Weekly Jam & Nearby Music
O’Hara’s Irish Pub
Baton Rouge
Oct. 15, 2025
Walking down 3rd Street in downtown Baton Rouge on weekdays is a surprisingly music-filled experience. From around the block, you can hear music from different bars floating through the air. A street performer here, club music there, but on Wednesday nights, live music dominates.
The O'Hara's music jam is hosted weekly by Taylor, Jullian, and Pat from 9 p.m. to midnight. They get it kicked off, then open it up to other musicians to play with them. By 10 p.m. a couple of hopefuls were warming up to playing along on electric guitars that aren’t plugged in yet, ready to jam.
On this Wednesday night, there was no vocalist, so it was a variety of grooves with different musicians taking turns playing solos. O’Hara’s is a low-key pub in the former Happy’s Irish Pub location. Since moving into the space, they’ve kept the giant green Happy’s mural on the wall in the courtyard, which is pretty confusing considering that Happy’s reopened in February across the street (and then was recently quietly sold and rebranded to a non-Irish, straightforward bar and grill). The new bar and grill signage isn’t up yet, so there are effectively two huge signs claiming a space as Happy’s, though Happy’s doesn’t exist anymore.
The formerly Happy's courtyard has a different aesthetic from O’Hara’s bar proper, and in typical jam night fashion, it didn’t start on time. For those looking for chill music, Brent Armstrong was playing a solo set on the patio of the former Happy's (technically "Danny's) with a mix of original music and requests across the street on the patio. Armstrong is good at crowdwork and was quick to help everyone settle into the space.
He’s a regular performer at other bars in town like Pelican to Mars, and his set perfectly coincided with the start of the music across the street. He finished a soulful cover of Shenandoah’s “Two Dozen Roses” outside, and soon after, the drumbeat started across the street.
“That’s my drummer,” he said to the small crowd that had gathered to hear him play. He was planning to end up at the jam too.
The space at O’Hara’s is suited to musical performance. They have a legit covered stage and a nice, open courtyard. It’s a third space where people can just be, regardless of musical ability, and enjoy the finally-cooling-down Louisiana air and good vibes with friends or even strangers.
Many cities struggle with their downtown, and Baton Rouge is no exception. Bars may open and close, but the community seems here to stay. Music on 3rd Street Wednesday night is an eclectic mix of genres and beats. If people venture out, they’re sure to find something more than just music.