All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look ahead to, or take care of this week -- from the weather (summery), to Alive at Five, to art, to farmers' markets, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast:

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.

Wednesday: About the same, with a chance of showers in the afternoon.

Thursday: Sunny, but cooler. Highs in the upper 70s.

Friday: Just about perfect: sunny and 75.

Weekend: Sunny with highs in the low 80s.

Summer is here.

Alive at Five

Albany's Thursday evening summer concert series -- Alive at Five -- starts up for the season this week. First up: 90s alternarock band Vertical Horizon (you know one of their songs even if you don't realize it). Opening this week: MIRK. (Here's the full lineup for this summer.)

The concerts are at Albany's Riverfront Park in the Corning Preserve. The shows start at (surprise) 5 pm and run until 8 pm (or so).

Got it?

The Graphic Design -- Get the Message! exhibit at the Albany Institute of History and Art closes soon (June 12). If you've been meaning to check it out, now's the time.

Also this week: Mohawk Fine Papers' Laura Shore will be giving a talk about environmentally friendly graphic design and printing at the institute Friday evening as part of First Friday. 6 pm - free

Midweek markets

Sure, you know about all the weekend farmers' markets. But there are also mid-week markets. Among them...
+ The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market has a weekday market on Wednesdays from 3-6 pm. It's on Broadway between 3rd and 4th.
+ The Saratoga Farmers' Market also has a Wednesday market, 3-6 pm, in High Rock Park.

MASS MoCA

If you haven't been to MASS MoCA in awhile, some new exhibits have opened recently: The Workers, Memery: Imitation, Memory, and Internet Culture, and Nari Ward: Sub Mirage Lignum.

Also new at the museum: I Am Searching for Field Character, "a series of public conversations, performances, installations, workshops and a beer garden with a slew of artists, writers, designers and thinkers visiting North Adams, Massachusetts, over the course of the summer."

Mountain Jam

The Mountain Jam music festival is this weekend at Hunter Mountain. The lineup includes My Morning Jacket, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Mavis Staples, The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, and Tim Reynolds. It looks like there are single-day tickets still available for some days.

Music

+ Wednesday at Valentine's: Northern Water Snake, Matt Durfee & Friends, In Color.

+ Wednesday at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga: Jeffrey Gaines, with Closer Still. $25

+ Thursday at Valentine's: garage rockers Knyghts of Fuzz, with Cheetah Whores, and Bourbon Scum.

+ Thursday at Red Square: jam band The Heavy Pets. $7 ahead / $10 day of

+ Friday at SPAC: Soulful singer/songwriter Ray Lamontagne. Also on the bill: Brandi Carlile and Secret Sisters. $29.50 - $45.00

+ Friday at Union College: "The Caribbean Piano in Afro-Cuban Jazz: Tribute to Noro Morales," featuring pianists Rebecca Cline and Nicki Denner. $15

+ Saturday at Valentine's: B3nson night with Sgt Dunbar, Barons in the Attic, and others. (This was originally the Beware! The Other Head of Science farewell show, but that changed.) Downstairs that same night: Charmboy, Alta Mira, Charlie Watts Riots.

These are a just a few things for this week. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

Look for our "Stuff to do this weekend" post on Friday.

photo: Ray Lamontagne Facebook