Revels at Colony
Colony describes itself as “once a hotel housing artists and travelers who passed through Woodstock nearly a century ago.” Opened in 1929, Colony served as a stopping off place for people who were eventually making their way to the Overlook Mountain House. Colony offered dining and big band music and unlike the Mountain House it is still in business today, albeit no longer as a hotel.
When you walk into Colony from the foyer, you immediately encounter a massive mahogany bar. And if you went to the venue for the music and forgot (like we did) that you might need ID to get into such a place, well… just don’t forget your ID. At least one of us was carded, and at least one of us had ID, so it all worked out fine. We drank water anyway. And we had some of Colony’s fabulous spiced (but not spicy) fries.
Walk up the old sweeping staircase and you’re in the gallery. That’s where we sat to enjoy our fries, after peeking into the billiards room to imagine ourselves as swanky hotel guests long ago.
On Wednesdays, Colony offers free music. You need only put money into the gigantic hat if you want to. We donated $5 each online before arriving. It was a fine way to revel in live music without breaking the bank. If you go later in the week, prepare to pay regular concert prices. And do book in advance, because otherwise you might not get in.
We tapped our feet to the Bob Dylan sounds of The Bob Cats, a six-piece band with musicians who’ve obviously been playing for a long time. They’re really comfortable in their own skin and seem to love what they do. Their instrumentals were the highlight, moving so fluidly and happily together. Their voices simply felt like “home,” and that was enjoyable. The drummer tells a funny story about the dentist keyboard/vocalist, regarding how many townspeople still owe the dentist (who tends to go lightly on collections): 450 debtors as of the current telling; it’s an amusing story that makes you want to tip the band if you haven’t already. Surely that’s an extra talent, to make your audience revel in the moment where you ask for a tip.
If you go to Woodstock, make room for an evening at Colony. Dress down, and you’ll fit right in. This is a casual gathering of music lovers, not the fashion runway. And we reveled in that, too.
Poetry Prompt: Revels & Celebrations
Write a poem about an old hotel where you imagine revels and celebrations taking place. Research a site near you, or check out Colony or the ruins of the Overlook Mountain House. Or write a poem about how music makes you revel or how it lifts your celebrations.
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bethany says
Fun to hear about this. I love the light fixture – so much atmosphere. The story about the dentist made me smile too.