The kick-off concert event for The Ghost Light venue peaked with a performance by West Without, an indie rock band who have been together for under one year and have released an EP album with seven songs. (From left to right) The photo features Derek Deblieux, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Johnny Sheets, drummer, Raine Landry, lead singer, Alex Holeman, bassist, and Dane Monic, singer and guitarist. The group opened with their popular hit “Give me your heart.”. Allison Crady

By Allsion Crady
Staff Reporter

For the first time Hammond will house a concert venue with the sole purpose of showcasing musical talent while providing a family-friendly atmosphere.
The Columbia Theatre opened The Ghost Light venue on Thursday night with performances by Jodi James, Britton Newton, Better by Design and West Without, the evening's headline band. For a $7 cover charge, guests were admitted into Columbia's transformed conference room that now features a complete stage setup, extensive sound system and concert lights.
"What we're trying to provide is another reason to come downtown. We're not trying to be in competition with anyone; we're trying to make this street just more of a destination," said Pete Pfeil, associate director for operations and production. "We want to see if we can gain support for it, then we can continue the series. This is an idea that we've had for a long, long time, so we're really happy to finally get it going."
David Avelar II, operations and production technical assistant, chooses most of the artists for The Ghost Light concerts and is always open for new suggestions. Currently Avelar and Pfeil are looking to see "what bites and what doesn't" for musical styles as they move forward in establishing the venue.
"I just go online and see who's getting the attention online, and that's who I want to bring in here," said Avelar. "If we expand there might be different kind of nights, but right now we're really targeting college age with modern music that you would want to hear in your car driving down the road."
The venue has been in the works since September 2013 and was designed with college students specifically in mind. Pfeil explained that Columbia has been working to appeal to a younger crowd, and they chose to host the series on Thursday nights to accommodate students' class schedules.
Jodi James, vocalist and guitarist from Gonzales, La., has released two albums thus far titled "This Fire" and "Far Between and Fleeting." James serenaded the crowd with her southern Louisiana musical blend as she kicked off the evening. In agreement with the other artists, James was eager to praise the staff and operation of the new Columbia Theatre venue.
"I was very impressed with the professionalism and how smooth everything went," said James. "The sound was fantastic, the staff was great and we were well taken care of. It was really cool, and I was very impressed."
Britton Newton, guitarist and vocalist from Ponchatoula who also performs with the five piece band Biscuithound, took center stage following James. Both guest artists and attendants agreed The Ghost Light's atmosphere was conducive to an audience of all ages whose primary desire was to enjoy the music and listen to the lyrics.
"The Ghost Light venue is really cool and overdue for Hammond to have an all-ages venue that's actually legit and not a crappy bar that just so happens to have music," said Newton. "I'm excited to see what it does for the community with bringing new bands to town and encouraging younger musicians to keep playing music because if people don't do that then the scene will just die out."
The night peaked with a performance by West Without, a Louisiana-based band which has released an EP album during the year they have been together, and presented an indie rock-styled show.
Raine Landry, lead singer for West Without, discussed future plans for the band as well as the band's reaction to The Ghost Light.
"We're recording and writing new songs, but we're waiting to get a label to back us before we release our next album," said Landry. "I think this is a great vibe with what's going on tonight. They're not even selling alcohol, and there are a lot of people here to see some new music, and I think that's great. We would definitely come back. We love The Ghost Light."
One distinguishing aspect of the concert venue is the absence of food or alcohol sales. In addition to the location convenience for students, guests commented on the inexpensive price of the concert.
"Since it's only $7 to get in, it would be amazing if it stays that cheap because college students are kind of poor," said Josh Hoover, a freshman communication major. "The area is really amazing because it's right next to campus, and it's great for people who have nothing to do on a Thursday night."
Overall guests, artists and staff were very excited about the new addition. The only suggestion made was to further spread the word.
"I really loved the concert, and I'm really glad to see the Hammond area doing things like this," said Kayla Dacoteau, a Southeastern alumna who graduated in Spring 2012. "The only way to make this better is to promote it more."
Pfeil and Avelar are piecing together the lineup for the next show at The Ghost Light that will take place on Feb. 27. For more information about The Ghost Light, the concert schedule or featured musicians, call 985-549-4366 or visit columbiatheatre.org.