Peekskill Brewery 'Take Over' Of Paramount Theater

PEEKSKILL, NY — Two Peekskill boosters are coming to the rescue of the Paramount Theater. The former management partners withdrew and the city, which owns the theater, closed it for renovations.

Now the theater, located in the heart of downtown Peekskill, is very much at the center of discussion for many of the city’s business owners and residents. The time period surrounding the renovations, which includes planning and research, has left business owners who rely on revenue from theater show’s foot traffic in a quandary.

Business owners Louie Lanza of Hudson Hospitality and Keith Berardi of Peekskill Brewery put their heads together, coming up with a plan for the theater that they hope will benefit Peekskill’s central business district.

They are organizing a short-term concert series to stimulate downtown activity and increase revenue for downtown businesses.

Berardi has curated the concert series, billed as a “Peekskill Brewery Takeover.”

He knows what he's doing. While most known for sparking a craft beer buzz in Peekskill more than 10 years ago, Berardi has been just as enthusiastic about Peekskill’s music scene. He helped start the 1 st Peekskill Jazz & Blues Festival, partnered in the former Hudson Hop & Harvest festival and books the bands for PB’s extraordinarily popular Anniversary Block Parties.

He is also still responsible for curating the music played in his brewery’s Tap Room.

Lanza, for his part, negotiated an agreement with the City of Peekskill, and he and the Lanza Family Foundation are helping underwrite the hard expenses of keeping the theater temporarily open.

As owner of Peekskill’s The Hudson Room, Taco Dive Bar, Buns N’ Bourbon, Eagle Saloon and Factoria at Charles Point, Lanza has been open in his desire to see continued growth and vitality for the city. For example, he was the driving force behind a successful community effort supporting the successful gun buy back program by the Peekskill Police Department.

Other production costs and marketing of the shows are being underwritten by Peekskill businesses and owners including: Brian Fasset, John Sharp, Red House Productions, Speakeasy Tattoo, Division Street Guitar, and Enormous Creative. The list of collaborators continues to grow.

The series, which kicks off April 19, consists of young, up and coming bands that will appeal to a whole new generation in Peekskill as well as its elders.

“The Big Takeover” is the first show and fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer and songwriter Nee Nee Rushie, they are a seven-piece band whose music is rooted and reverent toward the genres and rhythms of Jamaican pop: reggae, rocksteady and ska.

They will be supported by “The Brighton Beat” whose influences range from Afrobeat to modern cutting-edge NYC jazz to classic New Orleans brass band funk.

The lobby bar and doors will open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Other dates include:

• Friday, April 26 - “Flux Capacitor” with “Shwizz”
• Saturday, April 27 - “Box of Rain” with “Ronald Reggae”
• Friday, May 3 - “Haley Jane and the Primates” with “Joanna Teters”
• Saturday, May 4 - “Funky Dawgz Brass Band”

Tickets go on sale this week through Peekskill Brewery’s website. All tickets will be general admission and priced at $15 advance and $20 day of. Multiple show passes will also be available.

SEE ALSO: City of Peekskill Seeks New Partners for the Paramount Theater