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 (weird start for June), to poetry, to history, to film, to art, to music...

Weather

Here's the paraphrased forecast for this week:

Monday: Rainy and... 57?

Tuesday: Sunny and 61.

Wednesday: Sunny and 71.

Thursday: Sunny and 79.

Friday: Sunny and 83.

Weekend: Sun, maybe some thunderstorms. 80s.

Weird start for June.

Nitty Gritty

Tuesday: The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam is back at The Low Beat with guest featured poet Janae Johnson, who placed 1st at the 2015 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Tuesday 7:30 pm (open mic) / 8 pm (slam) - $5 / $3 students

Film

Lee's 88 Keys
Wednesday: The Spectrum will be screening Lee's 88 Keys, a documentary about local jazz pianist Lee Shaw, who's now 88 years old. There will be a Q&A with director Susan Robbins following the screening. Wednesday 7 pm - $12

Brotherly Love
Thursday: The Palace will be screening Brotherly Love, a film written and directed by Jamal Hill, who was born in Schenectady. Blurbage:

Forging a way out of Philadelphia's roughest neighborhood is a life or death matter for siblings June, (Cory Hardrict), Sergio (Eric D. Hill Jr.) and Jackie (Keke Palmer). So when Sergio's skill on the basketball court promises an escape, it looks like he'll avoid the fate that befell the streetwise June. But the temptations of 'hood life still pull hard on a loving family trying their best in a world that's stacked against them.

Hill be at the Palace for a post-screening Q&A. Thursday 7 pm - $18

Capital Pride

The annual Capital Pride celebration starts its two weeks of event this week at various locations. The big pride parade and festival is not this weekend, but next -- Saturday, June 13.

David McCullough

Wednesday: Historian/author David McCullough will be at the State Education Building in Albany for a public event. McCullough will be receiving the 2015 Empire State Archives and History Award. And he'll talking about "his career as a writer, historian, lecturer and narrator" with Harold Holzer (who is, of course, also a noted historian). Wednesday 7:30 pm - $15

Saratoga: The David McCullough event at the Saratoga City Center on Tuesday is sold out.

Art on Lark

Looking ahead to the weekend: Art on Lark is Saturday. Lark Street will be closed to traffic from Madison to Washington for artists to display their work, with music on stages on both ends of the street. Saturday 10 am-5 pm - free admission

Mountain Jam

Thursday-Sunday: The Mountain Jam music festival returns to Hunter Mountain in the Catskills. This year's headliners include The Black Keys, Robert Plant, Alabama Shakes, Gov't Mule, Grace Potter, Moe., and Michael Franti. day passes are $49 and up / multi-day passes are $215 and up

Music

Wednesday: Orleans at the ESP
First At the Plaza concert of the summer. With: Barrere & Tackett of Little Feat, Jocelyn Arndt. 5 pm - free

Wednesday: Alex Torres & Friends outside The Egg
The first "Made in the Shade" noontime concert of the summer. noon - free

Thursday: Rival Galaxies at The Low Beat
With: Science Club, Sexy Teenagers. 8 pm

Friday: The Josh Berwanger Band at The Low Beat
Formerly of The Anniversary. With: Adam & The Conglomerates. 8 pm

Friday: Eternal Summers at The Treehouse
Shimmery indie pop. With: Beth Israel, Green Dreams, Prince Daddy & The Hyena. 7:30 pm - $5

Friday: Martin Sexton at Helsinki Hudson
Singer/songwriter. 9 pm - $45

Friday: Jonathan Edwards at Caffe Lena
Singer/songwriter. 7 pm - $25

Saturday: Fly 92 Summer Jam at SPAC
Sawyer Fredericks has been added to the lineup. 2 pm - $20 and up

Saturday: Richard Barone at Caffe Lena
Release show for album Sorrows & Promises: Downtown New York in the 1960s. 8 pm - $22

Saturday: Femi Kuti & The Positive Force at Helsinki Hudson
Son of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. 9 pm - $38

Saturday: Graham Alexander at The Linda
Appeared in Rain on Broadway. With: Holly & Evan. 8 pm - $15

Saturday: Natalia Zukerman at MASS MoCA
Blues, jazz, bluegrass and folk. 8 pm - $12 ahead / $18 day of

Sunday: Marshall Crenshaw at Caffe Lena
Someday, someway. 7 pm - $28

Sunday: The Platte Clove Nature Theater at Helsinki Hudson
"The Platte Clove Nature Theater is a musical collaboration between three visionary performers: Fredo Viola, Luis Mojica and Ryder Cooley. The ensemble offers a unique and theatrical blend of electronic and organic sounds, complex compositions, looped and layered vocals, piano, accordion, singing saw, beat box, ukulele, video projections, aerial movement and more." 8 pm - $8 ahead / $12 day of
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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!

The Spectrum and NYS OGS advertise on AOA.

photo: William B. McCullough