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 (July-ish), to the Fourth of July, to the World Cup, to WTF, to swimming, to Phish, to Paul McCartney, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny, maybe thunderstorms later in the day. Upper 80s.

Tuesday: The same, but near 90.

Wednesday: The same, but warmer. Low 90s.

Thursday: Cloudy, probably thunderstorms. Mid 80s.

Friday: Some sun, maybe some rain. Upper 70s.

Weekend: Sunny and 80.

Hey there, July.

Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is this Friday, so this will be a four-day week/three-day weekend for a lot of people. (This is week is often a little thin on events because of the holiday.)

There will be a bunch of fireworks displays around the region, but the big one will be the annual display at the Empire State Plaza on July 4. The festival includes a string of musical acts headlined by Felix Cavaliere's Rascals. The fireworks go off at 9:15 pm.

World Cup

The World Cup continues this week with the knockout rounds. The US team plays Belgium Tuesday at 4 pm -- it's win or go home. Here are a few good places to catch the games.

Soul Cafe

Monday: The first Soul Café Albany community meal will be at the Westminster Presbyterian Church (262 State Street). The theme is Cuban night and the menu is created by Chris Faraci of Carmen's Café in Troy, and the dinner will include products donated by Denison Farm, the Honest Weight Food Co-op, and Placid Baker. The volunteer-run dinner is follow-up to a similar dinner series in Troy. 6 pm - $3 suggested donation (no one turned away)

WTF

Tuesday: The Williamstown Theatre Festival opens with a production of the Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman play June Moon, which stars Nate Corddry as Fred. Many of the WTF shows and events sell out, so if you're interested in going, it's probably better to get tickets sooner rather than later.

The Clark

Friday: The much-anticipated expansion of The Clark Art Institute makes its public debut on July 4. (The Clark is in Williamstown, about an hour's drive from Albany.)

Swimming

A bunch of Capital Region pools and beaches are open for the season -- and if they're not already, they'll be opening this week. Here's a collection of public pools around the area.

Strawberries

Strawberry season won't be here for a whole lot longer. There are a bunch of places around the Capital Region to pick your own. (Or, buy them from the farm stand.)

Phish

Thursday-Saturday: Phish will be at SPAC for three nights of shows. And, of course, that means big crowds in and around Saratoga Springs. 7:30 pm each night - $60 / $45 lawn

Music

Monday: Joe Purdy at Helsinki Hudson
Folk singer/songwriter. With: Brian Wright. 8 pm - $20 ahead / $22 day of

Wednesday: Super 400 at Rockin' on the River
Hometown heroes. With: Wild Adriatic. 5 pm - free

Wednesday: Say Anything at Upstate Concert Hall
Alt/punk rock. With: The Front Bottoms, The So So Glos, You Blew It!. 7:30 pm - $17.50 ahead / $21 day of

Thursday: The Firs at The Low Beat
With: Attic Basement, Hand Habits. 8 pm

Thursday-Friday: The James Taylor shows at Tanglewood are sold out.

Friday: Built4BBQ's Star Spangled Bonanza at The Low Beat and Pauly's
One corner, two clubs, eight acts. 7 pm - $7

Saturday: Paul McCartney at the TU Center
It's been 50 years since The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. 8 pm - $29.50 and up

Saturday: BSO opening night at Tanglewood
Featuring star soprano Renee Fleming. 8:30 pm - $21 and up

Saturday: Locos Por Juana at Helsinki Hudson
Grammy-winning Latin rock. 9 pm - $18 ahead / $20 day of

Saturday: Harpeth Rising at Caffe Lena
Americana string band. 8 pm - $16

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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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photo: Danny Clinch