The music scene in the Hudson Valley has always been alive and well thanks to historic venues like Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. This summer, the Bearsville Theater rejoins them with a sizzling lineup of world-class performers in Woodstock. The reopening of the theater comes after Dayglo Presents, a leading live entertainment and media company founded by independent concert promoter Peter Shapiro, announced on April 25 that it has taken over operations of the storied venue.
Located at the Bearsville Center, the Bearsville Theater is joined by two restaurants, a café and bar, residences, and the Utopia Sound Stage (a live recording studio that was designed in 1979) at the 15-acre enclave in Woodstock. Since the 1960s, the center has played a huge role in music history thanks to its then-owner and leading artist Albert Grossman, who welcomed many musical luminaries of the time to his Catskills home.
After Bearsville Studios was constructed in 1969, major artists like The Rolling Stones, Patti Smith, REM, The Pretenders, Rush, Muddy Waters, and more recorded at the studios until they closed in the early 2000s. As for the performance space, Bearsville Theater was designed by legendary designer John Storyk, creator of Electric Lady Studios for Jimi Hendrix, and constructed from an 18th-century Dutch barn.
“I have led the creation of new concepts and built great venues from scratch like Brooklyn Bowl, but I’ve also been fortunate to breathe new life into some historic venues, like Wetlands and The Capitol Theatre. The Bearsville Theater has a deep and amazing history that I am excited to preserve and lift, as we put our touch on a new era for this legendary Woodstock icon,” says Shapiro, who is excited to work alongside venue owner Lizzie Vann on the whole operation. Along with the revival of the theater comes a new team, which includes general manager Frank Bango and talent buyer Mike Campbell.
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Ready to check out the space for yourself? Here’s what to expect from the Bearsville Theater this season.
Summer Lineup
June
Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble – June 1
Baba G (Jon Barber from the Disco Biscuits) – June 7
Best of the 70s With DizzyFish – June 8
Guster – June 14 & 15
Splintered Sunlight: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead – June 21
Dark Sarcasm: A Tribute To Pink Floyd – June 22
Iris DeMent – June 26
Ratboys & Water From Your Eyes – June 28
Chris Gethard & Eddie Pepitone Standup Comedy – June 30
July
Paper Sun Plays the Music of Traffic – July 6
Gimme Gimme Disco – July 13
Ben Howard – July 16
Billy Bragg: The Roaring Forty USA Tour – July 19
The Big Takeover – July 26
The Mountain Goats – July 27
The Steel Wheels – July 31
August
Guided By Voices – August 10
Psychedelic Party featuring Scott Metzger, Nels Cline, & Joel Harrison – August 16
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band – August 22
BoDeans – August 24
Andy Frasco & The U.N. – August 29
Related: What to Catch at Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater This Summer
