A Columbia Waterfront husband-and-wife team combine inebriation and education, with folk music as the focus

by Brendan Fitzgibbons

The idea of the Brooklyn music scene being an incubator of traditional folk music seems to fly in the face of the general consensus. Normally, local sound is characterized by a shrewd, ultra-cool front man, decked out in polished black, leading a cacophony of splashy electric riffs, punk, rapid-fire drumbeats with slick irony-charged lyrics, and catchy, noisy hooks.

At least some of that changed in 2008, when husband and wife duo Geoff and Lynette Wiley decided to steer toward the post World War II tradition of contemporary folk music by opening up the Jalopy Theatre in Red Hook.

“We wanted to form a community space where musicians can make money as both performers and teachers,” said co-manager Lynette.

In addition to live music performances six nights a week, the Jalopy Theatre holds classes for more than 800 students each year in three classrooms, plus more than 1,000 in its folkbased workshops. Instruction includes voice lessons, folk dance technique, and instruction in a variety of string instruments, among them fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele. Workshops are in the two-hour range, and focus on vocal harmony, blues, and fingerpicking.

The community took to the theater so enthusiastically that the couple opened the property next door as the Jalopy Tavern in 2011. Although a separate space, Wiley explained that the tavern is really just an extension of the theatre’s core folk mission. (“Our chef, for example, is from New Orleans; we love to serve traditional American fare with a southern twist,” she said.) Its menu consists of Dixie staples like Jambalaya, Baked Mac and Cheese, Catfish Tacos, Friend Chicken and Biscuits, as well as a multi-option beer-and-shot deal.

Wiley also recognized the tavern’s significance in bridging the worlds of live performance, teaching, and neighborhood.

“The bar is really the ideal place for performers and audience to go after our shows,” she said. “After our packed “Roots and Ruckus” shows on Wednesdays, for example, everyone goes over to the tavern to continue the jam session…sometimes until five in the morning. The scene is just awesome.”

Jalopy
315 Columbia St. / 718.395.3214 / jalopy.biz