SoGo Closing

Darn! The rumors are true. SoGo Live is closing.

From the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report's website on Wednesday:

So long, SoGo?

The owners of the downtown nightclub SoGo Live are being asked to vacate their location next to the atrium at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. Kim Ginn, a spokeswoman for the casino, says the decision to ask SoGo to leave was made by the Belle's parent company, Columbia Sussex Corp. of Fort Mitchell, Ky. "It's a corporate decision, so I can't comment on it," Ginn says. Fred Buro, a spokesman for Columbia Sussex, refused to comment. Officials with SoGo say they will be issuing a press release Friday and will not comment further. The club's Web site has concerts listed through the end of June.

SoGo opened in August 2004 at the old America's Pub site and became a venue for regional and national acts that played original music. Dr. John, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Bob Schneider are some of the performers who appeared at SoGo in the past few months. "They were bringing in the big names, since the Varsity stopped booking original acts," says Joel Phillips, owner and talent buyer with the Baton Rouge agency Micro-Mogul Productions. SoGo filled a niche, Phillips says because it had more than twice the capacity as Spanish Moon and Chelsea's Cafe, two other spots for original live music. Phillips says he hasn't booked any shows at SoGo, but based on what he saw and heard the club was doing well financially.(Timothy Boone)

And then this report on Thursday:

SoGo sets date for closing

SoGo Live will shut down at its current location on May 20. The downtown club will hold its last concert May 19, when Tone-Loc performs. Club operators were recently told they had to vacate their spot by the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino atrium by the casino's owners, Columbia Sussex Corp. Officials are actively looking for a new site for SoGo.

SoGo was a great venue that was big enough to get some big name acts, yet still had the ability to book local bands, like my own Nuevo Hippie Cover Band. My friend and one of the managers at SoGo, JB, was always a gracious host. I'm sad that'll I won't be able to play there again.

I hope they are able to relocate rather than shutter their doors for good. Their presence added a lot to the Baton Rouge music scene.

Although SoGo did book some rave-type dance parties, and even a "foam" party which is coming up, they did get some culturally relevant events. I played an Arts Council benefit there last year with Righteous Buddha. And as far as I know, SoGo was making money and was paying the rent.

The word on the street has it that the corporate casino bosses (their landlords) didn't think SoGo's patrons were visiting the casino enough. I guess when people are having real fun, they don't have the need to gamble. Maybe the best places for casinos are dead-end places devoid of the arts, culture, music, and fun, like in the middle of the desert and Indian reservations.