatre is a local favorite! The venue is perfect to watch live musical acts, experience local events and watch football games! I have to say, The Varsity Theatre has aged gracefully; what is your secret? I have met the GM of this place and you can tell that he is dedicated and is on top of it! He knows everything you need to know about hosting an event here. Did you know you can host a private party here? So, if you are looking for a local venue for your next private party, whether it is a family affair or a corporate party, call on The Varsity Theatre to help you get it all together. As far as I know, the venue can fit about 800 people, but if you are going to bring in tables for your event, it may cut that number in half if you want to fit people in there comfortable. This place is clean, security is efficient and the live shows are just plain fab! Make sure to check their events calendar to see the upcoming acts that will be live on stage. Connected to The Varsity is The Chimes and it is also conveniently located in the LSU Northgates area. During off-​peak hours, you can easily access parking behind the restaurant/​theatre. The parking lot is designate for those visiting either of the businesses. Inside the theatre, there is a large stage area, 3 bars (2 downstairs and 1 upstairs) and a dance area for those that wanna get down!

The varsity theatre has been around for decades. This venue can pull in well known musicians and is pretty spacious.
There is a 2^nd floor with tables and another bar.

Finally got to have a girls night! We went to see Ray Boudreaux and band! It was a great show and the follow-​up bands were fun too! Though I am a Baton Rouge native, this is actually my first time visiting the Varsity. Crazy I know!
It was a pretty nice place to just hang out with friends, dance and just relax. I loved that there were tables and a separate dance floor. The bathrooms were clean too which was nice for a bar around LSU. Might make for a nice date night!

Major props to the Varsity for whoever is doing their booking lately. Protest the Hero and AFI were both amazing shows. They’ve had quite a good bit of great bands coming through and they have been running the shows and sound very smoothly. I love the size for shows too, it’s perfect. I also love coming here for Saints games, they do a ton of drink specials including $ 10 unlimited beer with souvenir cup. You can also order food from Chimes during football games. Always a great experience. I even came here once for a work Christmas party event and it was great.

This will be the spot to watch world cup. Cheap drinks, good policy that allows you to bring in food from other venues, and the best TV/​Movie quality in BR. GO USA!

I’ve seen a few concerts here and I really like the venue. It’s in a great spot to grab food or hangout before whatever show you’re seeing. I haven’t had a bad experience yet and you can’t always say that about concert venues. It’s standing only on the lower level but there’s tables and chairs upstairs. It’s attached to «Chimes» which is a must stop if you’re visiting Baton Rouge!

This isn’t the nicest theatre in town, but it is a cool place to go for some of their events. I went a couple of years ago to a fundraiser they hosted for St. Baldricks, and that was pretty cool.
More recently, I went to the Molly Ringwalds concert they presented. First, I grew up listening to almost everything they played, so it was really awesome getting to experience a live performance of something I grew up with.
I had a couple of drinks from the bar, and I have to say that each of those bartenders deserves a good tip. The drinks were all delicious, and they were strong without tasting just of the liquor. It really made the whole experience even better. But when won’t good drinks at reasonable prices make an experience better? NEVER!
Overall, if a band you enjoy or an event that

The Varsity’s location is ideal. It’s situated just outside the gates of LSU, next door to The Chimes, and just up the road from Louie’s. I’ve only been a time or two without the sole purpose being to see a concert. As many posters have mentioned before, the concerts would benefit greatly if the upstairs seating was opened more frequently. I did manage to grab a table there for The Veronicas, which made it far more comfortable and gave us a good view. I can’t say that I’ve ever been disappointed in my experience. I haven’t dealt with terribly late starting concerts (i.e.- Snoop Dogg), and the seating is really only a mild issue for me, personally. Overall, I find The Varsity to be a cool venue with a good deal to offer.

I wish they would open their upstairs for seating. They HAVE added tables to the downstairs 2^nd tier, an improvement. Large stage, still intimate. Reminds me of House of Blues. A great live music venue. The best part is Chimes right next door… drop in for a quick bite to eat. We had various friends playing last night at Varsity. Watched the opening band. ran over to Chimes for some grub… then ran back to catch the last 2 bands. It was an ideal situation.

This is a cool place to see a concert. I imagine back in the hey-​day there were a lot of smaller bands that toured the country and made a pit stop here. It reminded me a bit of both the 40 watt club in Athens, GA and a bit like Eddies Attic in Atlanta, GA where you could see a great show, grab some cheap beers, and be close to the stage. The sound system is solid as well.
We saw Better Than Ezra last night for a charity event and I imagine they rocked this place probably 10 years ago as well.
As previous posters have said, the venue itself is pretty intimate, separate levels allow better viewing of the stage and the soundboard is right in the middle of the audience and there are two large bars (one on the side, and one in the back) making getting a drink no major issue. You can also walk outside to get a breath of fresh air and then head back in which is cool.

The Varsity is a decent-​sized venue. It lacks some of the charm of a place like Spanish Moon, but the convenience can’t be beat. There is an upstairs area with tables/​chairs, but I’ve only seen it open for a few shows. I agree with the previous posters complaint that there is no seating — this could easily be alleviated by opening up the upstairs area for a place to sit for those that want to, but I’m sure the staff views it as a liability because the patrons would be unsupervised up there.
I do appreciate that you are allowed to leave the venue after getting your wristband. If I want to buy a poster, or a t-​shirt, I can purchase these items, run them out to my car, and come back in. I’ve even grabbed a quick bite to eat at Chimes if I arrive early enough and the venue isn’t packed. For those who smoke, I have to imagine it’s nice to go have a smoke and come back in. Many venues in places like Southern CA balk at the idea of allowing patrons to come and go, even with wristbands. Used to piss me off to no extent, so it’s nice to be allowed to come and go.
Also, they do a lot of events that probably make them little to no money, but help out other groups. It’s nice that they provide the space for these events, usually run drink specials, and (usually) put them on the marquee. I’ve been to a gumbo cook-​off, a few rugby events, and I appreciate the use of the space for those events. They also took the time to apologize after the Snoop Dog debacle, and I thought that was at least a nice touch recognizing the frustrations of the patrons, so the managers. I’ve also found that the prices are pretty well adjusted to who is playing or what is going on.

Ok, I love the idea and concept of The Varsity. Location is perfect! Ample bar access and a killer sound set up.
I guess my beef may be somewhat of an age consideration. There are surely not a good amount of seating here which comes into play with my other issue. Every time I have gone to see a concert here, whether it be a small local act or a major recording artist, the show NEVER starts on time. I am not speaking of 15 – 30 or even an hour after the start time. The Molly Reinwald’s never start more than 3 hours after. Snoop Dogg started 5 hours after door opened. The Varsity artist promo folks need to work with these to have these concerts start at a decent hour. I know it may not be a big deal to some but for someone who has to work early during the week, it is a big deal.

An exciting atmosphere with occasionally a superb band. Great to place to be on Saturday night.

Recently the Varsity has been more of a concert joint and concerts aren’t really my thing but when DJ Elevate is there it is totally awesome! I would highly recommend going then because the music is awesome and everyone is having a great time dancing! So if you love to dance I would go then!

The Varsity is a nice venue inside, I enjoy the atmosphere. The problem is that whoever is working in their booking department has awful taste in music. I drive by all the time and it’s rare to see a quality act on their board.