All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

If you plan on making some tiny snow-people or having a short snowball fight, better do it soon. Between rain and higher temperatures the Leap Day 2012 snowstorm of the winter that wasn't will soon be just a few puddles and a memory.

If, however, you are looking for something else to do, you've come to the right place. After the jump, a few suggestions to ring in the first weekend of March. If you've got other plans, share with the group.

And whatever you're up to, have a great weekend!

1st Friday
Shops and galleries all over Albany are open late tonight with art, music, dancing and other fun stuff. A couple of things you might want to check out: Artist Chip Fasciana's "Life and Death" exhibit at Albany Center Gallery uses found materials to explore connect experiences. Teacher/artist Tim Rollins will be at the Massry Gallery to speak at a reception for the High School Regional juried art competition. Post-1st Friday events include the monthly Capital Swing Dance with headliners Saints of Swing and Sonny and Perley's Jive Five, DJ Trumastr at Hudson River Coffee House, a "Hip-hop Hoedown "at Hudson Disco-Tech and Celtic music with Jeff Strange at The University Club. Here's the full schedule.

Laughs
+ MopCo.: You never know. The Mop and Bucket improv company has a new show Underground at Proctors. It's a mix of short-form scenes and improv games, and it's different every week. Friday at 8 pm - $14, $6

+ Waterworks hosts the Save-a-Bull Comedy Night with stand-up by Kevin Marshall, Jennifer McMullen and others. It's a benefit for the Mohawk and Hudson Humane Society's Save-a-Bull program. Friday at 9 pm - $10

+ Gina Brillon -- who's appeared on MTV and Comedy Central -- plays The Comic Syndrome Comedy Club at Savannah's on Saturday night. Kevin Marshall will also do a set. 7:30 pm - $15 (show only) / $25 (show and dinner)

+Comedians Tina Giorgi (Craig Kilborn, Colin Quinn's Tough Crowd) and Deric Harrington perform Saturday night at The Comfort Inn in Schodack at a benefit for Kiwanis.Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. 7PM $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

Godzilla
The It Came from Schenectady series at Proctors is showing two Godzilla movies Friday night: Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destroyah. 7 pm - $9 / $6 students

More Film
+ This year's Oscar nominated live-action and animated short films are being screened again at the The Spectrum this weekend. The animated shorts screen at noon and the live action shorts are at 1:45 pm and 9:35 pm.

+ The Writers Institute Classic Film Series continues tonight with a screening of Mitchell & Kenyon's silent Electric Edwardians. The recently discovered footage from the earliest days of filmmaking is set to a modern soundtrack and gives what Dave Kehr of the New York Times describes as, "An amazingly clear window into a horse-drawn society." Dehr describes it as "a unique, hypnotically involving film." 7:30 PM at Page Hall - Free

Re: Walden
Saturday at EMPAC: a work by Jean-François Peyret "using voice and movement, the performer influences, triggers, and interacts with the complex web of sonic and visual elements at play to create a multi-layered interpretation of Thoreau's revolutionary musings of Walden Pond." 8 pm - $18

On Deck Saratoga
Skate board decks designed by 50 artists including Jeremy Fish will be part of On Deck, an exhibit to raise funds for the Spa City skate park. There's an opening reception Saturday at the Spring Street Gallery. 5 pm

Roller Derby
The Albany All Stars Erin Go Brawl bout is Saturday night at the Washington Avenue Armory. Music by Sumac. Doors open at 6, whistle at 7. $10 in advance, $12 door, $4 kids.

Theater

+ The touring company of the Broadway show Jersey Boys kicked off a two-and-a-half week run at Proctors this week. It's a musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Shows tonight at 8, Saturday at 2 and 8 and Sunday at 2. Tickets start at $20

+ Cohoes Music Hall's production of Legally Blonde:The Musical opens this weekend. Tonight 8 $15-$20

+ Skidmore's spring production, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, opens tonight in the black box at the Janet Kinghorn Bernard Theater on campus. The play re-imagines the Peanuts characters as teenagers (Linus as a pothead, Sally as a goth, Lucy is institutionalized for setting the Little Red-haired Girl's hair on fire). It's a little sad and a little funny and a little provocative. Tonight through Sunday 8 pm - $12, $8 for students and seniors.

+ London's National Theater Live presents the new Nicholas Wright play, Traveling Light, on screen at The Spectrum. Noon on Sunday - $15, $12 under 12

+ UAlbany presents the world premiere production of a new theatrical interpretation of Dickens' Great Expectations. Tonight through Sunday at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center. 8 pm - $12 / $8 for UAlbany community

WCDB music festival
The UAlbany student radio station is celebrating its 34th anniversary with a two-day concert at Valentine's, Friday and Saturday, featuring locals (such as Sgt. Dunbar) and national acts (such as Titus Andronicus). Tickets are $25 for a two-day pass -- $10 for Friday only ($12 day of), $17 for Saturday only ($18 day of).

Music

Friday: Jane's Addiction at The Palace
They've overcome drug addiction, Lollapoolza, and Carmen Electra to make it this far. 8:30 pm - $29.50 and up

Friday: Great Elk at Red Square
Indie folk. 8 pm -

Saturday: moe. at The Palace
Don't forget the period. 8 pm - $30 ahead / $35 day of

Sunday: The SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder at The Egg
This group of eight of the country's leading jazz solo artists, composers and band leaders combine their talents to put a jazz spin on the work of Stevie Wonder. 7:30 pm - $28

Sunday: Albany Symphony Orchestra "Super Orchestra Man" at The Palace
"Join the greatest Superhero Orchestra and its Superheroic Conductor to find the perfect Superhero music for you." Also: an "instrument petting zoo." 3 pm - $12 adults / $6 kids

Thruway sing off
Union College's three a capella groups compete against groups from the University of Rochester, UConn, and Colgate in the Thruway Sing Off Saturday at Proctors. All proceeds from the event will go to the Community Land Trust of Schenectady, which subsidizes housing for low-income families. 7:30 pm - $15

Burgers and beer and cars
The Saratoga Auto Museum is holding its annual Beer and Burgers event Saturday night. The museum will be open from 6-9 pm with beer tastings, burgers, and music. The Albany All Stars will be there as well. The event is usually a sell out, so if you want tickets, you should probably get them online or call ahead. $35

Saratoga Home And Garden Show
Today through Sunday, the City Center in Saratoga is filled with home improvement and gardening ideas for the Saratoga Home and Garden Show$6 Adults, $ 1kids, under 5 free.

Startup Weekend: Tech Valley
Startup Weekend: Tech Valley is this weekend in Troy. The 54-hour event brings together resources and expertise with the intention of ideas for a web or mobile application into a business. It starts tonight and runs through Sunday. Here's more about it. There are still tickets available.

Kidz Expo
If you're looking to get the kids out of the house for a while, Saturday is the Hannaford Kidz Expo on the Empire State Plaza. There will be music, activities, a bounce house, and a Ringling Brothers Circus Fit exercise program. Saturday 10-5 - free

Russian Winter Fest
The Russian Winter Fest celebration at The Egg on Saturday includes traditional Russian food, music, dance, crafts, costumes, children's games and horse drawn wagon rides. Saturday Noon-6 Adults $7, 5-12 $2, under 5 free.

Ice skating at the ESP
The ice skating rink at the Empire State Plaza is open 11 am - 8 pm every day. It's closed from 3-4 pm for maintenance. Skating is free. Need to get your skates sharpened first? Or you can rent skates there, $3 for children under 12 and $4 for adults.

Snow Tubing
No, it hasn't really snowed that much. But don't let that keep you from snow tubing.

Snow Train
Take the snow train out to North Creek to do some skiing,tubing, snowboarding, or just hanging out.

CSA Fair
You can learn more about local farms and CSAs and sign up for a CSA at Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY's 2nd Annual Community Supported Agriculture Fair Saturday at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany (405 Washington Avenue). 1-4 pm - free

Farmers' markets
Winter farmers' markets are open this weekend: Saturday in Troy and Saratoga, and Sunday in Schenectady.

Brunch
It's one of the best ways to spend a lazy weekend morning. Here are a few fun brunch options and some great diner breakfast stops.

photo: Marikel Lahana
Proctors has advertised on AOA in the past.
AOA is a media sponsor for The Albany All Stars