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Photos by Sophie Buskin

Singer/songwriter Brad Cole treated us to a rare evening at a rare venue, Downstairs at the Falcon. Part club, part bar and entirely historic, the intimate downstairs space also serves as a museum, packed with memorabilia mostly specific to the Hudson Valley, including the towns of Woodstock and Beacon, home to Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, to name two of the many groundbreaking local musicians.

Surrounded by live fans and iconic photos, Cole treated us to a lively and varied evening of music and repartee. Starting out the evening solo, Cole launched into a rhythmic, compelling “All That You Have,” highlighting not only Cole’s songwriting and rich vocals but the excellent sound at the venue. Intimate clubs often skimp on the sound, figuring, perhaps, that it doesn’t matter in a small space, but Downstairs at the Falcon proves that conventional wisdom can fall short.

Immediately after the opening number, Marc Dan and Steve Jagoda joined in on guitar and drums respectively, and the vibe ramped up. Sitting in with Cole for the first time on these tunes, a cover of Tift Merritt’s uptempo “Still Not Home” showed off not only Cole’s ability as a frontman, but the impressive abilities of Dan and Jagota to play adeptly off the cuff—after all, this wasn’t a cover of “Ride, Sally, Ride,” or something everybody’s done a million times. By the same token, a version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” became a new and engaging song entirely, not a George Harrison wanna-be. After a funny explanation of how he came to write “Is It Sunny Where You Are,” Cole brought up his inspiration, his wife Erin, who may or may not have been involved in another tune they dueted, “You Fuck Me Up.” A standout tune here, the lovely “Got A Job At the Church,” ought to become a theme song for many, many groups, particularly friends—or even acquaintances—of Bill.

After a brief intermission the band returned for yet another change of pace, with guitarist Alexi Glick, a young player who looks like Dougie Howser but plays like Carlos Santana. At one point Cole left the stage to Glick on Cole’s own song, “Hey Susanne.” By this time, the crowd was up and dancing to both Cole’s rock and bossa-nova-influenced tunes, and a couple of James Taylor songs that Cole has ramped up for his repertoire. Taylor’s “You Can Close your Eyes,” included an extended jam that all by itself earned bassist Jagoda and guitarist Glick their night’s pay.

Closing out the night with an SRO house, the band took the Police’s “This Bed’s Too Big Without You,” and turned the reggae tune into walkin’ blues—another pleasant surprise from Brad Cole and company. Maybe one day they’ll be included among the memorabilia at Downstairs at the Falcon . In the meantime, I just hope they return.

—Suzanne Cadgène