Highland Coffees

Betsy Braud, a local nurse and musician, will be performing in the Highland Coffees courtyard on Wednesdays from 3:30 - 5:00 PM, weather permitting. She plays the flute and other instruments and will sometimes have musician-friends join her. Betsy loves the neighborhood and has played music on Chimes St. going back to the 1970's. (Acme Bookstore was in the building where Inga's Subs is now.) Please stop by if you can to enjoy some great music.

Fibbra, a local band paying a mix of funk, jazz, pop, and R & B, will perform at Highland Coffees Friday evening, July 1st, starting at 7:30 PM. These talented musicians played at Highland Coffees a few times while they were still in high school and sounded great. Now they are in college and home on summer break. Come by for a fun music experience. You will be glad you did.

Our current art show is a series of photographs taken by Phil Ward back in the late-1960's and early-1970's. Phil, who now lives in Colorado, took these photos of people and places near LSU and downtown Baton Rouge when he was a student. The theme of Phil's show is Carpe Diem, Seize the Day. The people in these photos look like they could be students today, but the photos were taken fifty years ago. Current LSU students viewing this photography show could be the grandchildren of the people in the photos. Many of the people and locations captured in the show will look familiar to those who lived downtown or near LSU back around 1970. The first photo, however, called, "The Girl Upstairs," is of a neighbor whose name the photographer cannot remember. She lived upstairs from Phil in 1971 at 604 Boyd Ave. (now Spanish Town Road) downtown when Phil took this photo.

Please join us this Friday afternoon, October 22, at 4:00 PM for a performance of traditional Irish music. Our special guests will be Andrew Finn Magill on violin and Alan Murray on guitar. Andrew is a Fulbright fellow, a North Carolina Arts Council fellow, and an award-winning composer. He has appeared on MTV, TEDx, and NPR. Alan, who hails from Glasgow, Scotland, plays guitar and bouzouki and is a highly sought after accompanist. Both musicians have toured extensively in Europe and the United States. This concert is sure to be a great time. Admission is free. See you on Friday.

Highland Coffees updated their business hours.

An update from Highland Coffees. In an effort to continue to serve our customers in whatever capacity we can during this challenging time, our shop is open. Our hours have been shortened a bit to 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM (Mon - Fri) and 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM (Sat and Sun). We are only serving to-go orders. If a customer would prefer to call the shop and have us bring the purchased items out to his or her car or bike curbside, we are very happy to do that. Of course, our online store is open and we are mailing out bags of coffee and tea every day to customers around the country (www.highlandcoffees.com). To make it easier for our local customers, since many of you are working from home at this time (and perhaps going through your coffee or tea more quickly), we would be happy to deliver bags of coffee or tea to you, if you live in the Baton Rouge area. Please give the shop a call if you would like more details. Our number is (225) 336-9773. It has been our mission and honor to serve LSU, the North Gates neighborhood, and the Baton Rouge community for thirty years. Although this is a very difficult time for all of us, we will continue to serve our neighbors in any way we can. Please keep safe by observing all social distancing and hygiene guidelines, but also to the extent that you can please support local restaurants and coffee shops so that they will still be around once we get past Covid-19. Thank you.

Highland Coffees is open with smiling employees ready to serve you - to-go only for now. We will be open every day offering all of our coffee and tea drinks and pastries, as well as bags of coffee and tea to take home. (We have been closing a little early at night - about 9:00 PM.) For those out of town, we are still sending out online coffee and tea orders every day (www.highlandcoffees.com). This is a difficult time for all of us. It is especially challenging for small local businesses. Please try to support your local restaurants and coffee shops so that they have a chance to still be around after the coronavirus crisis is behind us. I hope you are all safe. Let's get through this together.

Please join us at Highland Coffees this Saturday, February 29th, at 2:00 PM for a performance by renowned songwriter-guitarist, Brooks Williams. Originally from Statesboro, GA, Brooks moved to Boston at the age of nineteen where he began performing. Over the past 30 years, he has played for audiences worldwide. Brooks plays classic blues and contemporary Americana music. He is known for his unique and sophisticated guitar playing and his beautiful voice. Learn more about Brooks at www.brookswilliams.com and on YouTube. And check out the video below. We hope to see you on Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqUf4CTOvz4

Brooks Williams & Phil Richardson - Here Comes the Blues Brooks Williams and Phil Richardson perform "Here Comes the Blues" from Brooks' album, "Lucky Star". Video by Andy Craig. Brooks endorses Atkin Guitars. ...

The 14th Annual North Gate Music and Arts Fest 2019 is on! We were rained out on 10/25 but we are on for this Friday, 11/15, 4 - 11 PM, on Chimes St. While we expect it to be chilly on Friday, we will be prepared. We will have heaters on the street for you to stand under. You will also be able to step inside of one of the businesses on the street to warm up. Of course, Highland Coffees will have plenty of hot drinks available, including hot chocolate, hot tea, mochas, lattes, and chai. Delicious hot food will be sold by Louie's, The Chimes, City Slice Pizza, and the Rock, Paper, Taco food truck. In addition to the Abita beer truck, we will have Calandro's on site again offering three different wines by the cup. The music will be amazing as always. These five bands will be on the Abita main stage this year: Red Night (from The Baton Rouge Music Studios), Palomino Darling, Riarosa, Ship of Fools, and J and the Causeways. We will also have numerous musicians playing at the Sigma Engineers singer-songwriter tent. For art lovers, there will be 25 local artists displaying and selling their artwork. Please join us this Friday. Dress warmly and and bring your friends!

Hey, y'all. Because of the rainy weather today, we had to postpone the North Gate Music and Arts Fest. This is the first time we have been rained out in 14 years. Our new date is Friday, November 15, 2019. All of our bands and individual performers will be available that day so we will keep the same amazing lineup on both the main stage and for our singer-songwriter tent. The great food and drink, the displays from local artists, and all of the other entertainment will all be there. We will also still give away a beautiful bike donated by The Bicycle Shop. We now have a few extra weeks to get the word out about the Fest to even more people. Mark your calendars. Here is a song from Ship of Fools, one of the bands that will perform at the Fest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6_hTH1hLLQ

Ships of Fools - Handle Myself "Handle Myself" is the single from Ship of Fools' self-titled EP.

The 14th Annual North Gate Music and Arts Fest is upon us. It will take place Friday, October 25th, on Chimes St. from 4 - 11:00 PM. Everything is coming together very well. We will have two dozen art booths with local artists showing and selling their artwork. Food will be offered by Louie's Cafe, The Chimes, and by City Slice Pizza and Pints. We may also have a food truck or two on site. Beer will be provided by Abita and wine will be served by Calandro's. Music will be played from the main stage and from our singer-songwriter tent. On the main stage this year, we have an awesome lineup: Baton Rouge Music Studios, Palomino Darling, Riarosa, Ship of Fools, and J and the Causeways. As always, there will be lots of other entertainment throughout the night. Since the Fest will take place the Friday before Halloween, we will have a costume contest for prizes. And speaking of prizes, we will give away a beautiful bike donated by The Bicycle Shop. It will be given to a Fest attendee later in the night. To win the bike, one will have to be present in the crowd. We are expecting a huge crowd again and a really fun time for all who attend. Please come out to the Fest and bring your friends. Here is a clip from J and the Causeways:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZPOhb06pyM

Hey, everyone. Highland Coffees did not open today because of the storm. We do plan to open tomorrow at our regular time as long as Barry does not throw any surprises our way. We look forward to seeing y'all.

Please join us at Highland Coffees this Thursday night, 3/14, at 7:00 PM for a musical performance by acclaimed violinist, Andrew Finn Magill and his guest, Scottish guitarist, Alan Murray. They will perform in our courtyard, weather permitting, or inside the shop, if the weather does not cooperate. Andrew played at the shop back in January and the crowd really enjoyed his music. Andrew and Alan will be starting a tour of the southern U.S. with their performance at Highland Coffees. We hope to see you Thursday evening.

Luke and Emily Ash will be performing this Thursday (11/8) at 7:00 PM in our courtyard. Please join us to listen to their beautiful sound. Here is a sample of their music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QK1xgC2LbA. If the weather is not just right, we will move the performance inside. See you Thursday!

Track 2 - Good Weld - Good Weld

Please join us in the courtyard this Tuesday, 10/30, at 8:00 PM for a musical performance by visiting singer-songwriter, Seth Brand. Seth lives in Asheville, North Carolina. Check out this sample of his music. I think you will like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7N0Layu_K0&list=PLOTnXepLeSClmxGYSv1GbiVkDsP4SyeNY&index=5

Seth Brand- "Come Let Me Down" Original Song Original song submission for indi.com song contest. I literally wrote this song last night, shot a video and uploaded it today, 1 take. I hope you enjoy it! ...

For those who have not yet heard, the 13th Annual North Gate Music and Arts Fest will take place on Friday, November 2nd, from 4 - 11:30 PM, on Chimes St. at the Historic North Gates of LSU. Please mark your calendars and tell your friends! We are hoping for the biggest crowd ever. The music will be outstanding once again. The lineup on the main stage will feature The Real School of Music, Wildeyes Band from Nashville, Motel Radio, Retrofit, and Miss Mojo. Many great performers will also play at the singer-songwriter stage. Please see our North Gate Fest 2018 event page. In addition to amazing music, the Fest will have over twenty artist booths, numerous restaurants (Louie's Cafe, The Chimes, City Slice, Poke Loa, Krab Queenz, Vegan Village, and Pullin' Pork) offering delicious food, the Abita Beer truck and a small wine selection, a fantastic balloon twister, and other entertainers. Come out and enjoy beautiful music and art, food and drink, and support a good cause. Proceeds from the festival contribute to donations made to the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts and to WHYR 96.9 FM Community Radio. See you there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_EBUnm4FY

WILDEYES - Magic (Campfire Sessions Live) a witch doctor must have cursed me when she took my hand she knew that you would leave me and sees everything I can't It'll take magic o fix this magic to te...

Join us this Friday night, 10/12, in the courtyard for beautiful music performed by the Tesseract String Quartet. This quartet, made up of current and former LSU music students, features Hannah Urdea, violin, Bingqing Xia, violin, Mounir Nessim, viola, and Unusdian Errandonea, cello. They will perform music by Mozart and Mendelssohn Friday night. The performance will start at 7:30 PM. The weather is expected to be really nice, too.
See you then.

We have some bad news to report. Over the weekend we heard from Carolyn with The Page Turners, who were scheduled to perform at Highland Coffees this Wednesday, September 5th, at 7:00 PM. The guitarist/ mandolin player, Jake Howard, was involved in an accident and he received a severe injury to his teeth which will require surgery. Their performance had to be cancelled. It will be rescheduled, however, for the not too distant future. We hope Jake has a speedy recovery.

We have been fortunate to arrange for some outstanding music to still be played in our courtyard Wednesday night at 7:00. Members of the popular local band Ship of Fools will perform an acoustic set for us. Raudol Palacios will play cello, Michael Blount will play guitar, and Eric Brown will be on percussion. We hope you will join us. The performance will be moved indoors if the weather is not nice. Here is a sample of their music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_tBKJs1fOk

"Over Easy" - Ship of Fools Ship of Fools playing an original, instrumental lullaby called "Over Easy". Enjoy!

Join us on Wednesday, September 5th, for a musical performance by The Page Turners. They will perform in the courtyard (or inside, if the weather does not cooperate) starting at 7:00 PM. You will love their beautiful upbeat bluegrass sound. Here is a sample of their music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=560w73wJ8hg

The Page Turners - 'The Blackbird Said' Live version of "The Blackbird Said", an original song performed by The Page Turners. Follow us on these fine websites for new tour dates. Band Website: http...

We are having a musical performance at Highland Coffees this Saturday, July 7th, at 7:00 PM. Trey Boudreaux (double bass) and Reagan Mitchell (saxophone) will be playing. The concert will be held in our courtyard or inside the shop, if necessary. Join us for an excellent duo jazz performance by these two talented musicians. Here is a sample of their music:

https://www.facebook.com/ChurchoftheSacredEar/videos/299106077214120/

Check out the music of Dusky Waters at her excellent website, duskywaters.com. You can listen to her new album called "In the Current" on her website or on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/6Ys2WAYVdciMZKp5FhXKyb?si=5BSuhjIMQpKtKtx7RrlD7w. She will be performing at Highland Coffees this Wednesday, 6/27, at 7:00 PM. I think you will really enjoy her sound.

Join us at Highland Coffees in the courtyard this Wednesday, June 27th, at 7:00 PM to hear the talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, Dusky Waters, perform. She plays a unique and beautiful style of folkgrass music. You will not be disappointed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3533314764677&set=gm.2227518164135342&type=3

The North Gate Music & Arts Fest 2017 is just ten days away! This festival is going to be amazing! The Fest will take place on Friday, November 10th, from 4 - 11 PM on Chimes St. We can't wait to see everyone. Music on the main stage will be played by performers from the Baton Rouge Music Studios, Hydra Plane, Particle Devotion, Alabaster Stag, and Water Seed.

Check out "Somebody Smile" by Alabaster Stag.

Please support our sponsors without whom this event could not take place: Louie's Café, The Chimes, Varsity Theatre, Bleachers Sports Bar and Grill, Raising Cane's, Abita Brewing Company, WHYR 96.9 FM Community Radio, Baton Rouge Music Studios, Cypress Events Inc. Stages, University House, University Edge, The Woodlands of Baton Rouge, Crescent Crown, and Highland Coffees.

Alabaster Stag- "Somebody Smile" Live Video https://www.facebook.com/AlabasterSounds/ Alabaster Stag performing their original song, "Somebody Smile." Recorded live in Baton Rouge, La. on March 16, 201...

It is that time of year again: North Gate Fest 2017 is right around the corner! Our 12th annual North Gate Music and Arts Fest will take place on Chimes St. on November 10th from 4 - 11:00 PM. The festival will offer great music, food, and art. The music will be amazing again and will feature on the main stage bands from the Baton Rouge Music Studios, Hydra Plane, Particle Devotion, Alabaster Stag, and Water Seed. Get more info about the Fest on our FB page at North Gate Merchants Association and at our event page North Gate Music and Arts Fest 2017. Please pass this post on to your friends so that this can be the biggest North Gate Fest ever. Here is a peek at a Water Seed performance in NYC.

Water Seed - Open Sesame | Sofar NYC Water Seed performing “Open Sesame” at Sofar New York on October 13th, 2016. We put on more than 70 shows every month in New York, see upcoming dates and sig...

Please join us this Friday, October 6th, for a performance in our courtyard by The Troll Smashers, a folk trio visiting from Austin, Texas. They will perform from 7 - 8:30 PM. They have a fun, upbeat style, featuring guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and rich vocal harmonies. We hope to see you on Friday.

Join us at Highland Coffees on Monday, June 26th, at 7:00 PM for a musical performance by The Troll Smashers from Austin, Texas. This talented duo features Eddie Dickerson on fiddle and Emma Dean Moseley on guitar and vocals. Their performance will take place in the courtyard, weather permitting, or inside in the back of the shop. We look forward to seeing you Monday evening.