y first 3 years of college in Albany were full of bands and local shows. I can remember sitting inside the New Age Cabaret on one of the many couches and chairs placed against the back wall, waiting for the band playing first to set-up their equipment. Kids of all ages hung around, sipping on soda and laughing with their friends. Along with the New Age Cabaret, I frequented Valentine’s, the Trinity Church, among others. There was a multitude of venues to choose from and many offered an alcohol-free environment open to all ages.

            For kids in the Albany area, it’s not that easy to find a good music venue anymore. Even with parental permission, they might be surprised to realize they aren’t welcome in the area’s local music venues. Recent lawsuits have caused area bars, such as Valentines to enforce age limits, and in turn, local political pressure has made all-ages venues a thing of the past.  We have entered an era where alcohol and drug free concerts have come under attack simply because of the appearance of the fans attending, and we’ve found ourselves stripping teens of the few safe havens they have left in one of the nation’s most violent cities.  

            For the fans affected, it’s a sad realization that in the span of only a few years so much of what was…has changed.  

            The New Age Cabaret music hall, formerly located at 453 N. Pearl Street, Albany, was shut down at the end of February 2006. The owner, Rev. Joyce Hartwell, was evicted after running the all-ages, non-drug, non-alcohol and non-smoking New Age Cabaret for six years. Now the one story building, lying on the edge of Albany’s industrial region, is abandoned. Complaints to officials about teens hanging out in front of the building brought police and code officials to the New Age Cabaret.  Despite attempts by Hartwell to attain the proper permits, she was unable to pay the over $1,000 a month fee that her “nightclub” was required to pay by the city. So with the bands, and fans, the lights also went out on the New Age Cabaret.

            Hartwell, not giving up, moved the shows to the Trinity Methodist Church on Lark Street in March 2006 with the help of Rev. Maurice E. Drown. Their vision was to keep kids in a safe environment while letting them have musical outlets. In addition, the Reverends believed they had found a proper outlet for their Christian ministry. They believed in the importance of a safe place for children, and what better way, they thought, to use a church basement than to open it up to the city’s teens. At the time of its use, it was the only all-ages venue in a city of more than one hundred thousand people.

            This “venue” lasted only a little over four months because of complaints from near-by residents of the church. Nestled off one of the city’s most popular streets it wasn’t surprising local neighbors complained about the noise. The music level was the least of residents’ complaints however. Instead, they ranged from problems with the clothing styles the teens wore, to their piercings and tattoos.  Tending to the complaints, police once again found that the Rev. Hartwell’s operation, this time the Trinity Methodist Church, was illegally operating a nightclub. Their reason cited was that since an admission fee was charged, the concerts were no longer a church event and thus were not protected by the church’s rights to practice their ministry’s outreach. Despite the reality that many area churches charged for organ, choral, or orchestral concerts, without such restrictions, the city again demanded that Hartwell pay the thousand-plus fee per month to delegate herself as an operating nightclub. Again, the door was closed.

            Sadly, Hartwell’s plight is not a new story for the Albany area. Just a few years earlier Miss Mary’s Art Space, located on Madison Avenue just shy of Washington Park, found itself in a similar situation.  With a small two-room layout, the art space acted as an art gallery and concert space. Walls were adorned with local artist’s works, and bands and fans alike would squeeze into the room’s available space for concerts ranging from African drum circles to local punk and rock bands. rock bands.

            A slight fee was charged, generally ranging from two to three dollars, and the money was split between the bands performing and the owner, in an attempt to pay the rent and keep Miss Mary’s open to the public. Again, this venue was an alcohol, drug, and tobacco free environment, and this local venue found itself under the watchful eye of Albany politicians. Citing the fans that stood on the sidewalk outside the space as a safety hazard, the police began to patrol the area and soon the city demanded Miss Mary’s pay a fee and register as a nightclub.  Despite putting up a fight, the space was shut down.  Today it is still in transit, searching for a new location so it can open its doors to the youth in another city.            

                The most popular music haven in the Albany area is Valentines Music Hall, a bar located on New Scotland Avenue just a block down from the former Miss Mary’s Art Space. Having been the premier local music venue for decades, the club offers two floors of drinks and music with distinctly different vibes. Downstairs is a traditional dive bar atmosphere, with dim lighting, a pool table, and just enough space to fit 50 or 60 fans. It’s an intimate environment whose stage has held numerous underground music stars including Ted Leo, death metal legends AC, and Asian Man Records founder Mike Park.

            Upstairs presents something completely different. A large open floor and wide stage has held some of the nation’s biggest acts in the room that holds approximately 300, though has been known to host crowds of almost 700 at times. As well as offering a large bar in the corner, the upstairs stage has hosted such acts as Run DMC, New Found Glory, and Drop Kick Murphy’s.

            Still the premier spot for music in the Capital Region, Valentines is known throughout the northeast as one of the finest venues this area of the country has to offer. However, in recent years lawsuits have caused the once all-ages venue to begin enforcing age restrictions. Bouncers now man the doors to both the upstairs and downstairs bars, and shows have gone to 18+ or 21 and up. The kids that once frequented this legendary club are once again forced out, at least until they’re older.  e older.  

            In a city with one of the nation’s highest crime rates, ranking 59^th most dangerous city based on an FBI statistic poll, teens once again have found themselves left out in the cold when it comes to local music. Alcohol- and drug-free venues are a thing of the past. But for a city with such a poor track record when it comes to supporting area music, there may still be hope. In the past year restoration and renovation projects have been completed at the Washington Avenue Armory, a once abandoned building turned into a  full capacity venue and sports arena.  With an ability to hold over 2,000 fans, the building has collaborated with local music promoter Step Up Presents to again offer larger all ages concerts in the city of Albany.

          For now, there may still be hope for music in Albany after all. ■