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 (messy start, then spring-ish), to film, to writers, to big hoops in a small setting, to improv, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Rain, freezing rain, sleet to start. Could be messy. Low 40s.

Tuesday: Sunny and low 50s.

Wednesday: Sunny and 55.

Thursday: More sun, more low 50s.

Friday: Cloudy, maybe some rain. Low 50s.

Weekend: Continued.

Messy start, but after that, rather spring-ish.

Film and stage

The Shawshank Redemption
Monday: The AFI 100 series at Proctors is showing The Shawshank Redemption, which is now 20 years old. Considered a classic and a favorite of many people now, Shawshank didn't do well when it was released in the fall of 1994 -- it only became popular after being released on video and being shown on cable. Monday various times - $5

YouthFX
Wednesday: There's an encore screening at the Spectrum of the latest batch of work from the YouthFX program, which helps teens in Albany tell their stories through video. The current slate includes narrative and documentary work, including a very good piece about a boxing gym in Albany. There will be a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening. (The first screening sold out.) Wednesday 6:30 pm - $10 / $5 students

Being Ginger
Wednesday: The League of Extraordinary Red Heads returns with a screening of the documentary Being Ginger at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy. The doc's director will be there for a Q&A. And there's after party at The Confectionery. Wednesday 6:20 pm - $10

Gypsy
The Sondheim/Arthur Laurents musical based on the life of Gypsy Rose Lee continues this week at Capital Rep (TU review, Nippertown review). The show features Broadway veterans and a number of talented actors from the Capital Region, including Benita Zahn and George Franklin.various times - $20 and up

Arts and sciences

A lecture about lectures
Tuesday: Artist Gordon Hall will be at EMPAC for a lecture-performance that "will offer a history of lecture-performances using sculptural objects, sound, and projected images." Tuesday 7 pm - free

Big cats
Wednesday: Alan Rabinowitz -- the CEO of Panthera, a wild cat conservation org -- will be at Skidmore to "discuss his remarkable journey and explain why it's essential to preserve wildlife habitats." Wednesday 7:30 pm, Palamountain Hall - free

Julia Glass
Thursday: National Book Award-winning novelist Julia Glass will be at the State Museum as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. Glass will be reading from and talking about her new novel And the Dark Sacred Night (EW mini review). Thursday 8 pm, State Museum Huxley Theater - free

Winter and Mesmer
Thursday: Author/illustrator Jonah Winter and poet/author Sharon Mesmer will be at Saint Rose as part of the Frequency North series. Among Winter's many works are picture book biographies of figures such as Barack Obama and Joe DiMaggio. Mesmer is the author of multiple collections of poetry and fiction. Thursday 7:30 pm, Events and Athletics Center - free

Downtown Albany restaurant week

Wednesday: Downtown Albany restaurant week begins -- it runs through April 11. Seventeen downtown restaurants will be offering special three-course menus during that span. Restaurant week tends to be popular, so reservations are a good idea.

Big hoops, small setting

Wednesday (and maybe Saturday): The Siena men's basketball team will be playing in the finals of the College Basketball Invitational Championship this week. The Saints are in Fresno for the first game against Fresno State Monday night. They'll then return to this area for game two on Wednesday -- but instead of playing at the TU Center, Siena and Fresno State will play at the Saints' on-campus Alumni Recreation Center gym. It'll be the first time the men's team has played a non-exhibition game there in 17 years. (They'll play a game three at the ARC if necessary.) Capacity of the ARC is just 3,500. Wednesday 7 pm - $36 adults (includes $5 concession voucher and parking) / $8 kids

Improv

Wednesday: Improv act Jim Belushi and The Board of Comedy will be at Proctors for a show. The group includes Belushi -- who worked with Second City back in the day before his time as a TV and movie actor -- along with four other comedians and a musician. Wednesday 8 pm - $20 and up

Music

Wednesday: Carolina Chocolate Drops at The Egg
String band. With: Birds of Chicago. 7:30 pm - $34.50

Thursday: Charlie Phillips at The Low Beat
Singer/songwriter from Brooklyn. With: Fort Rooster, The North & South Dakotas. 8 pm

Thursday: Wendy Colonna at Red Square
"Swamp-Americana style" singer/songwriter from Austin. With: Margo Macero. 8 pm - $10

Thursday: Shemekia Copeland at Helsinki Hudson
Blues singer. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Friday: The Figgs at The Low Beat
For a grand opening show at the new Valentine's. With: Chalaque. 8:30 pm - $10

Friday: Enter the Haggis at The Egg
World folk rock fusion. 8 pm - $26

Friday: Lil Durk at Washington Ave Armory
Rapper from Chicago. 8 pm - $22 and up

Friday: Ciarán Sheehan at Troy Music Hall
"[A]n eclectic musical mixture of timeless Irish classics, familiar Broadway show stoppers, and moving inspirational favorites." 7:30 pm - $25 and up

Friday: We Are the In Crowd at Upstate Concert Hall
Pop punk. With: William Beckett, Set It Off, State Champs, Candy Hearts. 7 pm - $13 ahead / $15 day of

Saturday: WCDB 36th Anniversary Show: Cloud Nothings at The Low Beat
Part of the WCDB anniversary celebration at the The Low Beat and Pauly's next door. With: Cosmonauts, Tweens, Pleasure Leftists, Slowshine, Secret Release. 7 pm - $12 ahead / $15 at door

Saturday: Roots Music Festival at The Linda
Headlined by The Wiyos. Also: The Mt. Olive Baptist Church male Chorus, Red Haired Strangers, The Hot Club of Saratoga, and Rebel Darling. 8 pm - $15

Saturday: Rory Block at Caffe Lena
Blue guitarist and singer. 8 pm - $28

Saturday: Johnny Clegg at Troy Music Hall
"[O]ne of South Africa's most celebrated sons." 8 pm - $20 and up

Saturday: Rovshan Mamedkuliev at The Massry Center
Classical guitarist. 7:30 pm - $20 adults / $10 students

Saturday: David Bromberg at The Egg
Multi-genre multi-instrumentalist, with a quintet. 7:30 pm - $38.50

Saturday: The North & South Dakotas at Putnam Den
Album release show. With: Bear Grass. 9:30 pm - $7

Sunday: Schenectady Symphony Orchestra at Proctors
Playing an "Out of this World"-themed program. 3 pm - $12 and up / 18 and under free
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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!

Troy Music Hall, Proctors, Capital Rep, and the Downtown Albany BID advertise on AOA.

photo: Joe Schuyler