A dancing crowd, loud music, and a ladder. One of Gasa Gasa’s first shows boomed on Freret street as the party continued and Micha Burns climbed up 15 feet to fix the club’s low hanging disco ball. Finishing touches were still being made, but it was clear that Gasa Gasa was back. 

College loved music venue uptown opened on March 7, 2025 after a year and a half hiatus. 

With colorful face masks, a theremin synthesizer, and the Mexican flag above a large crowd, Cumnio Del Gallo Negro preformed one of the first shows at the re-opened Gasa Gasa. 

Owner and general manager, Micha Burns opened the venue in 2013, sold ownership in 2020, which then shut down a few years later due to management complications and the pandemic. After Burns reclaimed ownership, he renovated the club and changed the age requirement back to 18 plus from 21 plus. 

“It’s important to me that young people have a place to go to see art and to play art,” Burns said. “The college is right down the street, it wouldn’t make any sense to isolate those folks, so I’m happy.”

Emma Lincoln, a 20-year-old Loyola music industry junior, booked a gig for her band Across Phoenix. 

“It’s like actually one of the best things to happen because literally every venue in New Orleans is 21+, and most of the industry kids who are trying to play shows can’t even play if they aren’t 21,” Lincoln said. “A walking distance venue that is going to be 18+ is so big.”

Burns said there’s been several renovations including changing the L-shaped bar to a back wall bar, knocking down a wall to open the floor, adding a greenroom bathroom, enhancing the sound system with sound baffles, and re-doing the patio. The patio will now be open without the requirement of a show ticket. 

Along with renovations, Burns has made management changes. He said people who have worked with him in the past, and employees who worked in his interim, are a part of the management. He tried to make it a group of people who are both in the music scene and who are professionals who know the industry. 

“A lot of the people who I am bringing in have a lot of experience working with me and with the space and also a lot of them are in the music scene in one way or another and bring bands to the table and have other skill sets that make it operate well.” 

Madeline Usher, a popular and commercial music industry senior, is the singer and lead guitarist in Swinging Astrid. Usher said it is important for venues to allow people under 21 to expose them to playing professionally. 

In the past, venues would make them sit outside before or after shows if they were not 21, which was not a welcoming environment to encourage students, Usher said. 

“The reason why a lot of Loyola students don’t have a lot of music experience at venues, or don’t have a lot of experience at venues until they are over the age of 21 is because we don’t have anywhere to play. Or we didn’t have anywhere to play.” 

Rob Florence graduated from Loyola last year in music industry studies, and plays drums in Swinging Astrid. Florence was able to play at Gasa Gasa in highschool before the 21 + mandate. He said it was an important space to have while first playing live. 

“For me, like a lot of people, Gasa Gasa was the first real venue that I ever played at. And it was amazing. That room sounds really good, feels really good.” 

For Burns, the community serves as a way to connect with others. He said he’s glad to be back at Gasa Gasa. 

“I really missed the community. I’ve really missed interacting with artists on a day-to-day basis, and booking shows. I just, I love music and I love musicians.” 

With anticipation and talk about Loyola’s involvement in the reopening of Gasa Gasa around campus, Burns said a partnership deal is in the works but is not yet released information.