If there’s one thing that every Dutchess County resident should do at least once in his or her lifetime, it should be to experience The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. Local sites such as the F.D. Roosevelt estate and library are known for their history, but the Chance is also a destination with many of its own stories to tell. From its ornate domed ceiling to its stained glass windows, the Chance paints a picture of Poughkeepsie’s colorful past and future.
The venue was built in 1918 as the Dutchess Theater and has closed and re-opened several times as various entities. In 1994, Frank Pallet purchased the building with his family and breathed new life in the theater as the Chance. According to Abby Puca, manager at the Chance, the Chance Complex as it is referred to today is owned by Pallet and partner Mike Miller and has been expanded to include several venues, each serving a unique purpose. The Chance Theater is the largest space, holding 748 people, and it’s where larger shows are performed. Attached venues, including The Loft and Club Crannell, are smaller performing spaces, and the Platinum Lounge has a club atmosphere.
Today, the Chance is a pivotal player in the music scene and is a sought-after place to play for an incredibly vast array of musicians. The Chance has hosted world-renowned bands such as The Police, Peter Frampton, David Bowie and Bob Dylan and recently announced that Third Eye Blind will take the stage on Feb. 15. According to Puca, co-owner Pallet smartly programs events that cater to a wide audience ranging from teenagers experiencing their first concert to baby boomers re-experiencing their younger years. “We’ve had everyone from the Jonas Brothers, who attract a young audience, to Rob Zombie,” said Puca.
The Chance allows ticket buyers to enjoy established bands without trekking to Albany, New York or New Jersey; the venue also gives local and emerging musicians a place to kick-start their careers. Two weekends ago, Sanctuary, a tri-state area-based Iron Maiden tribute band, brought ’80s metal to the stage. A few days prior to that, local teens and young adults packed the Chance to see five newcomers to the music scene: Doug, The Cab, We the Kings, Metro Station and Cobra Starship. As minivans full of high-schoolers pulled up along Main Street to drop off eager concert-goers, parents were braving the arctic temperatures with clusters of teens in tow while standing in a line that wrapped around the building.
Alison Giglio of Hyde Park, a senior at FDR High School, attended the concert with her younger brother Eric, mother Karen and a slew of Eric’s friends to see Cobra Starship. Alison Giglio likes the intimate setting of The Chance. “I came here before to see Fallout Boy,” she said. “I like the fact that wherever you are in here, you’re not far away from the band, and you get to see them up close.”
Karen Giglio sat with earplugs in place enjoying music from The Cab. “I think that it’s great the kids can go some place close, and the Chance gets really good bands,” she said. The ticket prices are another reason the Giglio family keeps coming back – tickets for that night’s concert were just $10 apiece. “The ticket prices are really good – you can’t even get popcorn and a soda at the movies for $10,” she said.
A group of college students from New Jersey made the trip to see Cobra Starship; it was the third time that week that they’d seen the band, and the Chance was their preferred venue. “I like the smallness and intimacy,” said Rich Baxter of Hackensack. “One of the reasons we come is that we can see so many shows here – it’s $10 cheaper than anywhere else,” he said.
Unique experience
The bands who played that night seemed genuinely thrilled to be performing live on stage; while headliner Cobra Starship had the strongest following, Florida-based band We The Kings also had a huge fan base, thanks to modern technology of today’s online music sites such MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and iTunes.
“MySpace has a lot to do with how people find music today,” said Puca. “It’s definitely a new way of finding different bands.”
California band Metro Station seemed surprised by the size of the sold-out audience on just the second day of their tour; Las Vegas-based musicians, The Cab, were visiting the East Coast for the first time and took digital photos of the audience that are now posted on their Web site (myspace.com/thecab).
Puca said she sees a significant increase in teen ticketholders, with and without parents. “Teenagers are a very up-and-coming generation of audience for us,” she said. “Teens are very into their music more than any other age, whether it’s punk, alternative, hard rock or whatever,” she said.” A well-lit municipal parking lot is popular with ticket buyers as well. “People feel safe here,” she said.
Frank Pallett has been called “the hardest working man in local show business,” and Puca agrees. “Frank is very work-oriented, and is constantly on the phone and computer,” she said, adding that his determination is crucial to achieving success in the music world. “You can’t be lackadaisical in this business and be successful – you have to be on top of things,” she said.
While club bouncers may have an overall reputation for gruffness, the staff at The Chance is friendly and welcoming. “We have more and more compliments about our staff,” said Puca. The staff is gearing up for several large upcoming shows, including Queensryche, a heavy metal band from the late 1980s (and reportedly one of Frank Pallet’s favorite bands) and alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. The bands are distinctly different and are part of the Chance’s strategy to appeal to a wide audience range. “We always strive to have a variety of bands come through and we’re successful as long as we bring older bands and newer bands,” said Puca. “Everybody comes to the Chance to see their favorite bands.”
For ticket or theater information, visit www.thechancetheater.com.