Years ago, OffBeat, the Louisiana Music Factory and WWOZ proclaimed themselves to be the “Louisiana Music Collective.” We all promote, market and love local music.

We’re about to kick off a new phase of that collective. Post-Katrina, WWOZ moved to North Peters Street, a mere five blocks from our office on Frenchmen. And on March 8, the Louisiana Music Factory hosts the grand opening of its re-located store at 421 Frenchmen Street, on the first floor of the building where OffBeat’s been located for the past 14 years.

WWOZ is also in the retail mix, as it opens a “Swamp Shop” to sell OZ merchandise within the Music Factory (OffBeat plans to sell some of its wares there, too).

I can’t tell you how thrilled we all are that the Music Factory is on Frenchmen. Anyone who is into local music realizes that Frenchmen now has achieved a critical mass of music that has made it a destination for music lovers, both local and from out of town. The area’s biggest challenge now is to keep the street from becoming too touristy. Not that we don’t love visitors, but the idea is to keep Frenchmen as a true music destination that appeals to locals—a street party where you can enjoy great music in many clubs without feeling like you’re a tourist. That means no adult entertainment, no barkers hustling you into a bar, no cover bands blasting into the street, no Big-Ass Beers or daiquiri shops. All we need is quality music, comfortable clubs, great sound and good food to eat at reasonable prices. Yeah, it’s a party, but it’s a music party.

One issue that Frenchmen Street has grappled with is the lack of a daytime economy. The street is packed at night, especially on weekends and during holidays like Halloween, Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve, etc., but during the day, foot traffic is much slower. That’s where businesses like the Louisiana Music Factory, Bicycle Michael’s, the FAB Bookstore and other retailers come in.

Already, Three Muses is testing a lunch menu on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The recently-opened Bamboula’s also serves lunch. The Praline Connection has been open for lunch forever. So have Café Rose Nicaud and Marigny Brasserie. We’re all looking forward to the opening of the new Dat Dog location on Frenchmen and Chartres, and the location of what’s rumored to be a pizza place between the Blue Nile and Bamboula’s.

The opening of the Louisiana Music Factory will bring more daytime traffic to the street, and locals back to the store and to Frenchmen—it’s a lot easier to park in the Marigny than in the Quarter. More importantly, though, the relocation of the Music Factory solidifies the street as a real music destination.

We’re happily anticipating the crowds during French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest who will come to our corner to support our local music scene by buying local music.

In the meantime, have a great time at Mardi Gras and St. Paddy’s Day too.