Stuff to do this weekend
What's that they say about one picture and a thousand words?
You made it! It's spring! Another long winter down. Now what will you do to celebrate.
NO--cleaning is not an option! The cobwebs will be there on Monday--sunny, warm (well, relatively warm) weather at this time of year is scarce in these parts. And lets face it, vacuuming kind of sucks (wow, we need some fresh air).
Here's our list of stuff that looks like it might be worth checking out this weekend. Got another plan? We'd love to hear about it.
Wander around Schenectady
It should be a beautiful night for the Schenectady Art Walk. Downtown Schenectady is open late with music, art, theater and other fun stuff. If you're looking for a snack try the Stacy's Mom at Ambition Cafe on Jay Street or the dessert pizza at Apperitivo. Mmm.
Catch a concert
This week the gang and WEXT recommends we check out Brooklyn indie band Low Water. You can catch a preview on your drive home at 97.7. They're opening for Pete Francis and jam band Barefoot Truth at Revolution Hall tonight.
Roller Derby
Albany All-Stars roller derby comes to the Washington Avenue Armory on Saturday night. The Empire Skate Troopers take on Skate Free or Die. Yeah, they're from New Hampshire. Doors open at 6. The bout starts at 7. $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
Dancing in Saratoga
On Saturday night The Joey Thomas Big Band headlines the Saratoga Savoy Diamond Dance at Saratoga Music Hall on Broadway ( It's on the top floor of City Hall). $15 gets you music and dancing from 7:30-11:30, food and free Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
YES! Reading
The YES! Reading poetry series continues tonight at Townsend Park Bakery. Featured readers are Robert Strong and Raurri Jennings.
If it's not Scottish....
Craig Ferguson is doing a one man show, complete with Scottish brogue, at Proctor's on Saturday night. If you've never DVR'd The Late, Late Show --this guy is really pretty funny. Tickets run from $20.00-$35.00. If the show is anything like his monologue, it's likely to be worth it.
The Dead
The musical adaptation of James Joyce's "Dubliners" story won a Tony Award when it ran on Broadway. It opened this week at Capital Rep and we've been hearing good things about the show.Tonight at 8, Sat at 4 & 8:30 PM, Sun at 2:30. $21-46.
Comics on the park
Let out your inner stand-up comedian, or watch someone else's at the Lark Tavern's
comedy open mic night. Sign up is at 7:30 and the show starts at 8. Free.
EMPAC
This could be kind of cool--Johannes Goebel used to build non-traditional instruments out of wood, metal and plastic and created music from pots and pans, scrap-metal defunct pianos and garden hoses . These days he's programming instruments in digital code. Goebel is giving a lecture at EMPAC on Saturday at 3, and he'll have some of his old instruments with him. He's performing a concert on Saturday night. Tickets run between $5 and $15. One ticket gets you into both events.
Movies
If you missed Frost/Nixon you can catch it at The Saratoga Film Forum tonight at 8 or Sunday at 3. $6
John Malkovich, Tom Hanks and Colin Hanks (unmistakably Tom's kid) are part of the cast of The Great Buck Howard, which just opened at The Spectrum. The cast ( OK, Malkovich) intrigues us. Here's the scoop from metacritic.
In a thread this week about Kosher for Passover Coke, Jalarson recommended the movie
"King Corn." Turns out the documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation is showing tonight at 6 at The Bethlehem Children's School in Slingerlands. (Thanks, Jess!)
Egg Cream Alert
Jess tells us there's a Jewish Food Festival on Sunday at the Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady. $15 gets you in for plenty of samples, demos and a silent auction. 12- 3 p.m. 852 Ashmore Avenue. And Sandor, we're told there will be egg creams. We're just sayin'.
Take a walk
Get outside and take in a little fresh air. Where? Well, these are autumn walks, so they may not be as pretty at this time of year, but they're still good exercise. Just make sure you're not wearing your best shoes--it may be kind of muddy.
Get some ice cream
Our favorite warm weather ice cream joints are opening for the season. Get a cone at Kurver Kreme or take the AOA ice cream tour.
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
It must be spring. It snowed on me on my drive into work.
... said komradebob on Mar 20, 2009 at 10:54 AM | link
Albany All-Stars Roller Derby at the Washington Avenue Armory. Saturday.
Doors open at 6pm, bout starts at 7pm. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. EDITORS NOTE: Added. Thanks,James.
... said James Cronen on Mar 20, 2009 at 11:15 AM | link
don't forget about maple syrup producers/farms weekend
http://www.mapleweekend.com/locations.htm#Albany
Some of the places have pancake breakfasts...can't speak for all of them (oh..I wish) but if the breakfast at Peaceful Valley Maple Farms (in Johnstown) this year is only a fraction of what is was last year...sigh. Everything homemade..all you can eat for $6.50..split it with someone as the amount/quality of food will humble you... corn fritters...sausage gravy...
that's right.. I said corn fritters and sausage gravy (did I mention all homemade?)
... said rebecca on Mar 20, 2009 at 11:25 AM | link
If you pop on up to EMPAC on saturday for johanne's workshop / performance (which i think would be a fantastic idea - endlessly interesting dude - and no, he does not pay me to say such things), be sure to pop your head into studio 1 for the catherine sullivan + sean griffin installations that will be running from today through sunday 03/29. the price is right: free! more here:
http://www.empac.rpi.edu/events/2009/spring/sullivan/
and here is the TU on johannes:
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=780072
hope you can make it.
... said skfl on Mar 20, 2009 at 11:41 AM | link
Stand-up comedien Doug Stanhope (http://www.dougstanhope.com/) will be at Valentines Saturday at 7 p.m.
... said jess on Mar 20, 2009 at 12:52 PM | link
One more thing:
The Albany Free School, 8 Elm St., will turn itself into a "fancy restaurant" Saturday night as a fundraiser for the Youth Organics program. The dinner will be cooked by volunteers and YO staff with ingredients donated by local farms. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available as well.
The meal's on a sliding-scale of donations - anywhere from $10-40.
Call 495-5055 or e-mail rana@grandarts.org to make a reservation.
... said jess on Mar 20, 2009 at 12:57 PM | link
Also in Saratoga Springs:
YES: The Persistence of Optimism
A weekend-long symposium on optimistic strategies in art and teaching
Friday, March 20
7:00 PM
Film Screening followed by discussion with Tim Rollins and K.O.S. and Ian Berry, Malloy Curator, Tang Museum
Saturday, March 21
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Presentations and discussions on optimistic strategies in art and teaching with Hope Ginsburg, Paula Hayes, Oliver Herring, Ben Kinmont, Tod Lippy, Pedro Reyes, Tim Rollins, Allison Smith, and others...
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Opening Reception
Sunday, March 22
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Universal Preservation Hall, 25 Washington St, Saratoga Springs
TASK, Oliver Herring's improvisational art event with community members.
More Task:
http://oliverherringtask.wordpress.com/
All are free and open to the public.
Tang Museum
Skidmore College
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.skidmore.edu/tang
... said Patrick on Mar 20, 2009 at 3:58 PM | link