Flight of The Falcon
What else does Ulster have that New York City doesn’t? The finest live, free music in a one-of-a-kind
venue.
by Gregory Schoenfeld
There is an ongoing
conversation—amongst the friends and relatives of NYC-to-Ulster-County transplants,
at very least—regarding the pros and cons of the lifestyle choice we have made.
Sure, it’s a beautiful landscape, but what of the hardships? Are there markets
up here, or must we hunt for our food? How much longer do we “country folks”
have to wait for new movie releases? And how, in the name of all things good
and holy, can we survive without the ready-access cultural juggernaut that is
New York?
Never
fear, concerned city dwellers. The Falcon is here.
Of course, Hudson Valley
residents know this is, in fact, a place replete with cultural richness. The
musical panorama is anything but barren: from the Bearsville Theater to the
Bardavon, to Big Joe Fitz’ bi-weekly Blues Jam at the High Falls Café, there is a pervasive and diverse musical scene that is
very much a part of the region’s soul. Yet there is a singular kind of magic
that Tony Falco, owner and operator of The Falcon, has wrought. Housed in a beautifully restored button
factory on Route 9W in Marlboro, the fruits of Falco’s passion harken to the
kind of inviting “New York” nightclub that is, unfortunately, hard to find in
the city itself nowadays.
“The artists that play here,
they’ll tell you,” says Falco, beaming with the proud yet humble smile that
enthusiastically greets each Falcon customer, “it’s a place that feels like
home.” It is a frigid Saturday night in January, and on the stage Woodstock’s
own roots/rock band Hallow Dog is
finishing the night’s crisp opening set—soon to give way to the acclaimed
progressive jazz of the headlining Ben Allison Trio. Despite the cold, the house is full. As with every
Falcon show, all of the night’s patrons have two things in common: each one is
intently focused on the music, and every one of them walked in the door free of
charge.
Like so many of the defining
elements that make the Hudson Valley the unique place it is, the realization of
Tony Falco’s dream is part reality, part fairytale. The “homey” feel that
pervades The Falcon, which officially opened its doors in November of 2009,
springs from much more than a concept: for almost a decade, the prototype of
what is now The Falcon was actually a carriage house in the backyard of the
Falco home in Marlboro.
The improbable story is as
inspiring as the music that emanates from The Falcon stage each week. In the
late 1990s, Falco—an environmental scientist, as well as a musician in his own
right—purchased a 19th-century Methodist church from the local Knights of
Columbus, which he ran as a Marlboro arts-and-music community center. Though
the intention and energy proved successful, the financial burden of his
heartfelt project was more than prohibitive.
The unlikely hero in the
story? The United States Postal Service, of course. In 1999, the USPS offered
to buy the land from Falco, saving the center from the brink of bankruptcy.
Undeterred, Falco took the materials from the old church—from the stained glass
windows to the still-solid beams—and rebuilt his community center on his own
property. In 2001, what would become The Falcon was born. As word spread of the
fantastic anomaly behind the Falco residence, a wellspring of Hudson Valley
artists increasingly found their way to its free creative environment. With the
promise of a home-cooked meal from Falco and wife Julie, and paid solely
through generosity of the clubs’ loyal fans, renowned names (and local
residents) like John Medeski, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Scofield,
and Joe Lovano began to make their way to Falco’s stage.
Back to the present day,
Falco asserts that maintaining that inviting, freely creative space remains the
central focus of his new commercial endeavor. “It was really hard not to lose
that,” says Falco. “I really tried to keep the love in the room that was at my
house, and bring it here.” Walking through the front door, with the Marlboro
Falls that once powered the factory rushing alongside the building, it becomes
readily apparent that there is a dynamic in this room that rivals even such
landmarks as New York’s seminal Village Vanguard. Unlike the Vanguard, however,
how much the evening will cost is up to each patron.
“People are generous here,”
Falco explains with pride. “They understand that they are supporting the
artists directly. The artists realize that they’re being paid by the people
right in front of them. It really adds another dimension.”
Every Thursday through
Saturday, and often on Sundays, music lovers of any stripe would be well served
to be a part of that dynamic. The Falcon’s kitchen offers an eclectic and
reasonably priced dinner menu, and Tony Falco ensures the musical lineup
constantly offers a host of choices to appeal to jazz fans, and well beyond.
Visit liveatthefalcon.com for the extended schedule.
As Rudy Royston, drummer
with the Ben Allison Trio explains: “People are here for the music, and we feel
that and give it back. You have to be here to realize how special this room
is.” Indeed—and it’s right here at home.
Posted by Chris Hewitt
on 11:59 AM.
Filed under
Arts & Music,
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