All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this week, from the weather(no snow), to Hannukah, lots of holiday stuff, video clips, horseshoes, music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Warm. Highs in the mid 50s. Also: rainy.

Tuesday: Some sun, but colder. Highs in the low 40s.

Wednesday: Sunny, around 40.

Thursday: Repeat.

Friday: More sun, a bit warmer -- highs in the mid 40s.

Weekend: Cloudy, a bit cooler.

No snow.

Hannukah

The Jewish holiday started at sunset on Saturday and runs until nightfall on Sunday. It commemorates the re-dedication of the temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE, and a miracle in which a supply of oil only large enough to burn for one night lasted for eight -- thus the eight nights of Hanukkah. Another tradition that comes out of the miracle of the oil: Hanukkah foods often includes things that are fried (and delicious) -- jelly-filled donuts and latkes. More Hanukkah fun: spinning the dreidel.

Holiday stuff

Monday: The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller at Proctors
"THE biggest selling Christmas artist of all time." 8 pm - $20 and up

Thursday: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the TU Center
Rock guitar holiday music -- really loud. 7:30 pm - $33 and up

Friday: Martina McBride at The Palace
The country star will be singing Christmas tunes. 7:30 pm - $50.50 and up

Friday: Mendelssohn Club holiday concert at The Egg
Christmas choral music. With members of the Upstate Guitar Society, and the Tamarac Elementary Chorus. 7:30 pm - $18

Friday: Classic Theatre Guild production of A Christmas Story at Proctors
A stage version of the Jean Shepherd classic. Opens Friday, runs this weekend and next. various times - $17.50 adults / $14.50 students and seniors

Saturday: Cherish the Ladies at Troy Music Hall
Celtic music group playing classic Christmas carols. 7:30 pm - $20 and up

Saturday and Sunday: Mountain Snow and Mistletoe at The Egg
Annual holiday folk show. $24

Saturday: 8th Step Sing Solstice at Proctors
A concert celebrating "Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukuh, Las Posadas, Santa Lucia, Yule and many more around the world." 7:30 pm - $22 ahead / $24 at door

Sunday: The Nutcracker at The Egg
Annual performance by the Albany Berkshire Ballet. $25 and up

Ongoing: This Wonderful Life at Capital Rep
"All the pleasure of Frank Capra's classic movie - in only 70 minutes!" Continues its run through December 22. various times - $20 and up

Everything is Terrible!

Tuesday at 51 3rd Street in Troy: a holiday special involving a "fantastical mix of performance and festive archival films" from Everything is Terrible!, "world famous psychedelic soldiers of found footage." 9 pm - $5

Arts and Sciences

A million horseshoes
Wednesday at the State Museum: Tom Carroll -- from Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway -- will be talking about Henry Burden, who invented a horseshoe-making machine and built an large ironworks in Troy. 6 pm - free

Seagull (Thinking of you)
Saturday at MASS MoCA: Seagull (Thinking of you), a "new live performance that works with, against, and beneath Chekhov's The Seagull." It draws on Chekhov's correspondence, different translations of the The Seagull, and facts about the Russia of the author's time. 8 pm - $14

A Bethlehem farmer with Custer
Sunday at the Albany Institute: former State Library associate librarian Peter Christoph will be talking about Gerrit Niver, who grew up in Bethlehem, enlisted in the US Army, and ended up dying at the Battle of Little Big Horn. 2 pm - free with museum admission

Music

Tuesday: Ra Ra Riot at Upstate Concert Hall
Indie chamber pop, back again. With: Guards, who sound pretty good. (As mentioned.) 8 pm - $14 ahead / $16 day of

Wednesday Shtreiml with Ismail Fencioglu at Caffe Lena
"[A] high-octane mix of not-so-traditional Eastern-European Jewish and Turkish music." 7 pm - $16

Thursday: Hollis Brown at Bayou Albany
Sort of 70s rock Americana. Or something like that. With: The Rattling Baddies. 8 pm - $10

Friday: Grainbelt at Caffe Lena
"Beer Battered Twang & Roll." 8 pm - $14

Saturday: Aaron Lewis at Upstate Concert Hall
The guy from Staind, who's gone country. With: Randy Montana. 8 pm - $25 ahead / $28 day of

Saturday: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens at Helsinki Hudson
Soul. 9 pm - $18 ahead / $22 at door

Saturday: Wholesale Klezmer Band at Caffe Lena
A "traditional klezmer ensemble," in wholesale. 8 pm - $16

Looking ahead to next Monday: The Lumineers at Upstate Concert Hall
It's a free show (21 and over), and we're guessing a not small crowd. Hey ho. With: Swear and Shake, The Parlor. (As mentioned.) 8 pm - there's no pre-ticketing, it's first show up, first get in
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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.

Capital Rep and Troy Music Hall advertise on AOA.

photo via Ra Ra Riot Facebook