All Over Albany

The week ahead

Here are a few things to keep in mind, look forward to, or keep busy with this short week, from the weather (it was going to happen), to restaurant week, to Rocky Horror, to Iran, to Richard Russo, to flirting, to haunted history, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny and 64.

Tuesday: Cloudy, maybe some rain, mid 50s.

Wednesday: Some sun, low 50s.

Thursday: Sunny, mid 40s.

Friday: Sunny, upper 40s.

Weekend: Cloudy, 50.

It was going to happen.

Downtown Albany restaurant week

Downtown Albany restaurant week continues through Friday night. More than 15 restaurants downtown will be offering three-course dinners for $20.13. (Reservations are a good idea during restaurant week.) Monday is student/teacher night -- six restaurants will be offering the 3-course menu for $15.13 to students and teachers.

Downtown residential open house
Tuesday: Multiple apartment and condo projects in downtown Albany will be open for touring from 4-7 pm. Check in at the BID office at 40 North Pearl Street.

Movies

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Monday: The new season of the Palace's classic movie series starts up with The Rocky Horror Picture Show with live shadow cast. And a costume contest. And props. Monday 7 pm - $7

More Rocky Horror
Friday: The Linda is screening Rocky Horror with shadowcast The Whip It Outskirts. 8 pm and midnight - $10 ahead / $12 at the door

From Here to Eternity
You know that famous film scene of the two lovers on the beach in the surf? That's From Here to Eternity -- it won 8 Academy Awards back in the day. Proctors is showing it Monday as part of the AFI 100 series. Monday various times - $5

The Wind
Wednesday: The APL's Silent Film Spectacular series continues with a screening of The Wind -- starring Lillian Gish -- with live score by Blacklight Lighthouse. Wednesday 7 pm, main library - free

Film Columbia

The annual film festival in Chatham -- Film Columbia -- begins Tuesday and runs through Sunday. The festival screens a bunch of films gotten praise at the big festivals and/or are the subject of much anticipation during the winter film season. (Here are a handful of screenings that caught our eye.) Screenings fill up quickly, so getting tickets ahead is a good idea.

Arts and sciences

Women in the Middle East
Monday-Friday: UAlbany is hosting weeklong conference "highlighting the cultural roles of Middle Eastern women." The conference includes panel discussions, talks, screenings, and performances.

Roxanna Saberi
Tuesday: As part of the conference there will be a screening of No One Knows About Persian Cats, a "quasi-documentary [that] offers a glimpse into Iran's forbidden underground music scene." The film's screenwriter is Roxanna Saberi, a journalist who was held in prison by the Iranian government in 2009. (Her arrest got a lot of international attention -- she made an appearance on The Daily Show after she was released.) Saberi is scheduled to be at the screening for a talk. Tuesday 7 pm, performing arts center, uptown campus - free

Richard Russo
Saturday: Author Richard Russo will be at Skidmore for "a wide-ranging conversation ... with Saratoga Springs Public Library Director Issac Pulver on the theme of home and place in Russo's work." As you know, the home and place in much of Russo's work is upstate New York (Russo grew up in Gloversville). The appearance is organized by Northshire Bookstore. Saturday 7 pm, Filene Recital Hall at Skidmore - $20 (includes a copy of Russo's memoir Elsewhere)

Cooking

Tuesday: Find Your Soulmate in the Kitchen, Hands-on | Different Drummer's Kitchen
New World chef Ric Orlando and Silly Goose Farm's Deanna Fox pair cooking and dating. "Students will work in rotating pairs to create a winning recipe for fun, flirtation, and fine dining." The spots for ladies are sold out -- but there are still some available for men. 6 pm - $69

Sunday: Makin' Bacon | Arts Center
Erika Tebbens returns with her popular class about how to home-cure bacon. 12:30 pm - $65

Haunted history tours

The annual haunted history tours of Albany's Center Square and Hudson/Park neighborhoods led by Tim Varney return on Friday, with additional dates next week. They're very popular and fill up fast. 6 pm - $15 (proceeds benefit Historic Albany Foundation)

Looking ahead to the weekend

Phoenix
It's the last weekend for Xu Bing's "Phoenix" installation at MASS MoCA. Saturday night the the sculpture will be lit by thousands of internal lights. Saturday 9:30 pm - $15

Halloween party
Saturday: The annual Halloween costume party (for adults) is at Washington Park lakehouse. 9 pm - $25 ahead

Bo Burnham
Sunday: Comedian/musician Bo Burnham is at The Egg Sunday 8 pm - $28.50

Music

Monday: Rusko at Upstate Concert Hall
Dubstep producer/DJ. With: RoniSize, Tonn Piper, Dynamite. 8 pm - $30

Monday: Terraplane Sun at The Hollow
"Blues indie rock folk dance soul." With: Stellar Young. 8 pm - $10 ahead / $15 day of

Tuesday: Roger Hodgson at The Egg
From Supertramp. 8 pm - $49.50 and up

Wednesday: The Phish show at the Glens Falls Civic Center is sold out.

Thursday: Vieux Farka Toure at Sanctuary for Independent Media
The "Hendrix of the Sahara." 7 pm - $20

Thursday: Chanticleer at Proctors
Male classical chorus. 8 pm - $20 and up

Friday: Thomas Dolby at The Egg
Playing a live score to his film The Invisible Lighthouse. (Invisible because he was blinded by science?) Also: an encore of his greatest hits." 8 pm - $25

Friday: Boney James at Troy Music Hall
Jazz saxophonist. 8 pm - $30 and up

Friday: The Winery Dogs at Upstate Concert Hall
Rock. With: The Sixxis. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $22 day of

Friday: Otan Vargas at Helsinki Hudson
Singer/guitarist in the vein of Staind and Pearl Jam. 9 pm - $20

Friday: The Chronicles at Red Square
Album release show for local jazz/funk band. With: Richard James & The Name Changers. 8 pm

Friday: Built4BBQ Halloween Spectacular at Valentine's
Featuring 10 bands -- a bunch of locals and a few out-of-towners. 5 pm - $10

Saturday: William Basinski at EMPAC
Classically trained musician and tape looper. Playing his new work Nocturnes. 8 pm - $18

Saturday: Chandler Travis Philharmonic at Valentine's
With: Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned and The Parlor, both separately and together. 8 pm

Saturday: The Fab Four at The Egg
Beatles tribute. 8 pm - $35 and up

Saturday: Golden Oldies Spectacular at Proctors
Featuring acts from the 1960s. 7 pm - $36.75 and up

Saturday: A Night of Murder Ballads at Caffe Lena
Michael Eck with Kim Kilby, Rich Bala, Charlie Morris, Matt Durfee, members of The Lucky Jukebox Brigade, and Ryder & Hazel, Dust Bowl Faeries. A benefit for Caffe Lena. 8 pm - $15

Saturday: Hot Cousin at Valentine's
10-year anniversary show. 9 pm

Sunday: Chris Thile at The Massry Center
Mandolin virtuoso, MacArthur "genius," Punch Brothers founder. 7:30 pm - $30 / $15 students

Sunday: Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys at Caffe Lena
Bluegrass. 7 pm - $16

To do

1. Rake the leaves.

2. Find the winter coat. Maybe get the coat dry cleaned.

2. Think about getting a flu shot.
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These are a just a few things for this week, not a comprehensive list. Know of something people should be looking forward to this week? Please share!

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