The week ahead
Junot Diaz will be at UAlbany this week.
Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from the weather (grumpy), to award-winning authors, a tweeting Lizzy Bennet, to the arts, to fests of October and chowder, to all sorts of music...
Weather
Here's the paraphrased forecast for the short week:
Monday: Some sun, high around 70.
Tuesday: Cloudy, maybe some rain in the afternoon. High around 70.
Wednesday: Cloudy, 50-50 chance of rain, highs in the mid 70s.
Thursday: Cloudy, highs in the low 70s.
Friday: Some sun, low 70s.
Weekend: Cloudy, cooler.
Grumpy weather.
Katherine Boo
Pulitzer-Prize-winning, MacArthur-grant-winning, too-many-awards-to-mention-winning New Yorker writer Katherine Boo will be at Skidmore Monday night talking about her book Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. 8 pm Zankel Center - free and open to the public
Pride@Prejudice
Opening Tuesday at Capital Rep: Pride@Prejudice, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- with Google, Twitter, and a porous fourth wall. The production runs through October 28. various times - $20 and up
Mary Poppins
The touring company of the Broadway version of Mary Poppins opens a seven-day run at Proctors on Tuesday. (By the way: the script for this show was written by Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downtown Abbey.) various times - $20 and up
How To Train Your Dragon Also kid-oriented this week: The "How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular" at the TU Center, running Thursday through Sunday. various times - $22.50 and up, depending on day and time
Margaret Cho
Comedian Margaret Cho will be at The Egg Wednesday evening. Her current standup show -- Mother -- "offers up an untraditional look at motherhood and how we look at maternal figures and strong women in queer culture. It's probably my edgiest show to date, filled with riotous observations on race, drugs, sexuality - gay-straight-everything in between, celebrity, culture, politics - nothing is sacred..." Maybe she'll break out some Kim Jong-il, too. Selene Luna opens. 7:30 pm - $28
Junot Diaz
Thursday at UAlbany: Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz will be reading from his new short story collection (review) as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. 8 pm Assembly Hall, uptown campus - free
Arts and Sciences
The Liberal Arts
Monday at Union College: Notre Dame professor Mark Roche will be giving a talk about the value of the liberal arts. He's the author of the 2010 book Why Choose the Liberal Arts?. Blurbage: "Put simply, Roche argues that it's a false choice if we think we have to choose between practical skills, studying broadly in many subjects, and the opportunity to ask big questions about life: the liberal arts integrate all those things whatever our primary or narrow interest may be." 5 pm Nott Memorial - free and open to the public
Social/mobile/buzzword
Tuesday at Union College: Soraya Darabi -- former manager of digital partnerships and social media at the New York Times -- will be giving a talk titled, "Emerging Media: What's Next?" Darabi was also involved with the mobile app Foodspotting. 5:30 pm Nott Memorial - free and open to the public
Civil War flags
Wednesday at the State Museum: Christopher Morton, assistant curator at the New York State Military Museum, will be showing, and giving a talk about, Civil War-period flags from New York. 6 pm - free
Core Sample
Friday at St. Rose: sculptor and RISD professor Ellen Driscoll will be giving a talk about her exhibit currently on display at Massry Center: Core Sample, which "features a suspended sculpture assembled from recycled plastic bottles, large-scale works on paper and handmade books." reception at 5 pm (Massry Gallery), talk at 7 pm (St. Joseph's Hall Auditorium) - free and open to the public
Miriam
Friday and Saturday at EMPAC: Miriam, a dance-theater performance from choreographer and dancer Nora Chipaumire. 8 pm both days - $18 / $13 students
Jerry's Map
Saturday at MASS MoCA: a reception with artist Jerry Gretzinger about his ongoing, hand-drawn map of an imaginary town -- it covers 2,000 square feet. The map is currently on display at MASS MoCA, and Gretzinger has set up his studio there temporarily. 5 pm - $5
MoHu
The second MoHu arts festival starts this Friday and runs through next week. The festival is aiming to put a spotlight on arts around the Capital Region, highlighting events at more than 100 venues. The festival starts with an "interactive arts cocktail party" Thursday evening in a hangar at ALB.
Music
Wednesday: Frankie Rose at Valentine's
A 'fork fave. Out of Brooklyn. With: Better Pills 8 pm
Wednesday: Hamell on Trial at Valentine's
One man storytelling, comedy, music show. The start of an October residency -- every Wednesday through October 24. 7 pm
Wednesday: Karl Berger at UAlbany
Vibraphonist, jazz conductor playing improvised music with Bob Gluck and Ingrid Sertso. 7 pm Performing Arts Center, uptown campus - $8
Thursday: The Exit Factor at The Linda
Music acts competing for a chance to perform at the Capital Area Indie Fest at The Egg on Saturday. 7:30 pm - $12 / $10 students
Thursday: The Wiyos at Helsinki Hudson
Vaudeville-esque. With: The Rooftrees. 8 pm - $15
Friday: From the Top at Troy Music Hall
NPR classical music show broadcasting from the hall. 7:30 pm - $25 and up
Friday: Cuddle Magic at Caffe Lena
"[T]hey perform deftly crafted, lush, whimsical songs with wide-ranging instrumentation including strings, percussion, vibraphone, trumpet, clarinet, keyboards, guitars, and many voices." With: Rosary Beard. 8 pm - $14 ahead / $16 at door
Friday: The Growlers at Valentine's
California psych rock. With: Denney and the Jets, Sean Bones. 8 pm
Friday: Dada Life at Upstate Concert Hall
Electro house from Sweden. With: 12th Planet, Alex English. 9 pm - $27.50 ahead / $32 day of
Saturday: Medeski, Martin & Wood at The Massry Center
Jazz fusion, acoustic this time. 7:30 pm - $30
Saturday: Wild Belle at Valentine's
Brother and sister act, with sort of a 70s thing going on. With: Emily Sprague. 8 pm - $9
Saturday: Capital Area Indie Fest at The Egg
Stellar Young (nee The City Never Sleeps), The Hearing Aides, Tor Loney, High Bridge North, Jodi Shaw, Sandy McKnight, Liv Cummins, Christina Dellea. 7 pm - $15
Saturday: It Came from the Underground at Putnam Den
Mitochi, Rawhead, Ben Karis-Nix, William Hale, Racing City Ghosts.
Saturday: Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen at Caffe Lena
Americana. 8 pm - $12 ahead / $14 at door
Sunday: Robert Glasper Experiment at The Egg
Hip-hop jazz. 7:30 pm - $24'
Sunday: Sultans of String at Caffe Lena
Flamenco/gyspy jazz. From Canada. 7 pm - $18 ahead / $20 at door
Octoberfest, Chowderfest
Two quick mentions for the upcoming weekend: Wolff's Octoberfest block party is this Saturday in North Albany, and Chowderfest is this Sunday in Troy.
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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.
The Troy Music Hall advertises on AOA, as does Capital Rep.
Junot Diaz photo: Nina Subin
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Comments
Friday! Pauly's Hotel! Hot Cousin plays 80's rock, rock, ROCK! No dancey time booty shaking this time - just ripped t shirt, hanging out behind the school, cutting class, hell yeah ROCKING. 9:00 - bring your bad attitudes.
... said Hot Cousin on Sep 30, 2012 at 9:29 PM | link
My BIG BIRTHDAY will be Sat October 6.
Until two years ago there was a wonderful Columbus Day parade,and Fiesta in Washington Park.
Last year the Festa was moved to some obsure park in Colonie, and there was NO PARADE!
I was very disappointed.
Since i have not heard, or seen any news about the celebration i assume this year there will still be nothing going on in Washington Park to celebrate ?
Will someone PLEASE fill me in about this sad start to my BIG BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
... said mg on Oct 1, 2012 at 6:56 AM | link
I got tickets to From the Top on Friday and I can't wait! Thanks for posting a list of interesting things to do every week, my husband and I are getting out of the house more and attending cultural events.
... said Kathleen Lisson on Oct 1, 2012 at 2:29 PM | link