All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look ahead to, or keep busy with this week -- from the weather (hot), to The Track, the beer, to theater, to all sorts of music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast:

Monday: Chance or rain and thunderstorms, with some sun. Highs in the upper 80s.

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.

Wednesday: Like that, but even warmer.

Thursday: Highs in the low 90s.

Friday: The same, but with a chance of thunderstorms.

Weekend: Sunny. Highs around 90.

Hot. Hot. Hot.

The Track

The season at the Saratoga Race Course opens on Friday, and will run for 40 days (no racing on Tuesday). This is the 143rd season at the track.

The gates open at 11 am on Friday and the first post time is 1 pm. The opening weekend is the "Hats of to Saratoga" festival -- the annual hat contest is Sunday (and Mary's a judge this year!).

Theater

The Park Playhouse in Albany's Washington Park opens its 23rd season Tuesday with a production of Mel Brooks' The Producers. The show will be running Tuesday through Sunday until August 14 (curtain's at 8 pm). The shows are free, but reserve-ahead seats are available for purchase.

WTF
This week is your last chance to see Three Hotels, with Steven Weber and Maura Tierney, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Opening this week at WTF: a production of Ibsen's A Doll's House, starring Josh Hamilton, Lili Taylor, and Lily Rabe.

Saratoga County Fair

The Saratoga County Fair opens Tuesday in Ballston Spa and runs through Sunday. If ever you wanted to see a prize dairy cow or goat, this is your chance. Admission is $8 Tuesday-Thursday, $10 Friday-Sunday.

Art

The Albany Center Gallery is having its first "Art Collectors Fair" Wednesday evening. Blurbage:

Some of the area's top collectors will be involved in the fair, which gives the public a great opportunity to see the best of the local arts scene. Our collectors include - Joann Ryan, Lucy Larner, Holly Katz, Dorice Brickman, David Brickman, John Greenhut, Corey Aldrich and more. The collections include work from artists such as - Tommy Watkins, Harry Orlyk, and Stephen Ball. The pieces to be offered in the show are great investments, as the works are by some of the most well known artists in the region, and your purchase will help fund our artists continued work and the local community's arts scene.

It starts at 6 pm.

Beer

Saturday at Joe Bruno Stadium: the Capital Region Craft Brewers Festival. Twenty-five breweries will be there offering samples. Tickets start at $25 (presale, $32 at the gate) -- that includes 10 tasting tickets. The festival runs from 2:30-6:30 pm.

Aficionado

Friday at Valentine's: an album release show for locals Aficionado. The self-titled album will be available July 26. It's their first full-length album on the label No Sleep (you can pre-order a copy). Also on the slate: End Of A Year Self Defense Family, Nightmares For A Week, Form & File. 8 pm

Music

+ Tuesday at SPAC: Furthur, the band formed by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Man. 7 pm - $25.00 and up

+ Tuesday at Valentine's: the Americana Music Club with Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen, this week with Woody Pines (he's got kind of ragtime thing going for him). 8 pm

+ Wednesday at Rockin' on the River in Troy: Super 400, playing for the home crowd. (It'll be a rare recent show.) 5 pm - free

+ Wednesday at SPAC: Lil Wayne. 7 pm - $29.75 and up

+ Thursday at Alive at Five: Kansas. Yep, "Carry on Wayward Son" Kansas. Locals Spaceland are the opener. 5 pm - free

+ Friday at Red Square: act name of the week finalist Midnight Spaghetti & the Chocolate G-Strings, a funk band from Virginia. 8 pm

+ Friday at Caffe Lena: acoustic blues guitarist Paul Geremia. 8 pm - $18 ahead / $20 at the door

+ Friday at Bearsville Theater: Cracker. 9 pm - $25

+ Saturday at Northern Lights: Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish. Ska never dies. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $23 day of

+ Saturday at The Mahaiwe in Great Barrington: Dr. John. 8 pm - $55 and up

+ Saturday at SPAC: Motley Crue, Poison, the New York Dolls. It's like 1986 just won't die. 7 pm - $26 and up

+ Sunday at Valentine's: Times New Viking. Indie lo-fi rock that sounds like a type face (but, you know, not like Comic Sans). With Better Pills (Brent Gorton), and Gay Tastee. 7 pm - $10

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.

Yep, SPAC does advertise on AOA.

betting slip photo: Crystal Powell
Aficionado photo via Aficionado Facebook