A troupe of college-grown bands take the stage at Chelsea’s Live

Baton Rouge is home to many things, one of them being live music. Wednesday night at Chelsea’s Live held true to this theme. 

The Stews, who got their start at Auburn University, headlined the show, holding true to its roots by bringing out college-town born bands to open for them. The first group from Louisiana. The second group from Mississippi. 

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As the ever-enthusiastic artists of Hotel Burgundy, an LSU-grown band, assembled on stage, the room was full of excitement as the band showcased some of its original music. The dynamic of the group brought its music, and the audience, to life.

Lead singer Josh Rovira said that even though the crowd may have loved the show, they are still their own biggest critics and use every performance to build and get better. 

“You get to take so much pride whenever you can tell in the room that people are enjoying the moment, and it really felt like that tonight,” Rovira said.

The group recently finished their “Spoonhead Tour” in January, where they traveled throughout south Louisiana and into Texas. Their next show is Pi Day at Broadside Theater in New Orleans on March 14. 

One of the most stand-out parts of the night was Rovira’s outfit. Prior to the show’s start, he confidently walked onto stage in a white crop top with two handprints on the front.  

To someone who didn’t know Hotel Burgundy, this might have been brushed off as just a part of their look, when in reality, it was a part of a raffle for two free tickets to the show. The winner was able to give Rovira any dare they wanted. Winner Grace Forston took this very seriously. 

“I decided he needed to look his best for the show, so I bought a crop top I had painted over Christmas break and some red lipstick. He pulled it off perfectly,” Forston said.

Forston said that she and her friends have been longtime Hotel Burgundy fans, which is what brought them to Chelsea’s. A musician herself, she said that she appreciates live music and enjoys watching Baton Rouge-based bands grow to where they can start touring and releasing original music. 

Happy Landing, the Oxford-born band touring with The Stews, also took the stage that night as a handful of enthusiastic fans rushed forward. The band played their own original music, including their hit song “October,” which has over two million streams on Spotify.

With a record coming out in summer, the members of Happy Landing pick from many different genres to inspire their songwriting. They use bluegrass country, punk and pop influences among other genres, contributing their individual taste to each role they play in the band. 

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Happy Landing began their journey in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing constantly to work out the kinks. 

It paid off. 

From keys player and vocalist Keegan Christiensen chord chasing on the left to violinist Andrew Gardner hopping (not an exaggeration) around to the right, the band brings a unique energy and harmonious sound to the stage, never losing the audience’s attention. 

“We’ve played the 12-person-room shows, you know what I mean?,” Gardner said. “When you hear your voice go to the opposite end of the room and hit you back in the face because there’s nobody there to block it. And now, we’ve played that city again and seen people come back with our merch on singing the lyrics. That’s really cool.”

Happy Landing brought an upbeat vibe to Chelsea’s Live, matched with bright, ambient lighting illuminating the stage and audience. This band never slacked on their crowd engagement, inspiring crowd movement and dancing throughout the entire set. 

Maria Kratz, a recent LSU graduate, fell in love with Happy Landing after hearing their original song “Coastal Town.” She saw the band live for the first time on Wednesday in Baton Rouge, and couldn’t get enough, driving to Mobile the next day for an encore. 

“It’s an amazing show and their music just means so much to me,” Kratz said. “I feel so lucky to have found a band like this.”

As Happy Landing continues its tour alongside The Stews, the members remain grateful for their opportunities and ability to go on the road with other bands. 

“We’ve come so far, and we still have so far to go. It’s definitely made us enjoy the journey and enjoy the process. We’re going in the right direction,” said lead singer Matty Hendly.