All Over Albany

Stuff to do this weekend

Welcome to the first official weekend of spring. After an unbelievable week, it's going to be a little rainy and cooler, but there's plenty of spring left.

After the jump, you'll find a list of fun and interesting ways to enjoy the weekend from music and theater, to the Jewish Food Festival, to some cool performance art in the Troy Gasholder Building.

Got something planned that you don't see on the list? Share it with the rest of the group.

And have a fantastic weekend.

S[around]OUND
Improvised violin music, projections, platforms and lifts that move the audience and performers up and down inside the Troy Gasholder building. S[around]OUND was created by students from RPI's Production Performance Installation class to help the audience explore sound, architecture and space. Here's more about what you'll see. Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 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

Theater

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

+ 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

+ Our Own Productions' A Raisin in the Sun at Emmanuel Friedens Church in Schenectady. Tonight and Saturday at 8 and Sunday afternoon at 2. $15, $12

+ The College of St. Rose presents a festival of one act plays in which scenes from seven one act plays written by St. Rose graduate students will be performed. Friday at 7 pm - free.

+ The National Theater Live production of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors will be screened at The Spectrum on Sunday at noon. $15, $12 under 12

Union College hockey
The Union men's hockey team is a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament and will face Michigan State in the first round of the tournament Friday at 3 pm in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The game will be on ESPNU and ESPN3 (so you can watch online).

Risotto
Friday at Gio Culinary Studio: "Perfect Risotto," a class that will show how to make three different varieties of risotto. 6:15 pm - $45

Jewish food
The annual Jewish Food Festival at Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady is this Sunday. Unlimited samples of all sorts of traditionally Jewish foods such as brisket, blini, latkes, matzoh ball soup, challah, lox, and rugelach. noon - 3 pm - $15 / $5 for teens / free under 12 and under

Gardens & Flower Show
The annual Capital District Garden & Flower Show is this weekend at HVCC. The show includes exhibits of flowers, garden landscapes, a plant sale, soil testing, and gardening tips. Friday, Saturday, Sunday check for times - $10 at the door / children under 15 free

Shirley MacLaine
Friday at Proctors: a "frank and provocative evening" with Shirley MacLaine combining "a montage of memorable film moments with private revelations about her extraordinary life, career, and spiritual journey." Apparently there were times in her life when she was very busy. There's also a Q&A afterward. (And she's playing Cora's mother on the next season of Downtown Abbey, you know.) 8 pm - $20 and up

Stained glass
Sunday afternoon at the Albany Institute: an illustrated talk about the thousands of pieces of stained glass in St. Peter's Church in Albany. The talk will be followed by a tour of the church to see the windows. 2 pm - free with museum admission

Dance

+ The East Coast tour of Club Bellydance comes to Revolution Hall on Friday at 7PM $25.00

+ Chunky Move, Australia's leading contemporary dance company, brings their newest work Connected to MASS MoCA. The piece is a collaboration with kinetic sculpture artist Reuben Margolin, known for creating large works that move and morph. Airborne sculpture made of wood, recycled plastic, paper, and steel is built in front of the audience as the dance unfolds. Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm - $25-$39, kids $10. Museum and performance combo ticket $32.

Music

Friday: Wild Adriatic and The City Never Sleeps at Jillian's
With: Heart Foundation. 8 pm

Friday: Spirit of Uganda at The Egg
"[A] company of young people from Uganda, bring the sounds and movements of East Africa to the stage with the melodic pulse of standing drums, traditional dances, and call-and-response vocals." 7:30 pm - $18 / $12 kids

Friday: Vox Audio at Troy Music Hall
A cappella. "A theatrical powerhouse of vocal acrobatics where the human voice is every instrument in the band." 8 pm - $25 and up / $15 students and kids

Saturday: Behemoth Music Festival at The Lower Parlor
An afternoon-evening affair in Troy (313 10th St) with Around The World And Back, Swamp Baby, Mr. Owl, Rawhead, Ben Karis-Nix, Orphan Legs, Le Sphinxx. starts at 4 pm - $7

Saturday: Dead Cat Bounce at Proctors
Part of the Party Horns NYC series. 7:30 pm - $15

Saturday: Sixties Spectacular at Proctors
The Turtles, BJ Thomas, Ronnie Spector, and Gary U.S. Bonds. 7:30 pm - $36.75 and up

Saturday: Sirsy at Putnam Den
With: Chasing Moira. 9 pm - $5 ahead / $10 at door

Saturday: The Rob Skane 3 at The Arts Center
"Rock & roll for grown-ups." With: The Sandy McNight Fiasco. 8 pm - $8

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.