Towne Crier Cafe

Towne Crier Cafe is a club and restaurant located in Beacon, NY. It was established in 1972. The restaurant offers a brunch menu, dinner menu or dessert menu, depnding on the time of day. The restaurant is accompanied by live music, and seats approximately 100 guests. The intimate venue seats 170 guests.[1] Founded in 1972 by Phil Ciganer, the Towne Crier is one of the premier listening rooms in the Northeast, internationally renowned for presenting high-quality talent in a variety of genres. Its twice-weekly, award-winning[2] While it suffered a similar fate to many cities in the 20th century, it has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years, with a vibrant arts and dining scene adding to its legacy.[3]

History

Founder Phil Ciganer, who as a young man worked as a floor trader on the American Stock Exchange, came of age in New York City during the 1960s, when one could visit a local club and see the likes of Jimi Hendrix before he became a superstar or go see Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention during their residency at the Garrick Theatre.

As Ciganer got more involved with the subculture of the time, he began to rethink his choice of vocation. Quitting Wall Street, he set up what he called an “alternative lifestyle” boutique in Brooklyn. Ciganer's establishment attracted a lot of musicians, and before long another idea was forming in his head: opening a club where music would be the highlight, where the audience would listen respectfully to the artists on stage.

The Beekman Years

Selling his boutique, Ciganer bought a motor home and journeyed across the United States and into Central America. Following his travels, he moved to Vermont briefly, where he planned his next move. He decided the place to open a club would Austin, Texas, which had the reputation even in the 1970s as a musically progressive community.

Fate changed that plan. Ciganer discovered the first location for the club while delivering a piece of art to a friend in the Town of Beekman, Dutchess County, NY. [4]

“It was an interesting, charming little setting,” he recalls. Part of the building dated back to the 1600s and had once been a stagecoach stop and post office. By 1972 the new enterprise, appropriately called the Towne Crier Cafe, was up and running.[5]

Seeking to establish a musical identity for his new club, Ciganer attended festivals and shows at other clubs to get a taste of what was out there. He liked the idea of being a “proving ground” for local talent but also brought in well-known musicians such as Leon Redbone, Odeta, Dave Van Ronk, Richie Havens, Dr. John, Taj Mahal and John Hammond. With a capacity of around 125 (is this right?), the club catered to audiences where musical tastes veered from the mainstream, providing a rare opportunity to see such artists perform in the area.

Before long, the Towne Crier had carved out a niche. There was slightly-raised stage at the Beekman club, so artists were only a few inches taller than the audience members. It was a place to enjoy coffee and dessert while watching a variety of world-class acts.

Issues with the building and insufficient parking prompted Ciganer to seek a new location. After 16 years in Beekman, The Towne Crier moving to Pawling in 1988.

The Pawling Years

Though not as historically interesting as its predecessor, the Pawling location accommodated more people and offered expanded dining facilities. Decorated inside and out with a Southwestern motif, the club sported a stage set into a corner of an open, tiered room furnished with tables and chairs. The enclosed bar adjacent to this area was decorated with photos of the many artists who performed at the Towne Crier.[6]

Situated on the Route 22 corridor along a major commuter route, the Pawling venue was frequented by many New York City-based musicians such as Jimmy Vivino, Sid McGinnis, Paul Shaeffer.

Eventually, Ciganer's ambitions outgrew the Pawling location. He considered relocating to several other areas before deciding to bring his club to the thriving cultural scene in Beacon, New York.[7]

Beacon Renaissance

The City of Beacon, situated on the Hudson River, is rich in history, having been a key area during the Revolutionary War and the Industrial Age. It was the place Pete Seeger chose to set down roots and raise his family, and where his love for the Hudson sparked the environmental movement of the 1960s. While it suffered a similar fate to many cities in the 20th century, it has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years, with a vibrant arts and dining scene adding to its legacy.[8]

Ciganer cites this cultural renaissance as the main factor in choosing to relocate the Towne Crier Cafe to Beacon.[9]

Locations

Over its history, the Towne Crier has operated in New York's Dutchess County, in the Town of Beekman, Village of Millbrook, Town (Village?) of Pawling and its current location in the City of Beacon. It has evolved from a counterculture coffeehouse to a sophisticated entertainment and dining operation, without losing the pioneering, creative spirit of those latter days.

Notable Performers

The diverse roster of artists who have graced its stage include Pete Seeger, John Renbourn, Richie Havens, Suzanne Vega, Jack Hardy, Richard Thompson, Jorma Kaukonen, Altan, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, Leo Kottke, Adrian Legg, Billy McLaughlin, Preston Reed, Clifton Chenier, Odetta, Dr. John, Southside Johnny, Ani DiFranco, Black Violin, Taj Mahal, John Hammond, Bela Fleck, Gandalf Murphy[10], Cherish the Ladies, Battlefield Band, Fairport Convention, Wishbone Ash, Bill Miller and many others.

References

  1. ↑ Denitto, Emily (13 September 2014). "A Review of Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon". Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ↑ "Homepage". www.hvmag.com. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Goldsmith, Kate. "The Towne Crier Café Turns 30, Standing Firm amid the Shifting Sands of Popular Music." Dutchess Magazine May 2002: 46-52. Web.
  4. ↑ http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Towne-Crier-Cafe-to-stay-open-for-now-3352265.php
  5. ↑ http://paulguzzone.com/the-towne-crier/
  6. ↑ https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2013/01/17/town-crier-cafe-to-move-to-beacon/
  7. ↑ http://www.hvmag.com/Hudson-Valley-Magazine/December-2013/Towne-Crier-Cafe-Relocates-to-Beacon/
  8. ↑ http://highlandscurrent.com/2013/10/07/towne-crier-cafe-re-opens-in-beacon/
  9. ↑ http://highlandscurrent.com/2013/10/07/towne-crier-cafe-re-opens-in-beacon/
  10. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_Towne_Crier


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