Bad News for the Hudson Valley Area music fans and scene: The Chance Theatre Complex is for sale

Who in the local and tri state area music scene hasn't gotten a push start at The Chance Theatre? Everyone in the tri state area , or more than 70% of the local (heavy music) scene have played at The Chance or Chance Theatre Complex...Yes..I heard the news. In fact I heard a rumor about this (The Chance Theatre's Complex being sold) as early as March of 2007. However, I refused to spread any rumors about said venue being sold (after all we support MUSIC and NOT rumors). Lots of rumors about the Chance last year, pay to play, NOPE, local unsigned bands sell tics for payment depending on draw.
This awful news, while no surprise, is the END of an incredible, legendary era for national, international music and the local music scene, specifically for heavier bands. If you're in a local band that's not signed and touring by now, start crying, or by now you should have expanded your network into larger markets in the tri start area. In a small market area, The Chance under quite a few different owners in the 20 years since I lived in the Hudson Valley area, has been more than just a music venue, but has cultivated and nurtured a whole music scene. Bands and artists play at The Chance on their way up in the music industry or down. Along with local and regional support, The Chance hopes that these local bands too will become heroes and have upward mobility as well, and believe me, Frank (Chance owner) doesn't have to book locals.
Back in the late 80's, before Frank Pallett took over ownership, the "Last Chance"  former owner fell out of favor with national/international touring booking agents. Frank Pallett got the Chance back on track, owning many fitness shops, and being a die hard 80's metal fanatic. The Chance hosted hardore, metal core, extreme metal shows 2 or 3 times a week as Frank Pallet practically worked at the pizza shop next door (now Club Crannel).
Then Frank Pallett went on a limb and expanded The Chance Theatre into 4 different clubs/music venues including Club Crannel, The Loft and the Platinum Lounge (The Chance Theatre complex), giving more shows to local bands and expanding diversity of genres booked. BTW, with the exception of a few in house buyers and promoters, Frank Pallet and Mike Miller book the shows themselves, but the unfortunate down side for any club owner are lawsuits, and rising insurance costs. The Chance Theatre complex, while centrally located in the heart of Poughkeepsie, NY, can be a sketchy neighborhood, and with increased violence at shows and lawsuits, it took its toll on the club ownership.
I can only THANK Frank Pallett and Mike Miller for the great job they have done with the Chance Theatre, as I too booked local unsigned bands that played there, and had the time of my life. I have plenty of friends and family that live in other (middle ma
rket areas) in the tri state region whom moan about not having a venue like The Chance, lucky for the Hudson Valley being such a small market region in New York state.. Club Crannel is already prospected to be a Irish bar, so I doubt in the transition of The Chance being sold that things will be the same, as this might adversely effect the local music scene and national, international touring acts intinery.
Memories of The Chance, mostly good as I can't just pic one show. Perhaps the camaraderie of the local extreme metal scene, BACK THEN. Gwar, spouting artificial food coloring (fake blood) all over the Chance covered in plastic, Napalm Death, Nile, SYL, ect. packed on our terms. Type O Negative throwing toilet paper at the audience, meeting Lemmy of Motorhead
, getting his autograph and my ears being blown out for days after that show, Dillenger Escape Plan, breathing fire and wiping the floor with everything. Going back and forth between the Chance and Club Crannel back in the day. ...All the death metal shows, and the great metal heads, and loyalty of the fans, and bands... The INTIMACY and the beautiful decor of the Chance Theatre, and meeting the bands. Stage diving, moshing and crowd surfing while NOT getting hurt. Friends and acquaintances working at the Chance claiming that the venue was haunted from entertainers that never made it, 50 years ago, and died since then. The wonderful balcony of The Chance Theatre and the perfect view of the stage from up there. Too many memories, too little space to type in this journal.
Here's a piece from the Hudson Valley area Chronogram (2006) about the upward mobility of the Chance Theatre's Complex (2 page piece): http://archive.chronogram.com/issue/2006/08/communitynotebook/artofbusiness.php
Once again, we are saddened to hear the Chance Theatre Complex is being sold and THANK YOU Frank and Mike, all fans, bands, and staff for the great memories. BTW, any tour that comes through the Hudson Valley area, will come through NYC/NJ/ or Connecticut as well. There are other venues in the Hudson Valley Area as well:  Bearsville Theatre (Woodstock), UPAC (Kingston), Paramount (Middletown
), Bardavon (Poughkeepsie), Mid Hudson Civic Center (promoted by The Chance) . However, most of these venues (except the MH Civic Center) are seated and do not host local/regional support, nor heavier music genres.  As the Chance is sold, the local/tri state area music scene will demoted to bars or forced to expand into larger markets.
Say it aint so..

EDITORS NOTE: 9/27/2013: THE CHANCE is STILL OWNED BY FRANK PALLET, and the beat goes on..

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-Thanks to the Chance-\m/ -l-