Joe Hall has been the owner of Phil Brady’s for nearly 13 years. But the Government Street nightclub has been a part of his life since he was a teenager.
“Back when I was growing up, if you wanted to see live entertainment, this is where you came,” Hall says. “I’ve been coming here since before I was supposed to come in bars, you know?”
In its current form, Phil Brady’s has been in business since 1978. However, the building has been around since the early 1940s and used to be a small strip mall with Angelo’s Grocery and Pharmacy and Michael’s Bar.
“Back in those days, Government Street was only two lanes,” Hall says. He points to a picture on the wall. “There it is … Michael’s Bar in 1942. It’s the same bar, same railing, same mirrors. We redid a few things.”
Since opening, Phil Brady’s has been one of the bestspots for blues musicians to cut their teeth. Hall namedrops everyone from guitarist Larry Garner to singer Luther Kent.
“A lot of the same guys have been playing here for years and years and years,” Hall says. “They’re just older now. But, they are legends. They go out and play all over the world, and they come back and play right here because this is where they started.”
When Hall bought the bar in 2003, Phil Brady’s only catered to the blues genre. It wasn’t that Hall didn’t like the blues. But, he saw why the pub was struggling.
“It was blues on Thursday, blues on Friday, blues on Saturday,” he says. “It was the same crowd every night.”
Hall kept Thursday night for the bar’s blues jam, but opened up the rest of the calendar for rock, zydeco and even metal musicians. On Mondays, the bar serves more than 100 burgers during its $1 burger nights. On Tuesdays, there is a weekly pool tournament.
With those calendar changes, Hall has seen a younger crowd come his way. However, it’s still the blues jam that brings him the most attention and business.
“Baton Rouge has taken the blues jam and watched it grow from an infant into a major show every Thursday night,” he says.
He mentions how the mayor will pop in every now and then. He sees visitors from outside the country who want to hear blues. A few weeks ago, guitarist Buddy Guy even stopped by to watch some players.
“We never know who is going to walk through that door,” Hall says. “It’s a huge mixture of younger and older people, white, black … Everybody gets along perfectly. Everyone is here for music.” Phil Brady’s is located at 4848 Government St.;philbradys.org
