All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Well, today we usher in the final weekend of the winter that wasn't. Appropriately it will be greeted with mostly sunny skies and temperatures nearing 70. Perfect parade weather, if that's your thing.

If it's not, there's plenty of other stuff going on. After the jump a few things we thought you might like. Got something else going on ? Share please!

Slainte!

St. Patrick's Day Parade
The Albany St. Patrick's Day Parade starts Saturday at 2 pm at Quail and Central Ave, and runs down Central into downtown.

More St. Patrick's Day Celebrating
There are plenty of other events going on over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. Elisabeth has pulled together a bunch of local ways to celebrate the day.

Roller Derby
The Hellions of Troy begin a new season on Saturday night at Rollarama when they take on Assault City. The bout starts at 7 pm, $10 advance, $12 door.

Storytelling conference:
The Northeast Storytelling Conference is Saturday at the Ramada in Albany. It includes a "regional story slam" -- theme: "E-erie Nights" -- Saturday night. 9:30 pm - free

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

+ Kevin Meaney of "That's not riiiight," fame, will play The Comedy Works in Albany on Friday and Saturday at 9 pm.

+ The Royal Comedy Tour -- featuring Sommore, Earthquake, Arnez J, and that guy from Hanging with Mr. Cooper -- is at the Palace Sunday night. 7 pm - $38 and up

Theater

+ The regional premier of Black Pearl Sings opens this weekend at Capital Rep. Friday 8 pm, Saturday 3pm & 8pm, Sunday 2pm - $20-$60

+ Jersey Boys wraps up its two-and-a-half week run at Proctors on Sunday. The musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. check for times - $20 and up

+ Schenectady Light Opera opens its production of Fiddler on the Roof tonight and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. $18,$22, $28.

+ Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana is being performed at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge. Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday afternoon at 2 pm - $25

Music

Friday: Joseph Arthur at Helsinki Hudson
Alt singer/songwriter. If he wasn't real, someone would make him up. 9 pm - $15 ahead / $18 at door

Friday: Enter the Haggis at The Egg
Canadians who play Celtic rock. 8 pm - $24

Friday: Nappy Roots at Northern Lights
The best-selling hip-hop group of the year -- 10 years ago. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Friday: OUTPOST1
Now at Jillian's. Brother Suarez, Tall Matt, Jay Travis b2b Brad Lee and the regulars. 10 pm

Friday: Bassfix at Red Square
Two rooms. Ten DJs, including Jen Haley and Milkdud. 8 pm - $6 before 11 pm / $9 after

Saturday: Sean Rowe at Steamer 10
He's back and kind of famous now. With Babe City (Olivia Quillio, Meagan Duffy, MaryLeigh Roohan (Mary Leigh & The Fauves) and Caroline Corrigan (Red Lions)). We're guessing this show will sell out (though it had not yet when we checked yesterday). 8 pm - $13 ahead / $15 at the door

Saturday: Sarah Jarosz at The Egg
Bluegrass instrumentalist. 7:30 pm - $20 / $15 students

Saturday: The Led Zeppelin Experience at The Egg
A "two and a half-hour multi-media retrospective of Led Zeppelin with selections from every album," performed by Hammer of the Gods (a Zeppelin tribute band). 8 pm - $34.50 and $39.50

Saturday: Timbre Coup & Dirty Paris at Red Square.
A mash-up night of progressive, metal, rock, trance and jazz. 8 pm - $10 advance, $12 door

Saturday: Albany Symphony Orchestra at the Troy Music Hall
The ASO will premiere a new trumpet concert by resident composer George Tsontakis. It will also be playing selections from Beethoven, Debussy, and Stravinsky. 7:30 pm - $19 and up

The 385-million-year-old forest
The New York State Museum has a new exhibit about the Gilboa Forest in Schoharie County -- "the world's oldest forest." A research team that included scientists from the State Museum recently reported in Nature (on the cover, no less) that they had found evidence helping them describe the forest that stood there 385 million years ago. Results from that excavation, including new fossilized specimens, and illustrations are on display until March 20.

Maple sugar open house
The Five Rivers environmental education center is hosting a kid-friendly maple sugaring event on Saturday. Visitors will get to twirl, brace a drill, pound a spile, and sample a sample. 1:30-3:30 pm

Revolution on the Runway
Russell Sage College and The Rensselaer County Historical Society are hosting Revolution on the Runway, a fashion show that explores trends in gender, clothing and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Using antique and vintage clothing from the RCHS collection the show illustrates "how the clothing we wear tells a story about ourselves and society." Friday at 7 pm at Bush Memorial Hall on the Sage Troy Campus. $10 - $50, free for all Sage students with ID.

Burlesque
Scooter Pie at Midnight's Rock and Roll Burlesque show is at Valentines this Saturday at 11 pm.

Hockey
The Albany Devils play the Hershey Bears at the TU Center on Sunday at 4 pm.

Ice cream
Kurver Kreme, The Snowman,Jack's Drive In in Wynantskill and lots of other season joints are now open. Go to it!

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.

Troy Music Hall advertises on AOA
AOA is a media sponsor for the Hellions of Troy

photo: Sebastien Barre