Community comes together after fire

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By Emily Carden

Some called it a hangout. Some called it a job. Some called it a quick run to the pharmacy. Some called it a legend where local musicians were born. Whatever the Acadian-Perkins Shopping Plaza was to individuals in the Baton Rouge community before Jan. 1, 2010, today only memories remain.

New Year's Day 2010 marked a tragic beginning for the shopping center and well-known places of interest like The Caterie and Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division. While many LSU students were still visiting with out-of-town relatives, the shopping center was devastated by a fire, which began on Friday morning around 11 a.m., and today, the majority of the building remains only in rubble and ash.

While firefighters came to the scene promptly, the blaze did not end until the next day. Nearly 85 firefighters worked on the scene for over 48 hours. The majority of the stores obtained at least some type of severe damage. The Caterie was completely destroyed.

The Caterie was known to many as a great place for food and entertainment and was a popular hangout for college students. Memorabilia lined the walls while delicious food lined the tables for locals. Live music nightly was unique to The Caterie.

The Caterie was a place for local artists to find their niche in the local music scene of Baton Rouge. Jared Smith, co-owner of The Caterie, reminisced about fifteen years of memories at the popular nightspot.

"I am as saddened by the loss of the Caterie as anyone," Smith said. "I have worked for The Caterie off and on for nearly fifteen years with three different owners and in different capacities. I have many friends because of The Caterie and grew as a musician by watching and learning from other musicians."

Individuals who frequented The Caterie for music rehearsals rummaged the site days later to find that materials left in the building were unsalvageable.

"For years The Caterie has been the only place in town offering live music six nights a week and has fostered relationships among musicians, which have been a part of nurturing the music scene in Baton Rouge," continued Smith. "I'm very proud to have been a part of it and to have worked with owners as dedicated to local musicians as Darrin Dominguez and Kevin Karmack. I have also been humbled by the efforts of local musicians to put on fundraisers for other musicians who lost instruments and gear."

Band practice rooms were located above The Caterie and rented out to local artists. Liam Catchings, Baton Rouge musician and band member of Barisal Guns, found The Caterie to be a central part of his music career and utilized the practice rooms. Additionally, storage rooms in the nightclub allowed bands not only to practice there, but also to store their music equipment.

Needless to say, Catchings is still dealing with the consequences of the blaze.

"If I'm looking at the fire situation rationally, I try and remind myself that it was simply my tools that burned down and not the art itself," Catchings said. "[T]hat makes me feel a bit better, but I also feel that my instruments were an extension of myself and my personality. So, it's still a pretty serious blow."

Catchings is finding strength through the generosity displayed by those surrounding the music scene in the community.

"I think it's fantastic the way the local music community has joined together in all of this," Catchings added. "There seems to be more solidarity than ever. If there's any silver lining to something so awful it's that we're really coming together in new ways."

The fire has prompted many individuals to give back and organize efforts to help rebuild parts of the shopping plaza. Musicians around Baton Rouge have united to form From the Flames, an effort established to help rebuild what was lost concerning local dance and music artists. Joy Bruce is one of the main individuals heading up this effort.

"Instruments and equipment were lost in the fire," Bruce said. "However, computers, files, T-shirts, mirrors for the dance studio and other aspects of business were lost as well. These people can't just pick up and move somewhere. It has to be established. It was their livelihood."

All together over 50 local musicians and nearly 80 area dance instructors and dancers of the Bayou Shimmy dance studio were influenced impacted by the blaze. The destruction of practice space for both musicians and dancers in The Caterie left all artists with a feeling of loss, and most are without everything.

Several area businesses have provided musicians with discounted equipment and products to help their music careers. A contribution fund for the relief efforts has been set up through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Since the Arts Council is a non-profit organization, the donation process is tax-deductible. The community can make contributions by check payable to the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and write "From the Flames" in the memo line.

Moreover, the Grammy Foundation's MusiCares and the New Orleans Music Exchange have provided much support in beginning the rebuilding process for the benefit. Other non-profit organizations are helping out, and area musicians are coming together to enhance the relief effort.

"We want to keep it local and about Baton Rouge," said Joy Bruce. "David St. Romain, Meriwether and Michael Foster have all committed to the benefit. It's going to be big."

A CD containing all bands associated with The Caterie will be produced and benefits will go to From the Flames.

From the Flames will be held this coming spring with performances by numerous local artists, and there will also be a children's tent and a silent auction.

"Let's do it together. Let's do it big," Bruce concluded.

Claitor's Law Books and Publishing was another business severely damaged by the fire. The bookstore was established in the Acadian-Perkins Plaza in 1968 and had materials dated over 200 years old. All was lost in the fire.

Erin Cesta, second year LSU law student, reflected upon the loss of the shopping center and Claitor's Law School Books and Publishing.

"I hate to see local independent businesses suffer," Cesta stated. "That particular stretch of Perkins has so many great non-chain restaurants and shops. It's my favorite neighborhood in Baton Rouge because it is so unique. Hopefully the businesses that were affected will be able to get back up and running soon, either there or at another location."

For law school students, Claitor's has been an integral part in preparing for class. Even through the event of the fire, Claitor's has proven strong in remaining dedicated to the law students of Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, as the bookstore was determined to make life easier for students by having the textbooks needed for this semester available despite the recent tragedy.

"The fire at Claitor's did not cause any problems for me as a law student," Cesta said. "Their online ordering system never went down, so I was still able to place my order and get my discount. I had all the books I needed for class well before the first week of classes was over! I was really impressed with how fast and smoothly they got everything together to take care of all of our orders."

Claitor's is now located a few stores down from its original location in the plaza. While the smell of smoke still lingers, much preparation is continuing to be made for the public in the new building. Claitor's is opened for business between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

CVS Pharmacy and a few local stores suffered significant damage due to the fire. The scene at the Acadian-Perkins Plaza continues to show individuals banding together to repair the pieces of what the event has left behind. The infrastructures may be in rubble, but the future remains bright as the Baton Rouge community pulls together in a united attempt to rebuild the shopping center.

The fire of New Year's Day will not soon be forgotten. Buildings and materials may be lost, but with the help of the Baton Rouge community, livelihoods and places of entertainment will be restored. To learn more about the benefit for local artists, send an e-mail to bandfirerelief@gmail.com and visit From the Flames on Facebook. A Web site concerning the benefit should be available by the end of this week.

Remember, donations can be made through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. With a joint effort, Baton Rouge's artists will live on.

Originally Published: Issue 860 - January 20, 2010

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