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 (we'll take it), to the Restoration Festival, to the Travers, to waffles, to beer, to all sorts of stuff to do...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast:

Monday: Sunny and 75.

Tuesday: Repeat.

Wednesday: Same, but warmer -- highs around 80.

Thursday: Sunny, highs in the low 80s, chance of thunderstorms.

Friday: Sunny and 80.

Weekend: Sunny to start, cloudy by the end.

We'll take it.

Restoration Festival

The Restoration Festival is back at St. Joseph's in Albany this coming weekend. The two-day festival is jammed with music. Headliners include Deer Tick and Titus Andronicus (on Saturday), and A Hawk & A Hacksaw and The Music Tapes (on Sunday). Also: a bunch of good local bands: Alta Mira, The Red Lions, Barons in the Attic, Scientific Maps, Railbird, Slender Shoulders, Stompin Jug Ramblers, Swamp Baby, We are Jeneric, Matthew Carefully's Undone Ensemble, and Sgt Dunbar. Last year's festival was a lot of fun. And if you haven't seen St. Joseph's, it's an impressive space.

Tickets are $20 (single day) and $30 (both days).

Travers

Saturday is the 142nd running of the Travers at the Saratoga Race Course. The Travers is the biggest race of the Saratoga season -- one of (if not the) biggest crowds of the year will be there Saturday (last year's crowd topped 45k). And the winners of the Preakness and Belmont are both scheduled to run this year. Among the events this week leading up to the race: "Travers 1864 Restaurant Week" -- a bunch of restaurants in the region will be offering three-course meals for $18.64 (the race was first run in 1864).

Tickets on Travers Day are a bit more expensive than usual -- the clubhouse is $10, grandstand is $5, and entry for breakfast is not free (clubhouse admission fee).

Earlier: Who was that Travers guy anyway?

Waffle Week

Brown's Brewing in Troy is celebrating the anniversary of the patenting of the waffle iron to a Troy resident (Cornelius Swarthout on August 24, 1869) with a week of special waffles (with fun names). A different waffle will be featured each week day. Last year's waffle week was very popular, and as a few people mentioned, waffle supplies ran short. So -- head over for lunch, or call ahead if you your heart is set on a particular waffle for dinner.

Beer

Proctors has its first Beer Festival lined up for Friday night, which it's touting as "a huge Pub Crawl in one fabulous location." The festival includes tastings from 21 regional breweries (and a few nationals), plus food from local eateries. Tickets are $25 ahead, $30 at the door ($10 for designated drivers).

Theater

Williamstown
This is the last week for the WTF. Ten Cents a Dance, a new musical featuring songs from Rodgers and Hart, finishes out its run.

Berkshire Theatre Festival
The BTF continues with Finian's Rainbow, a production of the festival's "pre-professional" company, and Tennessee Williams' Period of Adjustment.

Mac-Haydn
The Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham continues its production of Carousel, Thursday-Sunday.

Shakespeare and Company
Shakespeare and Company in Lenox continues its schedule of Shakespeare (including Romeo and Juliet) and non-Shakespeare (including Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins).

Music

Monday: Goodbye summer, Hello Pretty City at Valentine's
A night lined up by Hello Pretty City's Laura Glazer: Olivia Quillio (embedded above), Viking Moses, Mother McKenzie, and Joey DeMarco. 8 pm - $5

Tuesday: Americana Music Club at Valentine's
Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen are back with guest Motherjudge. 8 pm

Wednesday: Colin Hay at Universal Preservation Hall
No longer a man at work. 7:30 pm - $48

Wednesday: Eastbound Jesus at Caffe Lena
"Rockin' bluegrass." 7 pm - $5

Wednesday: Blue Hand Luke and 3-4-3 and Rockin' on the River in Troy
The last of the season. 5 pm - free

Thursday: Janis Ian at Caffe Lena
Prolific songwriter and singer.9 pm (there's a 6:30 show, but it's sold out) - $35 ahead / $37 at the door

Thursday: Brad Mehldau at Tanglewood
Acclaimed modern jazz pianist. And he has a thing for covering songs from other genres (example: "Paranoid Android"). 8 pm - $18 and up

Thursday: Barry Manilow at SPAC
Your mom is totally excited about this show. 7:30 pm - $39.50 and up

Friday: Sea of Trees at Troy Night Out
Sea of Trees is releasing Fletcher and the Hendersons this, a "picture book listening experience" (more on that this week) and will be playing a free show at Design It Together (286 River St) during Troy Night Out. (Fletcher will be available there this week.) 8:30 pm - free

Friday: The Holmes Brothers at Helsinki Hudson
"[D]eeply uplifting gospel-drenched blues, street corner doo-wop, ballads, R&B, country and funk, filled with the rhythm that makes you want to get up on your feel and dance because the spirit moves you." 9 pm - $25

Saturday: MaryLeigh and the Fauves at Putnam Den
And later that night at PD: DJ Trumastr. 9 pm

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, Proctors does advertise on AOA. And AOA is a media sponsor or of Rest Fest

photo: NYRA