Fat Cat Saloon and Coop’s: where good people and good music meet
- Caitlen Odell
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Scenes from Coop’s and Fat Cat Saloon, two places where musicians pour out their hearts onstage and the crowd feels like family. (Photos courtesy of owner Landon Shatoska)
In Prairieville and Gonzales, there are two neighborhood spots where the lights are warm, the music is loud, and the community feels like family. Fat Cat Saloon and Coop’s have become home base for countless locals, musicians, and regulars who know they can always walk in and feel welcome. At the center of it all is owner Landon Shatoska, a man who grew up in the bar world and built two places that reflect the same heart he experienced as a kid. We're honored to get the chance to chat with Landon to talk about the story behind these beloved bars, how live music grew into a defining part of their identity, and the people who help make these rooms feel like home.
Caitlen: You’ve built two neighborhood bars that feel like home to a lot of people. What’s the heart behind how you shaped them, and what’s the story that led you here?
Landon: Well, first off it’s very humbling that people think that. My dad first opened a bar called Landon’s Lounge in 1992 when I was 13. I loved it. Of course I did. He sold that in 1997 and we opened Junction 44 in 2000. That’s where the desire really kicked off. I opened Fat Cat Saloon in 2002. We were in the back of a breezeway in a shopping center. When I opened it, it was supposed to be a blues type bar with blues bands. So we named it Fat Cat Saloon. Not as in large felines, but think “Look at those Fat Cats over there living large.” Well, we couldn’t really find many blues bands (and I was too new to the scene to know where to look) and started booking music periodically. I then started booking my friends The Big Papas to play every other weekend. That snowballed into live music every weekend. We moved in 2006 from original Fat Cat Saloon and landed where we are now. Fast forward to the end 2018 my wife and I opened Coop’s on 621, and named it after our son Cooper, where we kept the live music scene rolling.
Caitlen: Was live music always part of the plan, or did the community draw that out of the spaces over time?
Landon: For Fat Cat Saloon, it was never supposed to be the main attraction. I grew up in dive bars and we never really had a whole lot of music. But as the demand for music grew, we started booking more. We really just took what we learned over the years of booking music at Fat Cat and applied the same formula to. Coop’s. We quickly noticed this area was a little thin on the music front.
Caitlen: The weekly jams at Fat Cat and the weekly open mics at Coop’s have become local staples. What do those nights mean to you personally, and what do you think they give back to the local music scene?
Landon: It’s my favorite nights of the week! You just never know who is going to come and sit in with the host band or come to play a few tunes acoustic for us. We have seen many bands form from our Sunday jams. Like my good friend Joey Breland says, it’s our build a band workshop! He does an excellent job lining up hosts. I think it’s a great place to come in and have professional sound system and our very own local sound legend, Derrick Bordelon, running sound for everyone. At Coop’s, Heath Ransonnet is the heart and soul of the Singer Songwriter/Open Mic. He really puts 100% into it, we get a lot of great acoustic acts out of there. Special thanks to Derrick Bordelon, Joey Breland, and Heath Ransonnet for the heart they pour into these stages.
Caitlen: Both Coop’s and Fat Cat have that familiar, welcoming feel where regulars and newcomers feel right at home. What’s the secret to building that kind of atmosphere?
Landon: I think everybody wants to go somewhere they feel comfortable at. I do think the biggest part of it all is to have a great staff! From bartender, to bar back, to door person. We couldn’t make anything happen without them! We have great regulars that make the newcomers feel welcome as well! Oh and we do our best to keep the idiots out, lol.
Caitlen: How do you choose which bands to book? What makes someone the right fit for a Fat Cat or Coop’s crowd, and what kind of vibe defines your stages?
Landon: That’s a tough question. We get a lot of local acts along with acts from Nola and bands touring. I get a lot of bands inquiring about playing. I listen to them all and just book what I think customers would like to hear. A lot of times I’ll lean on some customers and musician friends to see if they feel the same way I do about a band. At Fat Cat, we gravitate more towards blues, rock, and some country. At Coops, it’s a little of all that plus a touch of swamp pop. We have seen a lot of young musicians go on to be pretty successful. Louisiana hall of famers.
Caitlen: What kind of impact do you think spots like Coop’s and Fat Cat have on the community, not just for musicians, but for the people who come together there week after week?
Landon: People want to come by after work, for a game, or to listen to some great music. They want to see their friends and to be greeted by friendly bartenders. We also try to give back as much as we can to the community through donations for benefits and to local charities.
Talking with Landon makes it clear that Fat Cat Saloon and Coop’s are more than bars. They are places shaped by family history, steady hands, local musicians, and the regulars who show up week after week. The live music, the staff, the jams and open mics, and the sense of welcome all come together to create something that feels rare today.
Follow the Fat Cat Saloon Facebook page and the Coop's Facebook page for the latest updates and event details.
Written by Caitlen Odell
Founder & Owner, Red Stick Music
Caitlen curates the Red Stick Music live music calendar with a focus on excellence, integrity, and community building. She’s passionate about supporting local artists and strengthening Baton Rouge through music.
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