New Paltz starts late and ends late. That’s just the way it is and always has been. When performers at the local arts centers, small theaters and dinner clubs are thanking you and saying goodnight, when young parents are returning home and dismissing the child care, opening acts in New Paltz are check-one-twoing their microphones as the crowds start to filter in. Veteran players often roll their eyes when discussing New Paltz gigs for this reason. Some won’t even do it anymore.