Off of the interstate on Lobdell Highway is a small unassuming building called the Furnace that overflows with people ages 14 to 22 wearing jeans that are too tight and t-shirts with logos hip enough for Justin Timberlake to wear.
It seems a new generation of punk and hardcore disciples has formed here at the Furnace.
Opening night bands included As Cities Burn, Same Dull Star, and Twelve Gauge Valentine, who played to a packed house of 180 people.
Chance Roppolo, in partnership with 415 club owner Sam Belue, started the venue with a love for hardcore music and as a place for kids to be off the street.
“There’s another place across town that does all ages shows, but it’s run by people who aren’t the greatest in the world, and we finally found the right place to do it, so we did,” Roppolo said.
Travis Leblanc, a member of the staff at the Furnace was impressed by the love that they got on opening night.
“It was amazing to see all those people come see the show,” LeBlanc said. “After all of the hard work we put in to this project, it was satisfying to see such a positive outcome.”
They convinced Belue to let them try it after meeting him through a mutual friend.
Chelsea Rainwater, a junior at Baton Rouge High, brought her mom to the show, displaying that the club is truly all ages.
“It was really a different experience and I hate loud screaming music, but it was fun because I was exposed to another culture, and I saw that the bands treat the fans like family,” Rainwater’s mother, Julie Ruckstuhl said.
Rainwater said that she enjoyed having her mother come to the show and introduced her to all of her friends.
Roppolo said that it was a grueling process to get the club running for opening night and was busy making last minute adjustments that led to an hour and a half delay to the start of the show.
The all-ages club does not serve alcohol because the owners of the Furnace want music to be the main event.
A lot of the kids are in high school, the building is too small to fit big crowds, and there is no bathroom on the premises.
However, there is a great community of young independent kids aspiring to be involved in the local scene and the Furnace is an open door to let them in on it.
“We’d really like to see a lot of people come out and support the bands and the local scenes,” Roppolo said. “It can only get bigger and better.”