Palette walls, burning incense and string lights paired with live acoustic sets and cushioned benches set the scene for a cozy night at an up-and-coming local music venue.
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, local folk bands Dudemandude and The Noisy Century played the second show ever held at The Green Palette. With about 30 attendees, the sustainable furniture store has built an intimate space for both musicians and fans.
The Noisy Century, a “solo folk-indie project” from singer and guitarist Kyle Moore, started the night with drummer Jamie Pagirsky from New Paltz band Year on a Mountain. Moore’s chord progressions and Pagirsky’s foot-tapping drumming complemented the songs about young adulthood. With the exception of two Laura Stevenson and Eric Peterson covers, the Noisy Century’s set consisted of instrumentals and lyrics written by Moore.
Following Moore and Pagirsky, Dudemandude, the music collective of singer-songwriter Keith Downs, performed. Band regulars included drummer Maxwell Reide and bassist Manny Yupa, while guitarist Anthony Lorino and cellist Joseph Staten joined the band for the evening’s show.
Downs, a second-year contemporary music studies major, switched between his guitar and ukulele as he sang his self-described heart-tugging melodies of determination, hardship and heartbreak with a “loud in your face style with my voice pronouncing the feelings in the songs.”
Moore, a second-year history major, said he didn’t know he was going to play with Dudemandude until the Thursday prior, but said he was excited to be one of the first few bands to perform at The Green Palette.
“I love this place. It’s so chilled out, it’s got a nice vibe,” Moore said. “It’s small, so it’s perfect for these intimate not overly loud shows. I’m really happy that shows are being put on here.”
Jumping up and down for faster-paced guitar songs and sitting down for softer ukelele songs, Downs said the small room intensified his mood.
“Once I got into it, it became hard to stop,” he said. “I hope my style resonated with the place.”
Although primarily a sustainable furniture and gift store, The Green Palette’s owner Marc Anthony said he wants to keep booking bands and “raising awareness in the community about what we do here.”Anthony said he didn’t intend on The Green Palette becoming a music venue.
“It just came to fruition and the fact that the community needs us in that aspect makes it even better,” he said.
Maria Pianelli, a second-year public relations major, has been in charge of booking shows at The Green Palette and, as a fan of New Paltz’s music scene, feels there aren’t enough music venues in the town.
“In New Paltz, there aren’t enough venues to host each of the unique acts here and of the venues we do have, many of them are bars that do not permit students under 21, blockading them from that scene,” Pianelli said. “Basically, The Green Palette wants students to utilize its space as a place to express their skills and connect with others.”
While scouting different artists to perform, Pianelli said she looks for bands who have a deep connection to both their audience and lyrics.
“At the same time, I also try to find acts that are unseen in New Paltz,” she said. “I would like everyone with talent to have a chance to shine. We want to use our resources to help aspiring artists build a stronger foundation for themselves.”
Anthony said he would like to hold two shows every other week, open mics and have an outdoor Moroccan-styled music tent during the summer.
The Green Palette has already booked shows on Tuesday, March 5, featuring Cat People and Ammo Without a Gun, and Friday, March 8 with Dudemandude.
“Performing at The Green Palette was great,” Moore said. “I’m sure there are going to be a lot more shows like this, so I hope it keeps having success.”