Information provided by Phyllis Roy Photo circa 1981 by Mrs. Janet Pitt Stemmans- provided by her daughter, Charlotte Stemmans Clavier Owners: Angelina (Tee Ma) and Ferris Angelle, Sr. Location: 130 Farmers Road, Carencro, LA 70520 (Original Name of Street- renamed to Tee Ma Road) Approximate location: The Lot between 132 & 130 Tee Ma Rd, Carencro, LA 70520 It opened in the early 1930’s and closed midway through the 1980s. The building was constructed by Tee Ma’s son, Loomus Angelle, and his friends. **DANCE HALL HISTORY — Grandma Tee Ma called her place “A Dance Hall” because it you could only drink beer in the club, no hard liquor was allowed. If you wanted hard liquor there was a small shack in the back where you could purchase and drink it outside. She said that was the difference between a dance hall and a club. Tee Ma later added the word club to the name in the 1970’s. Clifton Chenier played there many years for the Christmas dance. ...
Dancehalls in Lafayette Parish
Royal Tavern
From Sepia Socialite, May 1942: Royal Tavern Is Tops In Southwest LA. Entertainment “The pace of night life entertainment in Southwest Louisiana was set by the Royal Tavern at 615 North College Avenue, owned and operated by Mr. Roy Gathe (left at bar). Three and one-half years ago, Mr. Gathe started this business as merely a bar. He now has a dance hall and tables that will accommodate more than 300 patrons and is only Negro in the parish to sell liquor. He operates the only remote control music box in the city. There are nine employees including himself and he owns the property upon which the building is located, and a nineteen-acre farm valued at more than $5,500. Mr. Gathe’s success in business in Lafayette is accredited to his contention for the rights of the American Negro in business, and through the confidence that the public has in him because of his fair dealings in business. He is one of the organizers and founders of the local NAACP and has led many a gallant fight in civic interest in this section. He is married to Mrs. Olivia Girard Gathe, and they have two children, Don Lee and James Kenneth. Mr. Gathe is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Gathe, pioneer planters and farmers in Lafayette Parish. He is the youngest of six children. The Gathes are members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary…Catholic Church of which Fr. Anthony Bourges is pastor. Fr. Bourges is teh first colored priest appointed in this parish and was the third colored priest ordained in the United States. The Royal Tavern in Lafayette and the part that it plays in furnishing high-class entertainment for the community is a credit to the business ingenuity of Mr. Gathe and is the result of hard work and first-class service on his part.” ...
Cockatoo
LouisianaDancehalls.com reader comment by Scott Giroir: “Out by Evangeline Downs there used to be (a club called) the Cockatoo, our band Tite Squeeze played out there a couple of times.” ...
Illusions
LouisianaDancehalls.com reader comment by Joe David: “Illusions teen club and pool hall in Scott (1991-1997) located where Revival Antiques Shop is now. It was open on Friday and Saturday nights with a DJ along with pool tournements. They also had a volleyball beach in the back where they held volleyball tournaments for a short time.” ...
York Club
Mentioned in Louisiana and Texas garage magazine Brown Paper Sack, issue #1, January, 1997 in the article “Toga A Go-Go″: “The Roamin’ Togas solidified their rep throughout ’67 at most of the famed venues in South Louisiana at the time like the Beaconette in New Orleans, the Golden Slipper in Baton Rouge, the Puppy Pen in Lake Charles, Paul’s Lounge in Jeanerette, and the York Club in Lafayette…” In the article “The Bad Roads″: The Bad Roads guitarist Bryan Smith: “We’d play at the Golden Slipper in Baton Rouge, the York Club in Lafayette, LeFleur’s Roller Rink in Sulphur, the Catacombs in Houston…” The Bad Roads drummer Danny Kimball: “The York Club used to get real crazy. We were playing there one night when these hoods- about six of them- came in and started hassling everybody. And one of them started giving Milton, our roadie, a lotta shit. And we’re right in the middle of a song, right? So Buz got Kenny and Duane- who were justing waiting for the opportunity to kick your ass- to shut these guys up. So Duane walks up to one of them and asks the guy if he wants to dance. Well, the guy hit Duane with a sucker punch, and Duane just looked at him and smiled. And he and Kenny commenced to kicking’ the shit outta the greasers- they beat ’em into pulps! The people at the York Club didn’t try to stop it- they loved it ’cause those guys were always causing trouble there.” ...
Jules Begnaud house dance
Voorhies Begnaud: “My grandfather’s house was in Vatican, LA. It was on Jules Lane off of Martinez Road. On weekends, mostly on Sunday afternoons, Joe Falcon would play music. It didn’t go late into the night. Joe Falcon played and friends and family would come. My wife’s aunt, Orphise Robin Mire told us about it. She would go. They tore down the house because it cost too much money to keep it up. That’s when they had the Spanish moss and mud walls. The bedrooms were on each side with the living room in the middle. There were no sofas in those days. They put the band toward the kitchen and they danced in the living room. We don’t know more about the dances because all of the people who went are no longer with us. We do have a pen and ink drawing of the house.” ...
The Wall
Occasional live shows by local and touring national acts at this downtown Lafayette venue Run by “Off the Wall Productions” Photos from Facebook Group “Lafayette Flyer Art” posted by Lisa Glorioso Leonard ...
Bayou
Downtown Lafayette venue where live music was occasional 204 Jefferson Street Photo from Facebook Group “Lafayette Flyer Art” posted by Lisa Glorioso Leonard ...
Roundabout Tavern
327 Iberia Street Youngsville Photo from Facebook group “Lafayette Flyer Art” posted by Judd Kennedy ...
Rinky-Dink Dancehall
Owner was Drew Landry Soul food restaurant in the rear Photo from Facebook Group “Lafayette Flyer Art” posted by Daniel Boustany ...