All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Go to a park. Find a tree. Bring a book. Be lazy!

So, first on our list of stuff to do this weekend:

GO OUTSIDE!!!!

With weather like this, having a bad time is a struggle. It's supposed to rain a little tomorrow afternoon, so if you decide to skip out and get started early, we promise not to tell anyone.

Here's a look at some of the stuff that looked promising to us.

Let us know what we missed.

And have an awesome weekend.

Art Night
It's going to be a gorgeous Art Night in Schenectady. If you're in the Electric City tonight,drop by Proctors, where AOA's fabulous Jessica Pasko will be one of the judges of the Electric City Couture Show. The show celebrates the art of form and fashion and includes the work of Project Larkway winners Jolene Button and Katie Pray. Scientific Maps are playing too!

Comedy
Also in Schenectady tonight, Mop and Bucket Company's weekly show Undgerground at Proctor's. 8:00. $14

Bierfest
The German-American Club of Albany hosts Bierfest on Saturday night at 5. $20 for dinner. $6 for just the beer tasting. Details here.

Rock 'n Run
SPAC kicks off its season on Saturday Sunday morning at 10:30 with a 5K walk/run. There'll be music and a party on the lawn following the race for participants and spectators.
There's a Kids Race at 10. Registration starts at 8. Kids race $5, Adults 5K $25.*

Music

Tonight
+Erin Harkes is playing a benefit for Tess' Lark Tavern tonight at The Fuze Box
+ The Saratoga Performing Arts Center's first Battle of the Bands begins tonight at 6 at the Spa Little Theater with performances by Mirk & the New Familiars, Vesper, the Mighty Nautilus. $15*
+J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf is at The Egg tonight. $34.50
+It's Punk Tribute Night at Valentine's. Hot Cousin, Kosmo, Vinyl's Army & the Goat Stingers play music by The Kinks, The Ramones and The Clash.
+Lucid is at Putnam Den in Saratoga with Tim Segreto
+Evan & Holly are at Bread & Jam tonight at 8. Free.
+Alt rockers Marcy Playground are at Jillian's tonight with Chris Dukes

Saturday
+Phantogram is home for the weekend. They're playing Northern Lights on Saturday night with Light Pollution.
+The heARTS Aligned show is Saturday night at 8 at Bread and Jam in Cohoes. Katie Haverly, Ashley Pond and others will play music guided by art.
+ Ben Williams recently studied at Julliard and already he's become one of the most sought-after bassists in jazz. The Thelonius Monk Award winner is at the Little Theater at SPAC on Saturday. $25. *
+The big Rocking to Rebuild Tess' Lark Tavern show is at The Lakehouse in Washington Park today. Pretty much everyone will be there -- Super 400, Mirk & the New Familiars, Rocky Velvet, Raisinhead, Dezmatic & More. 1 - 11. $10. Editors Note: So the show's been scaled back a bit -- now it's 3 to 8PM. And the donation requested is now $25 (it includes wine and beer). Marketplace Gallery will host an after-benefit party with music, poets and a silent art auction. (Thanks, Greg)
+Mirk & the New Familiars are also scheduled to play McGearys on Saturday night
+Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles are back from their UK tour and performing at Putnam Den on Saturday.

Lenafest
A huge local piece of folk music history celebrates 50 years this weekend. Caffe Lena is where Don McLean wrote American Pie. Thousands of musicians, actors and poets have performed in this tiny space on Phila Street. This weekend some of them are coming back to celebrate. On Saturday there's a free music festival at an outdoor stage on Phila Street. Michael Eck will be there along with a host of other performers. Free.

Tonight there's a fundraiser for the Caffe with Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur . $75

American Music Fest
This year the ASO's American Music Fest is at EMPAC. It starts tonight with Dogs of Desire. The 18 member ASO music ensemble, is like chamber group meets rock band. Tonight they'll perform a number of new works, classics and special commissions with video at EMPAC. $25

On Saturday afternoon in the EMPAC Concert Hall the ASO will read and rehearse works by three young, emerging composers -- all finalists in a first-ever, national competition. 2:00. Free

Saturday night ASO performs a concert including world-premiere works by composers James Primosch and Stacy Garrop. $25 to $49, students $15.

Theater
Last chance to see Kevin Marshall & Company in "The Importance of Being Earnest" at Confetti Stage this weekend. You can catch the show at the Albany Masonic Hall tonight and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 2.

The Classic Theater Guild opens Ibsen's "A Doll's House," Upstairs at 440 at Proctor's tonight. $16.50, $13.50 students and seniors.

The Rensselaerville Institute is a lovely place to visit at this time of year. If you take a drive up late Saturday afternoon, stay for the staged reading of Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers. $10.

If you like musicals, the folks at CR productions at Cohoes Music Hall are doing the classic, "Singing in Rain" tonight and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 3. $25-$35.

Belly Dance Party
Habiba and her troupe of professional and student dancers will perform and hold workshops at The Arts Center of the Capital Region on Saturday night at 7. $5 members, $7 non-members. Beer from Brown's and Middle Eastern food from Arnet's.

Drinks at the Adelphi
The courtyard and bar at this historic Saratoga Springs Hotel are something to see, and the strawberry daiquiris are something to taste. The Adelphi opens for the season this weekend.

Go shopping
Take a quick trip to Woodstock or Northampton.

Baby Animals
If you need a cuteness fix, it's still Baby Animal Days at Indian Ladder farms. Pet lambs, goat kids and calves and learn about caring for animals. $5 per child. If you go without a child it's $5 for you.

Lunchapalooza
The Four Corners Luncheonette in Delmar is celebrating its 30th birthday with a giant fundraiser for the Bethlehem Food Pantry, The Legal Project, Bethlehem Children's School, Bethlehem Lab School and Grassroots Givers. On Saturday from noon to 8 they're holding an all you can eat Lunchapalooza, with music by Erin Harkes, Rick Bedrosian, Joye Belle and others. $35 for adults, $15 under 16. A family pack of four tickets (2 adult, 2 child) is $90.

Road Trip
This could be a nice weekend for a drive to Omi in Ghent to check out the field sculpture. It's open Saturday and Sunday from 11-5. Free.

Or take a ride out to Olana historic site.

Art Fair
Lakeside Cider Mill (home of our autumn zen) is holding an arts and crafts fair this weekend. You can browse, get some fresh air and eat something yummy all at the same time. Free.

Bike Polo
Collar City Bike Polo plays pick up games every Sunday afternoon at 1. You'll find them near the tennis courts in Albany's Washington Park. You can watch or give it a try for yourself.

Drive-in
This is a great weekend to take the kids to The Hollywood. Shreck and Iron Man 2. Plus tonight "Let's Get Cookin'" a live Rhythm and comedy show performs before the movie. The whole night is $8 for adults and $4 for kids under 11.

Al fresco
Snag a good table on a patio, sip a cocktail and watch the world go by. Here's the outdoor dining map.

Ice cream
Take the Capital Region Ice Cream Tour. Pace yourself -- and bring a designated driver.

*SPAC advertises on AOA.