One of the places I grew up going to many shows Small venue but you can see the stage from everywhere in the club , it has a charm to it if you're ever in the area ago visit the venue read more

The Chance Theatre - Ross the Boss - Music Venues Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Came here to see my cousin's band play as well as a NIN tribute band and Schism. Easy in and out as we showed up an hour after doors opened and I'm sure that made our lives easier. Idk what drink prices were since these bros kept buying me shots and I was notttt complaining! Green tea and fireball for the win! Bathrooms downstairs were actually quite clean but damn those steps to get down are dizzying and the top step is def bigger than the rest so watch yo self. Sadly I do not think the acoustics in this venue are that great. Out of the three bands I could not make out ONE lyric when i was standing by the bar and its not like it's that massive or I was far away. It's something they absolutely need to work on bc otherwise what is the point of seeing a band play if you can't even hear them? read more

I will never again attend a concert at the Chance now that they have decided to host a band called Confederate Railroad. You may hate me for this but I'll be just fine because anyone who can attend a Confederate Railroad concert probably hated me and all people like me to begin with. I'm clicking one star just so my post can be seen but I don't believe the Chance is worth any stars. It's like you may as well have just invited the klu klux klan to Poughkeepsie. read more

Pros: 1) well lit parking lot, 2) easily accessible location by car, 3) lower level: orchestra pit, ground level, car level, 4) upper level: 4-5 tiers, 6) upper and lower level bars, 7) upstairs loft stage, 8) intimate sightlines, 9) solid sound system Cons: 1) 24hr parking meter, 2) neighborhood, 3) lower level can get crowded, 4) people standing in lowest upper level tiers obstruct stage view for people standing in highest upper level tiers, 5) dirty The positives clearly outweigh the negatives. Great intimate music venue with a terrific divey atmosphere. I would give this place 5-Stars if the upper level was reconfigured as a sitting loge and standing room tiers behind it. The Chance Threatre is the Hudson Valley's premier rock concert venue. read more

Attended the dokken concert: The venue said doors were opening at 6:00 and concert starting at 7:00. The doors opened at 8:00 so you have to stand outside in line the cold because everybody is there now. The one good thing about the place is that it is small so you have a good view, the downside is they pack the place. The sound system is terrible, they make up by blasting the music loud. Had to wait one hour between bands because staff could not set up the sound system. The security staff are just wankers and assh*l*s. read more

I bought a ticket for a concert/show at The Chance that ended up being cancelled by the artist, 2 1/2 months in advance of the scheduled date, due to health issues. The Chance refuses to issue a refund for the cancelled show, even though they state on the ticket and on their website that refunds will be issued for cancelled shows. They won't respond to emails, no one answers their phone, they won't respond to posts on Facebook or to instant messages (even though they see them). Their online ticket seller (TicketWeb) states that the club has not authorized refunds. The owner died and the people now running the place are CROOKS and SHYSTERS!! BEWARE BUYING ANY TICKETS FROM THEM AS THEY WONT HONOR THEIR OWN REFUND POLICY IF THE SHOW GETS CANCELLED FOR SOME REASON!! UNSCRUPULOUS THIEVES!! read more

I'm 37 weeks pregnant, but decided to come to a poetry reading at the Chance anyway, to get out of the house and to see some amazing artists. First, even though the show was supposed to start at 6:30, The Chance kept their doors locked and made everyone stand out in the freezing cold rain until 6:50. (It was 35 degrees and full on raining.) Bartender and artist apologized for this; management did not. In fact, we found out that even the ARTISTS had not been allowed in, and had to wait in their van! Once inside, whoever runs/owns it clearly has NO passion for running a music venue. The whole place is filthy. Multiple tv's were showing the movie "Elf" WITH SOUND during the poetry reading. The place is understaffed, so the bartender (who is a nice guy and deserves a better job, tbh) had to leave the bar and take care of other responsibilities multiple times. We saw people who just gave up on ordering drinks and left. On Instagram the next day, the artists were complimenting the crowd, but saying that they would never return to this "rough venue." The Chance is a really sad waste of what could be an amazing space. I'm left wondering how many fans and artists they've chased away. read more

I recently moved to the Poughkeepsie area and had no idea that the chance was still open I found out that happily it is good sounds good drink prices closest to my house and they have national acts 2 to 3 times a week. Because of the chance I'm not missing out On nightlife just because I moved up to Farm country read more

Been here more times than I could ever count...feels like home. To me it has that a little bit of that nasty, dirty bathroom integrity that venues should have. I want to see phone numbers scribbled on the bathroom wall, not a fancy laser show - and The Chance is definitely that place lol. It's got 4 places in one sort of...the main area with the stage, the Loft, which gets so hot and sweaty you'd think you were in Rainforest Cafe; the "Platinum Lounge" or whatever they call it (I just refer to it as the back room), and the Nuddy Irishman bar. There are bars in all 4 of the places so you'll never be without a drink in hand. If you remember though, the smoking area used to just have a simple metal barricade penning you in like a sheep, which I preferred because you could just jump it and go wherever, now they have this really tall Guantanamo Bay pool fence which is really annoying and feels out of place....plus you can't sneak out and sneak back in. (sorry underage kiddies) There's not a bad spot in the place to see the stage, pretty much anywhere is a good spot. read more

Just saw Kix and probably take in about a half-dozen shows a year up there. The GOOD: the rock concerts they book are EXCELLENT; the price is always right and the venue is intimate. Kudos to the Security inside who are unfortunately kept way too busy! The BAD (and there is a lot) is as follows. Crap goes down here all the time. This place draws in those who can't handle their booze and just look for trouble (not necessarily in that order!). Speaking of booze, the WORST bartenders anywhere. Expect to painfully wait and be ignored at the bar! The smoking area is outside stage left and if you're standing indoors anywhere in that vicinity, it's as if you're standing in a fire pit! And because this is a family website kids, I can't even comment on the bathrooms--it just can't be done! read more

Iconic place. Nice to see this venue is still doing music. Only minus 1 star cause it is in the Hood and you gotta watch where you walk.

I saw The Chariot open for Every Time I Die here. I've never been patted down harder by security to go in a venue and I usually go to shows in NYC. What's going on up here guys? Damn. Anyways, the venue was pretty nice looking. There's definitely a lot of points in the venue with obstructed views and it would've taken considerable effort to get to a decent spot on the floor as it was completely packed between the stage and the stairs but venue was alright. It was cool how the backdoor to the stage opens to the back of the building for the bands to unload. I saw the members of The Chariot carrying stuff out back there. I come up here once a year, so if another show happened to land on that 1 or 2 days, I'd come back. read more

Great shows and good vibes, just as everyone else has said. I really love the fact that they encourage local talent as well as nationally recognized bands. I just wanted to comment that The Chance theater was really generous to donate two pairs of tickets to a charity event we held this summer. Thank you Chance Theater for supporting your community!! read more

Not exactly Madison Square Garden, but it's a cool place to check out whichever musician is currently playing this venue. The ladies that walk around and take and deliver your drink order to your seat do an excellent job of keeping the alcohol flowing. read more

Blah. I really only came here to see my roommate's band play, and got to see Eve 6 (ten years too late) as a consequence of that. Both of those things were very cool, but overall I just don't like the atmosphere at the Chance. In fact, the Chance doesn't even feel like it has an atmosphere to me. So, just blah. read more

I'm here for Club Cosmic by New Earth Connect. Best party I've been to anywhere outside of Brooklyn. Check it out read more

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I've had a love/hate relationship with The Chance for the past 11 years. When I was a teenager, it was the only connection I had to my favorite punk bands that were too big to play the local skate parks and VFW's - so for that, I thank it. I also thank it for, at such a young age, breaking me into the harsh reality of the dingy - yet indestructable - old rock clubs of yore. Because of my training at The Chance, I've successfully navigated through similarly disgusting bathrooms at Coney Island High, Brownies, and CBGB (may you rest in peace), seemingly unaffected by the pools of pee and puke and other HAZMAT-worthy substances. I've learned not to let large, sweaty bald men push me around to get a better view of the stage, and that having friends with big biceps and minor mental-instabilities can sure come in handy. I've come to terms with having to wait in long lines outside; it can be a wonderful time smell the sweet summer breeze and catch up with friends, or - on the flip side - freeze to death and curse the world and all its inhabitants. Because of The Chance, I've learned that pea-brained, 'roid raging, asshole bouncers come in all shapes and sizes. I have not been to this place in a number of years because a) I have grown out of seeing terrible local hardcore bands, and b) all of the good bands play in much nicer venues in NYC with better amenities and facilities, so why not make the trip? Still, there is something about the intoxicating smell of stale beer and sweat-infused wood beams that makes me feel so nostalgic, and the way the sunlight creeps through the cracks of the building late in the day could (still) probably bring a tear to my eye. Oh, Poughkeepsie. read more

I've been coming here for about 15 years and have seen sooo many metal bands here: Firehouse, Quiet Riot, Skid Row, Lita Ford, W.A.S.P., Y&T, L.A. Guns, and many more. The stage is large, the drinks are reaonsably priced, the club is spacious enough, and on most nights the crowds are very good. This place holds sentimental value for me since I've been coming here ever since I was a kid. They used to get much better acts here; it seems like they haven't been getting nearly as many national bands recently. Although the club itself is very cool, the area around it is anything but. I believe that that area of downtown Poughkeepsie was ranked one of the worst areas in the entire state of NY. read more

Promoters and club owners should do their jobs and promote shows and sell tickets, not live off of bands forced into pay to play. If you like being treated like sh!t, play The Chance. Now this dive is hitting a new low with the Confederate Railroad show. Dirty Bathrooms. Great music at a bad venue that hasn't been cleaned since the 80's. read more

As others have said, this place has been around for ages. I first started coming here to see shows in the late 80s, mostly metal/thrash/hardcore/punk stuff. Just the other night I went back for the first time in about 8 years to catch The Supersuckers, one of my favorite current bands. The Chance has not changed much, I noted. The sound has always been pretty good here, maybe it's the theatrical layout of the venue that allows for the good acoustics, I don't know, I'm not a sound man. I had been here for some rowdy shows through the years, so I can attest to the overzealous goofball bouncers, tossing around angry punk rock teenagers (I was never one, myself- I mostly preferred to stand off to the side or in the balcony and just enjoy the bands). They've actually expanded and now have a connected restaurant next door with a game room, TVs, etc. which is a good option to go waste time in because they love to book MANY bands on the bills....many local bands which may not be your thing when you really just want to see the headliner. I often call ahead to find out the set times, and just show up then. The Chance is a nice alternative to trekking all the way into NYC for us Hudson Valley residents to get our rock on, glad its still around. read more

This is a GREAT place to see a show. Concerts are usually affordable, there's no bad spot to stand in the place and it's conveniently located for Hudson Valley locals. The negatives come from a few areas: customer service, cleanliness. There is little of either. I live very close to The Chance so when there's a show I want to see-- I'll go to the box office to pick up tickets. This way, I have my tickets right away and I don't have to pay extra fees. The problem comes when they aren't open during their posted business hours. In the past 10 years, there's been over 15-20 occasions where I've gone to buy tickets and the box office is closed. And when you are able to finally get tickets, there's never an apology or an attempt at fixing the situation. Secondly, again it's a great venue for a concert but it is downright dirty and gross. The staff inside aren't particularly friendly. The bathrooms are horrific and you will stick to the floor everywhere you go. If you are able to get your tickets, and don't have to pee for the few hours you're there-- you'll be good. Otherwise, good luck ;) read more

Hate the location - inside and out. They do have some great bands there, but I'd rather go to the Gramercy (in NYC) without question!!! The Chance is in a neighborhood that's shady by day and downright scary at night. The odds of contracting some kind of horrific disease in the restrooms is very good and if you lean on anything inside the building, you may take home more than memories. Prices for the shows are reasonable, but that's because you risk life and limb once inside. They don't search people and they serve glass bottles - this is really smart - especially at metal shows. While I haven't seen trouble, they seem to have an open invitation to it there. I would recommend a hazmat suit or at the very least, some kind of personal sanitation / decontamination products. This building should be gutted and re-built. I would have no trouble playing double the current ticket prices if it was actually nice inside. I don't doubt that there's asbestos and lead paint, among other health hazards inside this enormous petri dish of a building. Management must be bribing the Health Department or something. Enter at your own risk and be sure to have all your Estate papers in order before going in. read more

This used to be a great venue, until a new batch of security guards came along. On multiple occasions, reports of excessive force, and more than one time choking have been sent to The Chance higher-ups and nothing has been done about it. They all but strangled to death the singer of Big D and the Kids Table, and have repeatedly grabbed crowd-surfing kids around the neck. Management really needs to open their eyes and rethink their security before they wind up with a kid with a snapped neck on their hands. read more

If you like waiting and hour in line at the "will call" window, and you like waiting two hours for the show to start, and if you like a dumpy venue with filthy restrooms and graffiti, and you like theaters with almost no seating, then you'll love this place. I wonder why shows start two hours late: could it be so they can sell a boat load of beer and wine. Hmm. read more

This is my favorite place to see bands play. I love how they have a "pit", a lower level, and an upper level. Plenty of space to see the stage. They also have a bar. The backstage door is near the door to get inside, so you always see band members hanging out. They also have (I think 2) other stages in this building. I've been to The Loft and it's great there as well. The stage is really low, so seeing from the back is hard, but it's also a small area. When I went there was probably only 50 kids there, so it made it that much more fun because it felt like a big family. read more

My second time here was not as good as the first. A few months ago I sent an email asking what is the policy on cameras. To this day, I got no response. I went anyway with my camera to see the Sick Puppies and all was well. A few days ago, I took the same camera to see AFI was during the show the guy told me to put it away because it was a "professional" camera. Their website says nothing about types of cameras and I saw at least four other DSLR cameras for the AFI show. I sent a second email and I'm still awaiting an answer. read more

great shows and good location. Gets really hot so drink plenty of water. The pit is probably the best location to see the band. The next levels up are good if you are the first one at the rail. After the first people at the rail you cant really see anything. Great sound system and the security guards are awesome read more

Intimate venue..old..and very fun place to see shows! There's an ample municipal parking lot next to it, so finding a spot shouldn't be a problem. I've only been up on the balcony once, but it was nice...and there's a bar up on that level too. Tickets are affordable, so it's a reasonable cost for a night out with friends. My only complaint is that the ladies room has always been out of tp or been about to run out when I've been there! read more

I saw a concert here. The lighting was very good over the stage, but the sound system was having trouble. While the performances were fantastic, the environment was not too great. The bathrooms were dirty and there was no soap. Plus, the doors were open, as if I need girls walking by watching me pee. There are not enough seats to accommodate the large crowds the place sometimes draws. I think I got contact high from some weed, too. A few lights need to be replaced, as well. At least, there was a large public parking lot out back. read more

This place is old, run down, and dirty. No direct parking. And smelly bathrooms. But if you get drunk enough..... amazing place!

There's a few times in life when you become the 'Newbie'. Last night was one of them. I'm visiting NY for the first time & Steve invited me for a night out at The Chance - Exodus & Testament. This place was ON FIRE‼ The bands tore it uuuup & not only was the stage hop'n w/fanfrickntastic lighting/set up but the entire up & down was PACKED with a bit of every kind of peoples which created a world of its own. ALL heads bob'n the kranked out beats‼ Even good'o Gramps & G'ma were thrash'n it out. HaHa The Mosh was all out trip'n the bang theory & EVERYONE PARTOOK OF THE GOOD BROTHER DEED ... YOU EAT IT? WE PICK YOU BACK UP DUST YOU OFF & SHOVE YOU BACK TO THE WOLVES. LoL (i watched from high ) AWESOME venue‼ Had'a BLAST all the way around the block‼ 2 thumbs up‼ read more

My favorite place to go to shows in the region, "The Chance!" Everything about this place is pretty awesome. Ticket pricing is good, acoustics is good, alcohol pricing is a bit steep but the selection is decent... the food is decent and the place has a balcony which adds a neat feature not frequently seen at music venues. You will commonly see a Ninja doing backflips and ninja moves off the balcony and into the crowd. There is plenty of room but most of the bigger shows do sell the place out so unless you are going to see a no-name you'll be pretty crammed in there. Overall though it is a fun and worthy place to go see a concert. read more

I'd much rather drive the hour or so North from Northern Westchester to see a show here than an hour into the city. Yeah it's a little grungy, but this is rock n roll, not the opera. Never had a bad experience here in the dozen or so times I've been. If you go in the winter be prepared to be a little cold up front as they keep the stage door open while bands load out. read more

Concert was fine but advise your employees to not be rude and inconsiderate during meet and greets. I understand every person can't have 10 minutes meeting an artist but I took 5 extra seconds to put my keys down to take the picture and heard a female worker right near me telling another worker I needed to "just go already" and continuously heard her loudly telling others the same and acting very annoyed. Really rude and obnoxious. We all payed for this, sorry you want to rush everyone and go home but it's your JOB. read more

Very Rude Bartender! 2.75 for water. Gave my friend a gingerale with 90% ice. Nice security guards outside. Dirty Bathrooms. Great music but bad venue. Place did not look like it was swept or mopped before the show. Bad house keeping! read more

The Chance is a mecca in the Hudson Valley scene. It's a beautiful building that's old and run down just enough to pass for a punk rocker's Sistine Chapel. The sound is always pretty good and the layout makes seeing your favorite band perform a pleasant experience, Unfortunately, this place also has quite a bad reputation amongst musicians. The people running the show can be dirt bags at times. As a guy who loves live shows and great music, i recommend everyone check out The Chance. As a musician, I recommend all artists beware of it. read more

This is one of my favorite venues. I liked it a lot because there is a huge balcony upstairs with some stadium seats, which no one seems to know about, so it's not too crowded. I went to the 10/30/07 show, which was Sherwood, Armor for Sleep, The Rocket Summer, and The Academy Is..., in which the venue was pretty crowded. I loved the funky little details all around the stage. The balcony is great for people watching down below, especially because you can see the crowd in the small mosh pit-esque area. Their camera policy is ever-changing, for certain shows, no camera, for others, no flash, sometimes they don't care at all. If you're under 16 and want to go to an over 16 show, they don't check ID at the door. The acoustics are pretty good, the lighting set up is amazing, and I had a great time. The music put on before the show tends to be a little off-putting. The area is a bit sketch, but as long as the show is pretty well attended, there are enough people milling around outside after the show to make it feel a bit more safe. The bands tend to be a tossup with local talent and some big bands peppered in. read more

The Chance Theatre - Testament at the Chance - Music Venues Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

BEWARE!!!!! This place is so horrific, I had to leave despite traveling over an hour to get there. I went here for a much anticipated concert since the reviews are not so bad but was disgusted. It has peeling paint, writing on walls and the smell is terrible. It was full of smoke, weed and booze. The space is so tight packed you cannot move and the restrooms are disastrous!!!!!! My group decided to leave as soon as we set foot into the place and we ran to our car since nearby area is very run down and you don't want to get jumped. I am so glad we got out of there quickly and safely and am shocked this dump is still open, I cannot even give it one star but have to in order to post. Money and time completely wasted. read more

I went to this theater tonight to see Queen Flash. I have to say that the group was great and I would go see this group again, however, at another venue. This venue was a huge disappointment to me and I believe it was a huge disappointment to the group playing. It was probably an embarrassment to the group. Let me explain. There must have been only about 30 people in the audience. The Chance theater is dirty, it smells, and the equipment that the group was using, as far as speakers and microphones were faulty. The feedback was awful, the microphones kept going in and out and I think because of that the group had to cut their show short. Not to mention, they were probably disgusted having to play for only 30 people. This group is too talented for that. I believe it is the venue that is not bringing people in. For such a small venue, they should be packed. Now, getting back to the venue. My husband and I paid for VIP tickets, when we were told by the cashier this would be a busy event and seating would be upstairs, as we were guaranteed seats. They never even opened up the balcony because there was so very little people at this event and it seems as if we paid $50 a ticket for nothing. I really want my money back as far as a VIP seating is concerned, as we could have paid general admission. I feel we will led on and ripped off!! Never again!! read more

The Chance is hit or miss honestly. You can see some good shows and not pay an arm and a leg like you would in NYC. I remember one show about 8 years ago being $12 and the same band played in NYC for about $23. I mean it is something to check out if a band you like is playing there and you are willing to make the trek. But as I am getting older I would pay the "$23" to stay in NYC. read more