BSP
323 Wall Street, Kingston
If you want to know what kind of perseverance, commitment and competence are required to make a serious alternative music club happen, look no further than the Lounge at Backstage Studio Productions, a/k/a BSP. This Uptown Kingston club has weathered a lot of difficulty to become what it is now – which is to say a stylish, vibey mid-sized venue with one of the best sound systems (and sound guys) around, and one of the most diverse-but-purposeful talent rosters as well: heavy on both the local and the national in perfectly paired bills. It has had a great deal of success luring in the many professional acts who call the region home, from Rebecca Martin and Larry Grenadier to Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, as well as tapping the New York City buzzsphere with such can’t-miss up-and-comers as Lucius and O’Death. Indie rock, alt/country, electronica, primitivist blues and rock, sleaze punk, avant-garde and just about anything but classic rock and mainstream singer/songwriter play here regularly. BSP has quickly established itself as the seat of the Alternative in the Hudson Valley. For more information, call (845) 481-5158 or visit https://bsplounge.com.
Bacchus
4 South Chestnut Street, New Paltz
Bacchus Restaurant and Bar is a New Paltz institution that never did live music – just didn’t do it. It was the one bar in town that you could visit to converse at a comfortable level. Then one night the owners slid a pool table out of the way and found that they had a natural music club on their hands, and it has been a hopping music joint on the weekends ever since. Because of the length of the room and the height of the ceiling and the attached auxiliary spaces (a pool hall and a variety of decks and porches, including a heated patio), it remains the most conversation-friendly bar in town. Bacchus began as a rustic and roots-oriented venue, but that’s all out the window now. What plays here is, generally, the best that the town of New Paltz has to offer, from indie rock to funk to psychedelic and bluegrass. For more information, call (845) 255-8636 or visit www.bacchusnewpaltz.com.
Water Street Market
10 Main Street, New Paltz
The stylish, art-and-antique-lined downtown mini-mall was clearly designed to be a Mecca for tourists. Much to the surprise of everyone, it has also become a thriving cultural and congregational center for the community, using the lovely amphitheater on its south end for a summer Thursday concert series and a variety of other performances and events in all seasons. For more information call (845) 255-1403 or visit https://waterstreetmarket.com.
