B Side Ballroom Strikes a Chord in Heart of Oneonta’s Music Scene

By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA

Tucked into a downtown plaza that once housed the General Clinton Pub, the B Side Ballroom and Supper Club has become one of Oneonta’s most enduring cultural spaces. More than a restaurant or nightlife stop, the venue has established itself as a cornerstone of the local music and performing arts scene—one that brings together longtime residents, area college students and regional musicians in a shared, intimate setting.

Since opening more than a decade ago, the B Side has earned a reputation for thoughtful programming, close-up performances and a listening-first atmosphere that sets it apart from other venues in the region. Its presence downtown has helped sustain live music in Oneonta through shifting economic conditions, changing audiences and the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The venue emerged from a transitional moment for owners Wayne and Rebecca Carrington. Around 2011, the couple was balancing family life and professional careers while feeling pulled back toward music. At the same time, the General Clinton Pub had closed, leaving behind a vacant space in the shopping center located below Main Street at Chestnut and Market streets.

Rebecca Carrington’s uncle, who owned the plaza, suggested they consider reopening it.

“Gravity,” said Wayne Carrington. “We came from various musical backgrounds that had morphed into responsible corporate pursuits, and then we found ourselves at an inflection point around 2011. We resisted the life-long urge to build an intimate music venue as long as we could, and the rest is history.”

From the outset, the Carringtons were clear that the B Side was not meant to function as a typical bar. Instead, it was designed intentionally around music and shared experience.

“The B Side is a conversation. Its medium is space,” Wayne Carrington said. “An intimate environment built to foster conversation through music, food, beverage and social connection. Artful interactions.”

That guiding idea remains evident inside the venue. Performers play just feet from the audience. Seating is arranged to encourage closeness and attention. Music is treated as something to be actively listened to, not background noise. Shows often unfold in near silence between songs, with audiences fully engaged in the performance.

For musicians, that atmosphere stands out. Elliot Barrett, who has performed at the B Side with bands including Koleslaw, described the venue as unlike any other place to play locally.

“We love playing at the B Side,” Barrett said. “It’s such a friendly environment with great food, great staff and great sound. No other venue in town captures the moody atmosphere that the B Side does.”

Audience attentiveness is a central part of the experience, he added.

“The crowd is always amazing,” Barrett said. “People are attentive and want to hear good local music.”

Maintaining that level of engagement, however, is one of the ongoing challenges of running a live music venue in a small city in upstate New York. When asked about the biggest hurdle the B Side faces, Carrington did not hesitate.

“Keeping people engaged,” he said.

Even so, the venue has remained deeply committed to live performance. On average, the B Side hosts more than a hundred shows per year, including numerous national touring and Grammy-nominated acts—an ambitious slate by any measure, particularly in a city the size of Oneonta.

“Any venue that invests in 1,000+ high-level shows has to be making an impact,” Carrington said. “But the community is always the one to decide value.”

The local music scene itself has seen cycles of growth and contraction over the past 15 years. Wayne Carrington, who has been involved in Oneonta’s arts community for more than three decades, views those shifts as familiar patterns rather than signs of decline.

“Stormy,” he said. “I can’t say that it has ever really been all that different.”

Barrett shared a similar perspective, noting that while the scene has changed, the B Side continues to anchor it.

“The B Side is definitely the hub for small, intimate shows and has been for a while,” he said.

For independent artists, venues like the B Side play a crucial role. Barrett emphasized their importance as creative incubators and community spaces.

“These venues are where new songs get tested live and where stage presence develops,” Barrett said. “Most importantly, these spaces give musicians a sense of belonging.”

That sense of belonging extends beyond performers. Local partnerships—particularly with music programs at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College—have helped sustain audiences and foster collaboration, especially as touring became more difficult nationwide following the pandemic.

Mark Pawkett, a longtime Oneonta musician and SUNY Oneonta faculty member, pointed to the B Side as a vital downtown presence.

“When the General Clinton Pub went under, we lost that venue,” Pawkett said. “When the B Side opened, it came back—much fancier, though.”

The guitarist described it as a place where people can “sit down, eat good food and watch a show,” making it welcoming to a wide range of audiences, including those who may not feel comfortable in traditional bar settings.

While Oneonta is often defined by its student population, the Carringtons originally envisioned the B Side as a venue for adults who felt overlooked by the downtown nightlife scene.

“Our intention was singular; to open a place for adults,” Wayne Carrington said. The club owners were hoping to engage a population “starved for connection, and curated experiences.”

Over time, the space has naturally evolved into one where students and longtime residents regularly share tables, performances, and conversations.

“We treat everyone the same,” he said, asking only that guests respect the venue and the community it serves.

Those cross-generational connections are most visible during performances. When asked whether he has seen meaningful interactions form between students and older residents, Carrington’s answer was immediate.

“Every show!” he replied.

One moment that continues to stand out for him occurred during a performance by Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge, when more than 120 people sat together in near silence.

“You could hear a pin drop,” he remarked.

For Wayne and Rebecca Carrington, experiences like that capture the essential role small venues play in shaping the identity of a place.

“I believe they are the heart,” he observed.

After more than a decade in downtown Oneonta, the B Side Ballroom and Supper Club has become exactly that—a steady, intentional presence where music, conversation and community continue to meet.

This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.