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 (a little too cool), to a restaurant week, to so many authors, to found footage, to spelling, to figure drawing, to LarkFest...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny, mid 60.

Tuesday: Maybe some rain from overnight. Then sun. Mid 60s.

Wednesday: Sunny, mid 60s.

Thursday: Repeat.

Friday: And again.

Weekend: Sunny... maybe 70.

Feeling a little too cool.

Troy Restaurant Week

Monday-Sunday: Troy Restaurant Week returns with special prix fixe menus at restaurants around the city. The menus are spread among a range of price points: $5, $10, $20, $30.

Arts and sciences

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith
Tuesday: Artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith will be Union College for a talk and opening reception of a exhibition of her work at the Mandeville Gallery. "Smith, a self-described cultural arts worker, uses humor and satire to examine myths, stereotypes and the paradox of Native American life in contrast to the consumerism of American society." Smith's work is part of the collections of museums such as the Whitney, the Met, MoMA, and the Smithsonian. Tuesday 5 pm, Nott Memorial - free

John Scalzi: Lock In
Wednesday: Sci-fi author John Scalzi will be at Northshire Sartoga to talk about his new book Lock In. Blurbage:

Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.

Wednesday 7 pm - free

Passenger pigeons
Wednesday: State Museum curator of birds Jeremy Kirchman will be at the Delaware Ave branch of the Albany Public Library for a talk about the passenger pigeon, which went extinct 100 years ago this year. The State Museum currently has an exhibit about the birds. Wednesday 6 pm - free

Victor Navasky: The Art of Controversy: Political Cartoons and Their Enduring Power
Thursday: That Nation's Victor Navasky will be at Skidmore for a talk a political cartoons (he has a new book about them). Thursday 5:15 pm, Palamountain Hall - free

Alison Lurie: The Language of Houses
Thursday: Alison Lurie -- Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, historian of children's literature, and reigning New York State Author -- will be at UAlbany to open the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series fall season. Lurie will be talking about about her new book The Language of Houses, "an exploration of the expressive power of everyday architecture." Thursday 8 pm, Performing Arts Center, uptown campus - free

Maureen Corrigan: So We Read On
Saturday: Journalist/author/critic Maureen Corrigan will be at Northshire Saratoga for a conversation about her new book So We Read On, about The Great Gatsby. "With rigor, wit, and infectious enthusiasm, Corrigan inspires us to re-experience the greatness of Gatsby and cuts to the heart of why we are, as a culture, "borne back ceaselessly" into its thrall." Corrigan will be talking with WAMC's Joe Donahue. Saturday 7 pm - $28 for one seat and one book / $35 for two seats and one book

Found Footage Festival

Wednesday: The Found Footage Festival will be at Proctors. The touring series is combination of (unintentionally funny) found video clips and live comedy. Among the clips this year: a 1997 instructional video titled "How to Have Cybersex on the Internet." Wednesday 8 pm - $9 / $6 students

Spelling Bee for Adults

Thursday: The Pine Hills branch of the Albany Public Library will be a hosting a spelling for adults. The event includes team-based, trivia-style spelling challenges and aspects of a more traditional spelling bee. It's the second year for the contest -- we hear last year's event was popular. Thursday 7 pm - free (registration required)

Pasties, Pencils, and Pints

Thursday: The sassy drink-n-draw Pasties, Pencils, and Pints will be at The Hangar in Troy. The model this month is burlesque performer Lulu Madly. (The evening is both BYOB and bring your own drawing materials.) Thursday 8:30 pm - $10

LarkFest

Looking ahead to the weekend: LarkFest is this Saturday. Lark Street will be closed from Madison to Washington for the annual street festival. Activities and vendors will be set up along the street, and there will be music on two stages. Saturday 10 am-5:30 pm - free admission

Fresh Grass

Friday-Sunday: The Fresh Grass music festival returns to MASS MoCA. This year's lineup includes Emmylou Harris, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Sam Amidon, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and many others. three-day festival pass $92 / single-day tickets $33 and up

Music

Tuesday: Chris Isaak at The Egg
What a wicked game to play. 8 pm - $59.50 and up

Thursday: Jesse Dee at Parish Public House (nee Red Square)
Soul singer. 8 pm - $10

Friday: 1964 the Tribute at Troy Music Hall
Beatles tribute act. 8 pm - $25 and up

Friday: Storyman at The Linda
Folk pop, formerly known as Guggenheim Grotto. 8 pm - $17

Friday: Buffalo Stack at Helsinki Hudson
Blues/Americana rock. With: Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. 9 pm - $12 ahead / $15 day of

Friday: Garage Bands at the APL
Hammer Hawk and Hill Haints play the last bands-in-the-garage show of the season. 6 pm - free

Saturday: Five Finger Death Punch at TU Center Not this Saturday, next Saturday.
Metal. With: Volbeat, Hellyeah, Nothing More. 6:20 pm - $25 and up

Saturday: Saint Rose Camerata at Massry Center
First show of the season at the Massry Center. Wind quintet. 7:30 pm - 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!

APL and Saint Rose advertise on AOA.

photos: Emmylou Harris photo via Emmylou Harris FB; Carolina Chocolate Drops via their website; Fleck and Washburn promo photo