Varsity Theatre

A 1940s movie theater on Highland Road that now does what movie theaters used to do before streaming killed the midweek outing: it gets people out of the house. The Varsity books regional and national acts in a standing-room format that keeps the crowd close to the stage, and the original marquee still announces what's on, though the sound system has been upgraded since the projector days. This is the live music anchor of the LSU corridor, where Baton Rouge goes to see a show on a Tuesday — not just Friday, not just when a headliner rolls through, but on a school night when you need to remember that live sound in a room full of strangers is still worth the effort. Check the schedule online. Tickets are available at the door or in advance.