Houma’s City Club bringing large acts to small town

Framing Hanley. 12 Stones. Hoobastank. Afroman. Saliva. Candlebox. Amos Lee.

Has to be the rotation at the New Orleans House of Blues right?

Not exactly.

It’s actually just a few of the bands that have performed at the City Club of Houma.

What’s to come?

How about David Allan Coe, Cowboy Mouth, Drowning Pool, Trent Tomlinson and Jimmy Wayne, among others.

And it’s exactly the vision that owner Mike Fesi saw when he decided to purchase the club in March 2008, and why the club’s motto “Bringing the big city home” has held true to its word. The 27-year-old saw an opportunity and took it.

“Houma has been needing something of this status for a long time,” Fesi said. “It at least gives the locals a reason to be able to stick around Houma because usually you have to get out of town to be able to see these kind of bands.”

Working at his father’s company, Pipeline Construction and Maintenance in Houma, provided a good living, but it wasn’t truly what Fesi’s heart desired.

So, when the Post Office, a club located in the heart of Main Street in downtown Houma, went on the market, Fesi decided to buy it in hopes of bringing his vision to the area – a mini House of Blues.

“I’ve always wanted to get in the entertainment business and I always thought about moving to the big cities like New York City, Los Angeles or somewhere like that,” he said. “I’ve been out there a couple times with music ventures, but everybody moves there with the same thing in mind. Here, I figured I could create my own little industry.”

Over the next six-and-a-half months, Fesi devoted nearly all of his time to converting the Post Office into the City Club of Houma. He kept the club open when he first bought it, but soon decided it needed a new name and a facelift to get the area interested.

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike temporarily closed the club, and Fesi used that time to create the City Club of Houma.

“It was pretty much like a dance club before, but I had a little different vision as to what we wanted to do with the place,” he said. “We ended up shutting down in mid-August when the storms hit for renovations.”

The club was repainted, a few walls were knocked out and televisions were added. The stage was also moved to create more of an “entertainment venue-type feel,” Fesi said.

Then the big day came to reopen the club in early October 2008. The first band to take the stage was nationally known rock band Framing Hanley, best known for its rendition of Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop.”

Booking the band was quite an expenditure for Fesi, but things worked out.

Nearly 280 people attended the opening concert, affirming Fesi’s belief that a performing club for big acts would work in the local market.

“From there I had a couple other little bands,” he explained. “We kept mixing it up with live entertainment and DJs and stuff to try to figure out the market.”

But one night completely elevated his club to a whole new status.

While in the club watching a friend perform, Chris Recinos, a New Orleans booking agent, asked to speak to Fesi. The two met, and with Recinos’ help, the City Club upped its ante.

“Our first big show was Saliva, followed by Hoobastank,” Fesi said. “Everything else after that fell into place.”

The City Club has since become a part of bands’ usual rotation. Acts performing at the Varsity in Baton Rouge or the House of Blues in New Orleans eventually make a stop at the City Club.

It’s a formula that has worked for Fesi and Recinos. Audiences are packed with people arriving from as far away as Delaware, Wisconsin, Michigan, California and Texas who come to watch some of their favorite bands perform.

“We’ve established a good relationship with some of these bands. We are part of the route with the booking agents, with their management and everything,” Fesi boasted. “Once they come play, they all talk about wanting to buy a house here when they have downtime.”

Fesi believes it’s the variety of genres that is making the City Club a hit.

“The crowd has been pretty pleased,” he said. “The biggest thing is the intimate interactions between the band and the crowds. You can’t get that in an arena or even at the House of Blues. The band is right there in your face. You can hang out with them after and get merchandise signed if the bands are up for it. Have some memorabilia after the show.”

Even with his recent success, Fesi’s not done. He plans on adding a covered area in the back for bad-weather days and possibly even a restaurant once the Houma boardwalk is completed.

The additions are something he’s looking forward to accomplishing in the near future.

“I couldn’t do it by myself,” he said. “I have a great staff and great people around me to help me out. I appreciate the public and what they do with some of the bands. They will take them out to eat, play golf with them and even welcome them into their homes. They helped spoil the bands and it makes the bands love Houma.”

For band schedules or ticket information, visit the Web site at www.cityclubof-houma.com.

Mike Fesi is making a name for Houma among top bands with the City Club.