Louis Brazier - A San Diego Legend

Louis Brazier, the former sound engineer and booking manager at Lestat’s West in Normal Heights (Dan Chusid).

Louis Brazier, also known as "Louie" or "Lou," was the sound engineer and booking manager for the Lestats located on Adams Ave. Louis Brazier grew up in the community of Kengsington with his parents and two younger siblings. Since he was a kid, Lou instantly gravitated towards music and had a natural knack for it. In high school, he started his band called Louie and the Koodies. This led him to many great opportunities, sending him right in the direction of touring with bands like Van Halen and Nelson. But, the most fantastic thing about Lou was how he differed from most musicians who gained success at a young age. While most would let the idea of fame and fortune get to their head, Lou was always doing it for the music community and nothing else. He toured around for many years before settling back down in San Diego.

Louis Brazier started working as the sound engineer at Lestat's on Adams Ave in 2002, and because of his management skill, Lestat's quickly became the new hot spot in San Diego. The amazing thing about Louis is that he kept the tight-knit community feel of Lestat's alive throughout his time there. After talking with several people who worked/volunteered there with him, it wasn't necessarily Lestats itself that was so special, but Louis Brazier's drive and passion for the music community made it the remarkable place it was.

In 2021, Lestat's on Adams Ave officially shut down due to financial struggle mixed with the pandemic. Lou took his talents to the Ken Club, another great local venue, and was running sound there until his unfortunate passing on August 16, 2021. He was 59 years old. He planned to revive his open mics at the Ken Club, proving how dedicated he was to the local community scene. Even when the world was falling apart and the music scene was hurting more than ever, he did whatever he could to contribute to his local scene.

I had the pleasure of talking with Spencer Dugan and Samer Bakri, two volunteers at the local venue before it was officially shut down in 2020 due to COVID. In this interview, we will discuss their experience at the forum and what it was like to work alongside Louis. Spencer and Samer and now best friends due to their meeting at the venue.

WHAT YEAR(S) WERE YOU WORKING AT/WITH LESTAT'S?

Spencer: "I volunteered at the music venue from 2016 until 2020, when it shut down officially."

Samer: "I started attending Lestat's in 2015 when I moved to San Diego from Minnesota. I saw online that Lestat's had an open mic, and I just started going every week. It wasn't until 2016 that I started helping out at the venue. I helped out until it shut down in 2020. Since then, it has had a revival of the open mic that started in 2022."

HOW DID YOU GET INTO CONNECTIONS WITH LESAT'S? 

Spencer: "In 2010, I saw one of my favorite artists play there and became a regular at the coffee shop next door. Growing up in North County, the idea of a 24-hour spot was unheard of, and it felt like my little secret or getaway. It wasn't until 2016 that I started playing the open mic and met my BFFFFFF4L Samer Bakri. Louie was mentoring him, and shortly after we met, so was I."

Samer: "I would just show up and ask to help out because I wanted to learn how to be a live sound engineer, and Lou Brazier would take the time to teach me even though I knew nothing at the time."

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH LOUIS BRAZIER?

Spencer: "Working with Louie was like working with your cool uncle that actually toured with cool bands. Sure, we heard a few stories more than once, but his excitement in recalling the glory and darkness of touring made it all fun to listen to. He had also acquired so much knowledge about music and audio engineering over the years, and he was always happy to share all he knew."

Samer: "Working with Lou was an honor. It took a little bit of me bugging him to get him to open up, but once he saw that I was dedicated he did anything to help me out. He booked the first shows I played, taught me how to be a live sound engineer, and even got me gigs as a paid engineer at clubs around town. He was all about helping the community and looking out for fellow musicians."

Louis Brazier, right, with his sister Theresa Ann Derchan in 2018 at Lestat’s West in Normal Heights.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE LESTAT'S SO SPECIAL BACK WHEN LOU WAS RUNNING THINGS/WHAT DO YOU THINK HE DID THAT MADE THINGS SO SPECIAL? 

Spencer: "Louie didn't care if you were brand new to performing or a seasoned veteran. If he saw something in you, he would make sure you got to play a show. He made it an authentic all-ages venue that everyone could feel equally a part of. It was (and still is) so rare to find an accessible all-ages venue that is both *****not pay to play***** and has an incredible sound. I can honestly say that he was the best live sound engineer I'd ever experienced."

Samer: "Lestats was a venue run by someone who believed in local music. Lou wouldn't book shows to make himself money; he would book shows to showcase the local and touring acts that would come through San Diego."

FAVORITE MEMORY YOU HAVE WITH LOU? 

Spencer: "There was a night after a show when he and I hung out in the venue for hours, just the two of us. I asked him about recording drums, and he fired up the PA system and took me through all the decades of drum recordings in rock music one by one. Not only did I get to hear some new tunes, but I got an extensive crash course on the evolution of drumming and learned a ton. I drove home that night at about 4 am, thinking about how lucky I was to be his friend."

Samer: "My favorite memory of Lou was playing football with him in the venue. It was definitely not a place we should have been throwing anything, but he didn't care. He just wanted to have fun with his friends, and that's what I loved about Lou."

FAVORITE SHOW/OPEN MIC MEMORY? 

Spencer: "It's impossible to pick a single memory, but most of what comes to mind took place on a Monday at open mic night. Whether it was the host Robby Robinson doing something funny on stage and making us cry laughing, meeting a new friend, hanging out with everyone after hours, or seeing some of my favorite artists perform. It sounds like the cheesiest cheese ball answer, but there were literally hundreds of nights that were my favorite, and that's why I loved it."

Samer: "My favorite show memory was when I was able to do sound for Fashion Jackson at the venue. That night Lou mixed the other bands, and it was the best mix I have ever heard of a live show, and it was tough to follow and engineer like him."

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED AT LESTAT'S THAT HEAVILY IMPACTS YOU TODAY?

Spencer: "Years before the official closing, there was a time when we all thought it was going to end. I approached the open mic sound guy at the time, Miguel, and asked him, 'What are we gonna do? Where are we all gonna go?' And he told me, 'We'll just have to make another one.' So I think that's my answer. The feeling of home and belonging comes from the people around you, not 'a place.' It just so happened that this place called Lestat's was where I and so many others met our best friends in the whole world."

Samer: "Everything that Lou taught me directly impacts my everyday life because I am primarily a musician that records my music and other people's music, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help from Lou and what he taught me."

Louis Brazier in 2019.

Lou taught so many people that, although every community has its flaws, it's the people within those communities who can truly make a difference. Louis Brazier will never be forgotten, and his impact will forever be everlasting.

Rest in Peace.