Garcia's

Over the years that Brian Lynch has worked at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, he experienced many great moments listening to the musicians who were booked to play the historic venue. Lynch, who was the theater’s head usher for 13 years until last fall, has a treasure trove of memories of the place that many people endearingly call The Cap.

One of those moments was when the theater opened its lobby bar Garcia’s in 2013, named after the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. The Grateful Dead was one of the most important bands in the theater’s early days as a concert hall, playing there 18 times in the first year as a concert hall.

Some of the band’s other members frequently visited and performed, including Phil Lesh, founding member and the bassist for the Grateful Dead. Garcia’s family entered into a partnership with the theater to name the bar after the late legendary guitarist, and his daughter attended the opening, Lynch recalled. “We’ve had some fantastic shows,” said Lynch, the unofficial archivist for The Capitol Theatre, who still works as an usher. “We had Neil Young a bunch of times. I’m fond of the guitarists – Jeff Beck, Peter Frampton. These are the guys I really like. I’d stop in my tracks to watch them.”

The Capitol Theatre, one of the great institutions in Westchester County, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Designed by the famous architect Thomas Lamb, also known for developing the plans for other large theaters of the time, it opened its doors on the evening of August 18, 1926, with a 10-piece orchestra and a screening of the silent movie “The Sea Wolf.”

Stefanie May, the current director of marketing, said there was a 1926 advertisement that billed the theater as “Westchester’s first refrigerated, air-conditioned venue.” With all of the challenges in operating a roughly 2,000-seat facility along with the changes in entertainment choices and tastes over the past century, The Capitol Theatre has been able to move with the times but retain much of the nostalgic charm of that bygone era. “It had silent movies and vaudeville acts, and it was a place to gather and come together and have great entertainment, and that is what it still is today,” May said. “It’s definitely a world-renown venue.”

In its early days, crowds filled the seats to see the likes of Al Jolson, Abbott and Costello and later on Bob Hope while also showing the newly released movies of that time, Lynch said. During World War II, Babe Ruth made an appearance to help sell war bonds, he said.

By 1970, The Capitol Theatre was converted to a music hall. Some of the largest names in the business along with those who were ascending to fame graced its stage. Aside from the Grateful Dead, audiences at The Cap were treated to Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Traffic, the Talking Heads and many others. In the early ‘70s, it was seen as a complement to the famed Fillmore East in Manhattan’s East Village.

In the mid- ‘70s, promotor Eddie Claridge introduced its “post-psychedelic era” by featuring artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Frank Zappa, Electric Light Orchestra and Fleetwood Mac with many shows extending deep into the night.

By 1983, local real estate developer Marvin Ravikoff bought the theater, embarking on a series of renovations. During that time, it was used mainly for musicals and other live shows. But the concerts made a comeback in the early ‘90s as notable bands Blues Traveler and Phish, among others, performed. Following that Ravikoff used it for a time as a catering hall.

After current owner Peter Shapiro bought The Capitol Theatre about 15 years ago, he did a full renovation, preparing it for its next phase.

Today, it continues to appeal to thousands of music fans throughout the tristate area and across the country. It also books comedy shows as part of its lineup with Chelsea Handler and Daniel Tosh on the schedule this year.

Beyond that, it has become a popular event space for corporate events and celebrations birthdays, weddings and Bar and Bat Mitzvah, which broadens its appeal, said Emily Schmalholz, the theater’s head of events. “We’re very different than a country club or a hotel where it’s very much rinse and repeat,” Schmalholz said. “When you do an event at The Cap, it’s a unique space.”

Live Shows a Big Draw

Since 2012, when Bob Dylan ushered in its modern era, The Capitol Theatre’s highest profile use is for the rock bands and comedians who typically fill the more than 1,500 seats for a sold-out show, May said. Staff can take out the downstair seats for some shows for a standing-room-only crowd that can fit about 2,000 people.

The theater has become known as a place where fans have grown accustomed to the “jam bands” in the mold of the Grateful Dead, May said. For Lesh, the theater became his East Coast home away from home, she said. “Our fan base loves us for those types of shows, and the history that we have in the Grateful Dead community, and we have that type of fan base, so those types of shows tend to do very well,” May said.

The Cap has also been a place for “underplays,” when high-profile groups or artists are booked in a smaller venue. In addition, it has attracted classic rock legacy bands, including Chicago, the Doobie Brothers and Foreigner, she said. “Sometimes we have these arena-level rock bands that want a special theater like The Capitol Theatre,” May said. “So, because of the reputation the name has, we are sometimes able to bring these types of acts. I think our booking team looks for a variety as well.”

That reputation isn’t just built on playing a hall that was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It has consistently lured world-class musicians to its stage also because of the flawless acoustics, Lynch explained.

American rock blues band Hot Tuna first played The Capitol Theatre in 1970, shortly after it became a music hall. One of Hot Tuna’s co-founders, guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, recalled that everyone sought to play the Fillmore East in the East Village when arriving on the New York rock scene at the time. But what was attractive about The Cap was its historical credentials and being a great sounding room.

“Not all historic theaters are suitable for both acoustic and electric music,” said Kaukonen, who was also a member of Jefferson Airplane. “The Capitol certainly was, even in early incarnations when sound systems were evolving. To be walking the boards where so many artists have gone before is like dancing with ghosts!”

Special Events Strike a Chord

An important component of The Capitol Theatre’s schedule is its place as a one-of-a-kind event space for corporate outings and private parties large and small. Schmalholz said the theater’s location near a Metro-North train station makes it an inviting and convenient choice for companies and families from Westchester, Fairfield and New York City to hold a celebration.

Reservations are generally scheduled as much as one to two years in advance. Often the parties get on the calendar first and the booking team fills in the available dates with music and comedy shows and other events, she said. “I would say most people coming to us for events are looking for something different,” Schmalholz said. “They’re looking for something more casual with a sort of a rock ‘n’ roll vibe to their event. I can’t tell you how many tours I give where a group comes in and everyone is sick and tired of sitting at a round table, sitting through a presentation and getting dressed up, where all they want to do is come and socialize, have a drink, eat some good food and hear some great music. I feel like that’s where we pull from.”

There are typically three kinds of events that use the theater. One is a full rent-out of the entire theater, where the organizer would need at least 200 guests to as many as 1,000 people, Schmalholz said. For smaller scale events such as birthday parties, Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations and small wedding receptions and benefit concerts, The Capitol Theatre rents out Garcia’s, which could fit from 50 to as many as 200 guests. The upstairs mezzanine bar is also another choice for a party.

Then there are pre-concert parties where invitees gather before the show and take in the concert afterward. A list of preferred caterers from the surrounding area are recommended to provide the food and drink since they are familiar with the theater’s layout, Schmalholz said. “I’ve worked in a lot of places, but I’ve never worked in a music venue quite like this, so it’s hard to compare,” she said.

A Destination and Economic Engine

It’s impossible to talk about The Capital Theatre and avoid mentioning the impact it has on Port Chester and its business community and that of Westchester County at large. With about 150 events a year, it brings in crowds from throughout the tristate area and all 50 states.

Port Chester Village Manager Stuart Rabin said to his knowledge a formal study has never been done to quantify the theater’s economic impact on the community, but it’s clear on event nights there is more activity and businesses benefit. Total retail spending in Fiscal Year 2023 within the village’s borders reached $332.1 million.

“The Capitol Theatre is tremendously important to the Village of Port Chester and the many small businesses we support,” Rabin said. “The theater’s impact on the local economy is obvious whenever The Cap is on, the restaurants here swiftly become busier than we already thought imaginable.”

On Saturday night, September 19, The Capitol Theatre will be holding its 100th anniversary celebration featuring the band Pink Talking Fish, which will play the music of many of the artists and groups that have played there and made it an iconic place. It promises to be a special night, helping to launch the theater into its second century. “The Capitol Theatre is a legacy venue and at this point in my long-running career, I consider myself a legacy artist and I am not alone,” Kaukonen said. “It is an honor to be counted in the number of souls who have played The Cap.”