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 (starts off OK), to Election Day, to The Yes Men, to William Gibson, to twin trouble, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Sunny and 54..

Tuesday: Sunny, upper 50s.

Wednesday: Sunny and almost 60.

Thursday: Cloudy, rainy, mid 50s.

Friday: The same, but cooler, low 50s.

Weekend: 40s and... maybe some snow.

Starts off OK.

Election Day

It's Tuesday. On ballots this year: races for governor, the US House of Representatives, the state legislature, and various local elections. Don't know where to vote? Check with your county board of election website.

The Yes Men

Tuesday: Yes Men co-founder Mike Bonanno (AKA Igor Vamos) will be at the Sanctuary for Independent Media for a fundraising dinner and sneak preview of the new anti-corporate pranksters' film The Yes Men Are Revolting. Tuesday 5:30 pm dinner ($40) and 7 pm screening ($10 suggested donation)

Smackdown

Tuesday: WWE Smackdown is at the TU Center. Tuesday 7 pm - $18 and up

Arts and sciences

Icon of extinction
Wednesday: State Museum curator of birds Jeremy Kirchman will be giving a talk about the passenger pigeon, which went extinct a hundred years ago this September. At one time, the bird is thought to have been the most numerous bird in North America. Wednesday 7 pm - free

Why Does Consciousness Dissolve in Chloroform
Wednesday: Biophysicist Luca Turin will be at EMPAC for a talk about consciousness, time, and anesthesia. Blurbage:

Does our understanding of time depend on the human mind in some fundamental way? Biophysicist Luca Turin investigates one of the stranger mysteries of human consciousness in this presentation, using images and 3D animations to share the many unusual discoveries from his research with general anesthesia and its influence an internal sense of duration.

Wednesday 7 pm - free

Lemon Andersen
Thursday: Writer/performance artist/actor/poet Lemon Andersen will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. "In an intimate setting, Lemon discusses his life and work, focusing on what nurtures him as an artist and how that has been the salvation in his life." Thursday 7 pm, University Art Museum - free

Poseur memoirist
Thursday: Novelist/rock writer/"poseur memoirist" Marc Spitz will be at Saint Rose as part of the Frequency North series. His latest book is Poseur: A Memoir of Downtown New York City in the '90s. Thursday 7:30 pm, Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium (985 Madison Ave) - free

Religion and conflict
Thursday: Notre Dame professor Ebrahim Moosa will be at Union for a talk titled "Negotiating the Ethical in Islamic Law: Practices, Politics and Tradition." It's the annual Wold Lecture on Religion and Conflict. Thursday 5:30 pm, Nott Memorial - free

William Gibson
Sunday: Prominent sci-fi author William Gibson will be at EMPAC as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. He'll be talking about his new book, The Peripheral. 7 pm - free

Looking ahead to the weekend...

Intergalactic Nemesis
Friday-Saturday: The live-action graphic novel stage show The Intergalactic Nemesis returns to Proctors with its latest chapter: "Twin Infinity." Blurbage:

Three actors voice the dozens of characters, a Foley artist creates all the sound effects, and a pianist plays a cinematic score, while more than 1,250 individual full-color hi-res comic book panels tell the hilarious sci-fi adventure story projected on the GE Theatre's GIANT screen.

Re-join reporter Molly Sloan and the man of her dreams, Ben Wilcott, as they race to rescue her fiance, also Ben Wilcott(!) from a secret society of spies that spans the globe--and beyond! Say what?!? Never mind. Trust us. This show's funny.

Friday-Saturday various times - $15 and $30

Kathleen Madigan
Saturday: Comedian Kathleen Madigan is at Troy Music Hall for a stand-up show. Saturday 8 pm - $25 and up

Music

Monday: Melora Creager at Helsinki Hudson
The first night of a "Mondays with Melora" residency at the club for the Rasputina founder. 8 pm - $5 ahead / $7 day of

Wednesday: Lyle Lovett at The Egg
With his acoustic group. 7:30 pm - $58 and up

Thursday: Crystal Bowersox at Troy Music Hall
From American Idol. 7:30 pm - $27

Thursday: The Mavericks at The Egg
"Polyrhythmic brand of post-modern country." 8 pm - $38 and up

Thursday: United States Navy Band Commodores at The Palace
Jazz and big band. 7 pm - free (ticket required)

Thursday: The Phryg at The Low Beat
Jam. With: Oobleck. 9 pm

Friday: Bobby Long at The Linda
Folk rock singer/songwriter. With: MaryLeigh Roohan. 8 pm - $17

Friday: "Expanded Piano" by Stavros Gasparatos at EMPAC
"Imagine being inside a piano. Imagine the piano expanded to the size of a concert hall." Friday 8 pm - $18

Saturday: Sixties Spectacular at Proctors
Herman's Hermits, B.J. Thomas, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Dennis Tufano, The Buckinghams, The Happenings. 7 pm - $39.75 and up

Saturday: Charlie Mars at The Linda
Folk rock. With: Carson Mchone. 8 pm - $18

Saturday: Glen David Andrews at Helsinki Hudson
New Orleans funk and soul. 9 pm - $20 ahead / $25 day of

Saturday: Jacob Whitesides at The Hollow
Self-described "Youtube sensation." 5 pm - $25

Sunday: Ray LaMontagne at The Palace
Folk/soul singer. 7:30 pm - $35 and up

Sunday: Battlefield Band at Proctors
Traditional Scottish music. An 8th Step show. 7 pm - $26 ahead / $30 day of

To do list

1. Vote.
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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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